University of Washington
Dr. Charles Bombardier is a clinical psychologist and professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington. He has worked as a clinician on inpatient rehabilitation, as a researcher, and as a teacher. His spinal cord injury research has focused on assessing and treating depression, chronic pain, physical inactivity, substance abuse, and low participation in rehabilitation therapies. He has received more than $14 million in research grants, authored 180 peer-reviewed publications, and has been the recipient of eight national awards for his research and clinical expertise.
Royal Flying Doctor Service
Steve Elliott, a former saddle bronc rider from Winton, Queensland, sustained a spinal cord injury in 2003 after a fall during a rodeo event. Following his rehabilitation, he has explored ways to return to work and enjoyment. He has dedicated his time in training working dogs and has featured in the ABC series Muster Dogs as a cattle dog trial competitor. Since then, he has established a successful branding iron business, and works with the Royal Flying Doctor Service on mental health initiatives, using dog training workshops to help people develop resilience and coping strategies.
Monash University
Dr. Goodwin is an applied behavioural scientist who specialises in translating research evidence into practice and policy. As Co-Director of Health & Social Programs at BehaviourWorks Australia (Monash University) since 2020, she brings expertise in understanding and influencing attitudinal shifts, social norms, and behavioural changes at both individual and community levels.
Her approach is grounded in the BehaviourWorks Australia method, which emphasizes identifying behavioural drivers and barriers to determine which interventions are most likely to succeed, for whom, and under what circumstances. Dr. Goodwin frequently collaborates with domain specialists, applying behavioural insights and conducting foundational research to enhance intervention adoption in real-world settings.
Over the past decade, her research has focused on preventing patient harm and improving communication in acute care environments. She has led two multi-year research initiatives with the Victorian Spinal Cord Service at Austin Health, AQA, and the Transport Accident Commission in Victoria. These projects have addressed optimal bladder management and supported young men with spinal cord injuries to "lead their best life" in contemporary society. The second project challenged traditional thinking and current approaches to care and beyond.
Building on a successful pilot, Dr. Goodwin and the team are currently evaluating an intervention that creates formal partnerships between individuals with lived experience of spinal cord injury and hospital staff in the rehabilitation setting.
Western Sydney University
Dr Laynie Hall Pullin RN PhD is a Registered Nurse and Lecturer in the School of Nursing & Midwifery at Western Sydney University, NSW, Australia, with extensive experience teaching undergraduate and post-graduate nursing students at all levels. She has been an active member of the Board of Directors of the Australasian Rehabilitation Nurses’ Association (ARNA) for the past 5 years. Dr Hall Pullin’s clinical background in Spinal Cord Injury and rehabilitation nursing led to her qualitative research, published in 2020, which explored the experiences of long-term family carers of people living with spinal cord injury. The research revealed unique nuances of the long-term carer experience which underpin their essential place in supporting the independence of family members with Spinal Cord Injury; as well as the diversity of complex needs of spouses, mothers and other kin providing active support over time. Upon completion of the research, she was awarded the Fellow 43 medal by the Fellows 43 for services to Spinal Cord Injury research. Laynie is also a published Poet who has had several poems published in Australian anthologies in recent years.
The University of Sydney
Professor Lisa Harvey (PhD) has 20 years clinical experience as a physiotherapist in the area of spinal cord injuries. She currently holds an academic position at the Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney. Most of her research focuses on putting an evidence base to widely administered physiotherapy interventions. She is currently principal investigator on a large multi-centered international clinical trial (the SCI-MT Trial) looking at the effectiveness of an intensive form of motor training provided soon after injury: She with Associate Professor Glinsky led the development of the Australian and New Zealand Physiotherapy Guidelines for the Management of People with Spinal Cord Injuries. She setup and continues to manage www.physiotherapyexercises.com; free online exercise prescribing software for physiotherapists. She is chair of the Scientific and Research Committee of ISCoS, and the ISCoS Working Parting overseeing www.elearnSCI.org. She is an Associate Editor for Cochrane, Section Editor for Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and recent past Editor-in-Chief of Spinal Cord. In addition, she leads the Australian Centre of the Cochrane Rehab Thematic Group. She is currently working on a project that aims to get consensus from physiotherapists on the most appropriate sets of evidence-based exercises for each of the different but common problems physiotherapists treat in people with all types of injuries and disabilities.
