Professor Jacek Cholewicki
College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, USA.
'Spine Stability and Low Back Pain: What is the Appropriate Rehabilitation Strategy?'
Dr. Jacek Cholewicki is a Walter F. Patenge Professor and the Ingham Foundation Research Fellow in spinal biomechanics. He received his Bachelor, Masters, and Ph.D. degrees in Kinesiology from the University of Waterloo in Canada in 1986, 1990, and 1994, respectively. From 1993 to 2007, Dr. Cholewicki worked in the Biomechanics Research Laboratory at Yale University School of Medicine, rising through academic ranks to the level of Associate Professor, before being recruited to Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. His research interests lie in the areas of lumbar and cervical spine function, spine injury mechanisms, tissue loading, and biomechanical modeling using EMG. His current projects include motor control of spine stability in the context of low back pain, and optimal rehabilitation strategies. Dr. Cholewicki is the recipient of the Bioengineering Research Prize Award for 2005 from the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine (ISSLS) and the Rose Excellence in Research Award for the best research article of 2007 in the area of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy.
Professor Jaap Van Dieën
Research Institute MOVE, Faculty of Human Movement Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
'Control of spine posture and movement: interactions of passive tissues and motor control in relation to low-back injury, degeneration and pain'
Jaap is a leading scientist in the field of musculoskeletal biomechanics. He has extensively studied spine biomechanics and spine loading from the perspective of (secondary) prevention of low-back pain. His current work is aimed at unravelling the adaptive and maladaptive aspects of changes in motor control in low-back pain and other musculoskeletal disorders.
Associate Professor Gregory Kawchuk
Department of Physical Therapy, University of Alberta, Canada.
'Alternative approaches for assessing spinal function'
Greg holds the Canadian Research Chair in Spinal Function. With a PhD in bioengineering and clinical training as a chiropractor, Greg’s research interests revolve around defining the mechanisms that initiate and sustain spinal disorders. To achieve this goal, a major component of his research involves the development of novel technologies to evaluate spinal structure and performance.
Professor Paul Hodges
NHMRC Centre of Clinical Research Excellence in Spinal Pain, Injury and Health, The University of Queensland, Australia.
'Motor control changes in spinal pain: effects, mechanisms and efficacy of interventions'
Paul has doctorates in physiotherapy and neuroscience. His work has led to new models to understand the changes in motor control associated with pain and rehabilitation approaches. His recent work aims to understand the mechanisms that underlie the efficacy of exercise interventions for musculoskeletal pain, from changes in to the nervous system to biomechanical effects.