ACPIN Conference 2026 will take place on 14th and 15th May 2026. We will also be running workshops on the afternoon of the 13th May. There is an opportunity to attend the workshops and conference or conference only - further details of the workshops
The programme will be available soon but we are delighted to announce the following speakers for the two day conference*:
Day 1
Keynotes:
Professor Julie Bernhardt
Co-leader of The Florey’s Stroke theme and leads the AVERT Early Intervention Research Program
Director of Australia’s first NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery
Title: The Power of Collaboration: Leading Change in Stroke Recovery Research
Speakers:
Teresa Clark
Consultant Physiotherapist
Title: Best Interests Decision Making in Severe ABI – Personhood, Neuroethics, and the Mental Capacity Act (2005) – Part 1
Dr Brian Dickie
Chief Scientist
MND Association
Dr Daniel Eaves
Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science (Biomechanics)
School of Biomedical, Nutritional & Sport Sciences
Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University
Title: The Mental Practice Variants Model for upper limb recovery after stroke: Towards evidence-based practice and clinical implementation
Gillian Force and Theresa
Patient Voice
Professor Merrill Landers
Interim Dean and Professor
Cyrus Chung Ying Tang Foundation Research Professor
School of Integrated Health Sciences
Title: How Exercise Protects the Parkinsonian Brain: Biological Mechanisms and Clinical Meaning
Michelle Long
National Speciality Advisor for Stroke
Professor Lorna Paul
Professor in Allied Health Science
Department of Allied Health Professions
Title: Exercise/Physical Activity for People with Moderate to Severe Multiple Sclerosis
Professor Praminda Caleb Soly
Professor of Embodied Intelligence, Faculty of Science, University of Nottingham
Title: Intelligent Sensing and Adaptive Embodied AI for Safe and Personalised Assistive Robotics
Associate Professor Rachel Stockley
Physiotherapist & Associate Professor in Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation
UKRI Future Leaders Fellow
University of Lancashire
Title: Embedding technologies into rehabilitation – getting it RiTe
Professor Geert Verheyden
Stroke rehabilitation research lead at the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven
Title: Clinical and cost-effectiveness of personalized, high-dose motor rehabilitation in the chronic phase after stroke and spinal cord injury: ready for the revolution?
Day 2
Keynotes:
Professor Janice Eng
University Killam Professor & Canada Research Chair in Neurological Rehabilitation
Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine
University of British Columbia
Co-Director, Centre for Aging SMART at Vancouver Coastal Health
Title: Walk ‘n Watch structured exercise protocol delivered by physical therapists for inpatient stroke rehabilitation: A phase 3 pragmatic RCT
Professor Nele Demeyere
Professor of Neuropsychology & NIHR advanced Fellow
Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford
Title: Post-stroke cognition: fundamentals for rehabilitation
Speakers:
Professor Richard Cheston
Professor of Dementia Research
Title: Bao, chapatis or sandwiches? Why we need to use bridges to build trust
Teresa Clark
Consultant Physiotherapist
Title: Best Interests Decision Making in Severe ABI – Personhood, Neuroethics, and the Mental Capacity Act (2005) – Part 2
Dr Zoe Fisher
Clinical Lead, Emotional and Mental Wellbeing Strategy, West Glamorgan Regional Partnership Board
Title: Positive Psychology And Community Neurorehabilitation: from Theory to Practice
Associate Professor Melanie Fleming
Associate Professor in Clinical Neurosciences and Academic Lead for Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement
Title: Uncovering Sleep-Related Barriers to Neurorehabilitation: What Do We Know So Far, and What Should We Be Doing Next?
Danielle Jefferies
Senior Analyst, The King's Fund
Title: What are health inequalities?
Claire Lincoln
Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist Spinal Injuries, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital
Professor Suzanne MacDonough
Professor and Head of RCSI School of Physiotherapy and a visiting Professor with the University of Southampton
Title: Physical activity guidelines for physiotherapy practice: does one size fit all?
Dr Annie McCluskey
Occupational Therapist
The StrokeEd Collaboration
Title: Knowledge Translation: Achieving and Sustaining Practice Change
Dr Sarah Moore
Associate Professor
Associate Clinical Researcher, Stroke Research Group, Newcastle University
Honorary Highly Specialist Physiotherapist Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Title: Walk the Talk: Current Evidence for Walking Recovery After Stroke, Future Pathways and a Mission for Research and Clinical Practice
Professor Nada Signal
Associate Dean Postgraduate
Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences
Auckland University of Technology
Title: Challenge as a Key Ingredient in NeuroRehabilitation
*Please note this may be subject to change