The University of Queensland
Professor Sean Tweedy’s 40-year professional life has been devoted to empowering people with disabilities to improve their health, fitness, functioning and well-being through physical activity (PA). As a newly graduated exercise physiologist, he established and ran the Sporting Wheelies gymnasium (1984-97), Australia’s first dedicated, community-led health and fitness facility for people with disabilities. Thirty-nine years later he won the 2023 UQ Award for Excellence in Leadership for his work to establish a National Centre for Rehabilitation and Disability Sport at the University (a.k.a. Paralympic Centre of Excellence), ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Paralympic Games. The inclusion both “rehabilitation” and “disability sport” in title indicates the inter-sectoral role envisaged for the Centre and positions it to enact, inter alia, the community engagement aspirations foreshadowed in the recently published Spinal Cord Injury Service Delivery Model for Queensland, to which Sean contributed. Sean is first author on the Exercise and Sport Science Australia (ESSA) Position Stand on exercise for people with spinal cord injury. He has lived experience of SCI – in 2018 is youngest son Conor sustained a C4-five incomplete injury following a rugby scrum collapse in the school rugby match. Sean is first author on the International Paralympic Committees (IPC) Position Statement on classification in Paralympic sport, is principal investigator for the IPC Classification Research and Development Centre and leads the ParaSTART program, a program using Single Case Experimental Design with longitudinal follow-up to evaluate training responses of people with severe impairments and high support needs to performance focused sports training.
University of the Sunshine Coast
A former school teacher, public speaker, wife and mum of two beautiful children. I fulfilled my dream of moving from England to Australia because I love the outdoors and wanted to share adventures with my family. 6 November 2010 this all changed, when I had an accident leaving me with a traumatic spinal injury. I try to have a positive outlook on life, and have found ways to still enjoy the outdoors and have adventures in my wheelchair. Once I started regularly attending an exercise physiology gym, not only did it improve my strength and hope for the future. It taught me about manual handling with my support team, which opened a world of fresh adventures. And with the improvement in mental health and peer support I accepted an opportunity to join a group of wonderful researchers at the University of the Sunshine Coast, to be involved with their research project about the use of assisted technology in the home.
University of Southern Queensland
Dr Esha Lovric is a PhD-trained social scientist and interdisciplinary researcher specialising in the sociological experiences of health, emotional resilience, identity, and patient experience. Her work draws on sociological, psychological, and anthropological frameworks to examine how people navigate complex life transitions, including spinal cord injury, trauma, and rehabilitation.
Esha is affiliated with two Australian universities contributing to national research on disability, healthcare systems, and social equity. She centres the voices of people with SCI and explores the role of health practitioners, with a strong focus on professional development, therapeutic alliance, and meaningful, patient-centred care. She supports reflective practice and works to strengthen clinical communication during complex rehabilitation.
In addition to her academic work, she is a published writer and mother of three. She currently lives in Croatia with her family working as a private consultant, socio-cultural researcher, and critical thinking and resilience educator.
Smart A.T. For You
Stephen is a technologist with a passion for problem-solving and discovering innovative ways to improve people's lives. He specialises in creating and implementing smart assistive technology solutions tailored to each person's unique needs and goals. He has over 15 years of expertise in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), systems integration, and business and manufacturing processes.
For over eight years as an independent Smart Assistive Technology Consultant, Stephen has provided objective, vendor-neutral, platform-agnostic, person-centred assessments and consultancy. His holistic approach supports the selection and integration of technology tailored to each person. He is skilled and experienced in installation, configuration, customisation, and training. Stephen provides support for older adults, people with disabilities, and allied health professionals, across a variety of funding streams.
A strong advocate for accessible, practical, and sustainable solutions, Stephen champions the use of mainstream, off-the-shelf technology options wherever possible - minimising complexity and reducing reliance on ongoing professional maintenance or costly support contracts.
“Because we don’t sell or stock products, we can offer truly unbiased advice to help you find the right solution for your needs. Our focus is on working with you to understand your goals and bringing together the right mix of smart assistive technologies to create a solution that works for you - without being tied to any particular brand, supplier, or type of technology.”
Wheelchair Rugby Australia
Ben Newton OAM PLY is a Paralympic gold medallist, qualified Access Consultant, and Queensland Head Coach and State Manager for Wheelchair Rugby Australia. After sustaining a spinal cord injury in a car accident as a young child, Ben discovered wheelchair rugby in 2004 – a transformative event that connected him to a supportive peer network and shaped his future. As a member of the Australian Steelers, Ben won gold at the London 2012 Paralympic Games and after retiring as an athlete transitioned into coaching, where he now leads the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) high performance program and contributes to the national development program. In 2014 Ben was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to sport and in 2024 received the QAS Development Coach of the Paris Cycle award. Ben is passionate about creating environments that enable development and performance through collaboration and belonging, and using sport as a platform for empowerment, peer learning, and community building for people with disabilities.
Surekid Rehab
Dr Gaj Panagoda is a Paediatric Rehabilitation Physician working in community-based practice, with experience collaborating across sectors including schools and recreation providers.Through his private practice, Superkid Rehab, he works with young adults with disability, para-athletes, and refugees. He also serves as Chief Medical Officer for the ParaSTART project at the University of Queensland and leads Xstitch Health, a social enterprise focused on healthcare improvement with marginalised populations.
Dr Panagoda brings both clinical and personal perspectives to physical activity pathways. He volunteers as a track and field coach and has been involved in sprint athletics for over 30 years. He leads a sprinting group for athletes over 40, where they enjoy running together and sharing stories about their delayed onset muscle soreness.
Royal Rehab Group
Julie is a registered nurse with 40 years of experience in rehabilitation, including clinical management, education and research roles. In her current role as Director of Research for the Royal Rehab Group in Australia, Julie fosters a culture of inquiry that seeks to understand not only the difference that we make, but exactly how we make a difference and how best to measure it. In her role of Clinical Associate Professor at the Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Sydney Julie supports the development of the next generation of rehabilitation researchers via the supervision of research students.
Queensland Spinal Cord Injury Service
Sargood on Collaroy
Sebastian is a highly skilled sport, recreation and leisure professional, with a unique background in adapting activities for people with physical disabilities. With a strong attention to detail, he’s driven to solve problems through simple and strategic creative solutions to provide access to all abilities.
Backed with a Bachelor's degree of Management in Sport and Exercise and a BICP Certified Adapted Mountain Bike Instructor, he’s passionate about creating societal change towards inclusion and access for people with disability. He is a strong advocate for allowing everybody the opportunity to participate no matter what their abilities are.
Sebastian is the Business Development and Program Manager at Sargood on Collaroy, leading a team to deliver life changing adaptive recreation experiences for people living with spinal cord injury. Known for his open mind, high energy and infectious nature, Sebastian has a hunger for challenges and continues to create opportunities for people they thought not possible.
The Spinal Research Institute
Antonio has a background in psychological science, with a particular interest in the social impact of trauma. He is currently the Community and Consumer Engagement Manager at the Spinal Research Institute, where he is widely recognised, both in Australia and internationally, as an emerging leader in the field of consumer involvement in spinal cord injury research. His work has been published in leading academic journals, underscoring his commitment to aligning research with lived experience.
Antonio serves on several key committees, including the Executive Committee of the Australia and New Zealand Spinal Cord Society and the Governance Committee for the Engagement and Peer Support Special Interest Group of the International Spinal Cord Society. He is highly active in delivering presentations and education on consumer engagement and is passionate about the potential of digital and social media to transform the way academia connects with communities.
He has also contributed to policy development, having advised the Transport Accident Commission and, more recently, the Victorian Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions.
Antonio has strong ties to the community through nearly two decades of involvement in peer support and wheelchair rugby, bringing both professional insight and personal experience to his work in advancing inclusive and impactful research practice.
University of The Sunshine Coast
Associate Professor, Michele Verdonck’s clinical experience led to a career in research and teaching at the University of the Sunshine Coast, USC, Queensland. Michele has worked in both South Africa and Ireland as an occupational therapist in spinal cord rehabilitation. Her research interests focus on assistive technology specifically the meaning of these to those who use them. Michele is passionate about sharing inclusive assistive technology practice and is a board member of the Australian Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology Association. Her work includes supporting occupational therapists in the use of mainstream and assistive technologies in everyday clinical practice.
University of QLD
Rachael is a triple Paralympic swimmer (2 x gold, 2 x bronze) across Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. She is also a member of the QLD Disability Advisory Council and conducts research within QLD Health working on sport, disability and health projects. Rachael is currently studying a Master of Sports Coaching at the University of QLD and hopes to help facilitate confidence and capability within coaches, allied health and medical staff to support para athletes in grassroots to elite level.