Keynote Speakers
Peter Charles Rhee
Dr. Peter Charles Rhee is a hand and microvascular surgeon within the
Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He holds
academic appointment as a Professor of Orthopedic
Surgery. A former active duty and current reserve hand surgeon for the United States Air Force, Dr. Rhee has a breadth of experience and knowledge in treating the traumatized upper. His clinical interest in treating patients with upper motor neuron injuries (cerebrovascular accidents, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal cord injuries). He is an avid outdoorsman and has a passion for hunting and fishing. He has a wife (palliative care/hospice physician) and 4 children.
Dr Praveen Bhardwaj
- Trained in Orthopaedics, Hand and Reconstructive Microsurgery
- Consultant at Ganga Hospital, Coimbatore
- Special Interests- Brachial Plexus; Spastic Upper Limb and Sports Injuries.
Academic Achievements:
- Secretary General- Indian Society for Surgery of the hand
- Editor- The Journal of Hand Surgery – Asia Pacific Volume
- Academics Chair- Indian Society for Surgery of the Hand
- Scientific Committee Chair- Asia Pacific Hand Surgery Meeting- 2025
Scientific Publications in peer review journals- 124
- Winner of National Quiz for Orthopaedic Post Graduates
- 11 Best Research Presentations Awards in National Conferences
- Prof Jagannath Kamath- Ideas and Innovation Award (2nd and 3rd)
Ann Van Heest
Ann Van Heest MD is Professor and Vice Chair of Education in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Van Heest trained at the University of Minnesota for medical school and orthopedic surgery residency, as well as the
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as the Harvard Hand and Upper extremity fellowship.
In her clinical practice, Dr. Van Heest sees patients at the University of Minnesota Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare and Shriners Clinic for Children. Her academic interests include neuromuscular disorders, storage disease disorders, congenital disorders of the pediatric hand and upper extremity.
Caroline Leclercq
Caroline Leclercq is a senior Hand Surgeon at the Institut de la Main (Paris France), of which she is the Past President.
Former President of the French Society for Surgery of the Hand, and member of the French "Académie de Chirurgie",
she is also Honorary member of the British (BSSH) and the Australian Society for Surgery of the Hand, and Member of the American (ASSH), Hellenic, Italian and Colombian Societies for Surgery of the Hand.
Her main sub-specialty is neuro-orthopaedics of the upper limb, especially in the fields of tetraplegia and spasticity. She organizes yearly Master Classes on the treatment of the Spastic Upper Limb, and is a consultant in 10 neurological rehabilitation centers (both adult and children). Her current clinical research involves nerve procedures in the treatment of spasticity. Her other fields of interest, besides paralytic and spastic upper limb, are Dupuytren's disease, sports injuries, and hand tumors. She is the author of 7 books and more than 130 scientific articles and book chapters, and has presented more than 80 oral communications at National and International Society Meetings. She is heavily involved in post-graduate teaching, both nationally and internationally. She is past Assistant-Editor of the European Journal of Hand Surgery, and a member of the FESSH (Federation of European Societies for Surgery of the Hand) Education Committee.
member of the National Task Force for Digital and Assistive Technology in the HSE. As a disabled person, she has been involved in advocacy campaigns with the Irish Wheelchair Association on accessible housing and the government on UNCRPD.
Dr Aoife McNicholl
Dr. Aoife McNicholl is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and was previously the Universal Design Coordinator in Dublin City University. Her research areas of interest are assistive technology, identity, the psychosocial impact of illness and disability and inclusive teaching approaches. Aoife is a board member of Independent Living Movement Ireland and
Miss Jingwen Hu
Jingwen is a mechanical & biomedical engineering graduate currently pursuing a PhD in Mechanical, Manuf & Biomedical Eng in TCD, focused on developing a markerless pose estimation system for assessing gait and upper limb movement in children with cerebral palsy. The project integrates engineering innovation with clinical insights to support
more accessible and accurate movement analysis for children with CP.
Irish Speakers
Prof Ciaran Simms
Ciaran Simms is Prof in Biomechanics in the School of Engineering at Trinity College Dublin, where his research is focused on human movement and injury biomechanics, in particular estimating movement from a single video. He is also co-founder and chief scientific officer of KineMo, a
TCD technology spin out that uses a single camera view to estimate whole-body movement during exercise completion.
has undergone further training in this area.
Nicola is passionate about early intervention and improving outcomes for these children and their families.
Nicola Gaskin
Nicola is an occupational therapist who works as part of a multidisciplinary team in the National Upper Limb service in the Central Remedial Clinic (CRC). She has a special interest in assessment and treatment of infants and young children with Cerebral Palsy who experience upper limb difficulties, and she
prevent or minmise long-term disability. Dr. Boland has a special interest in assessment and management of spasticity in the context of acute traumatic brain injury.
Dr Marie Boland
Dr. Marie Boland is a Consultant in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital Dublin. She specialises in acute trauma rehabilitation and is passionate about early rehabilitation interventions to
children with cerebral palsy. He holds a dual clinical-researcher role between RCSI and the National Centre for Movement Analysis at the Central Remedial Clinic. He is the Principal Investigator for the Cerebral Palsy – Adolescent Growth Evaluation (CP-AGE) study.
Dr Colm Daly
Dr Colm Daly is a physiotherapist who holds a doctorate in musculoskeletal and sports physiotherapy. He specialises in biomechanics and human movement science and has a particular interest in developmental trajectories in
Dr Conor Fearon is an electronic engineer and neurologist who undertook a PhD in Neural Engineering in Trinity College Dublin focusing on quantitative assessment of freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease. He subsequently completed a clinical
Dr Conor Fearon
and research fellowship in Movement Disorders at the University of Toronto funded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation. In 2022, he returned to Ireland to take up a position as consultant neurologist at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and St Vincent' University Hospital. He is the Director of Research at the Dublin Neurological Institute and co-lead of the Irish Dystonia Research Group.
Tami Brown
Tamsyn (Tami) is an Occupational Therapist working as part of a multi-disciplinary team in the National Upper Limb and National Obstetric Brachial Plexus Palsy Services in the Central Remedial Clinic (CRC), Clontarf, Dublin.
as it embodies the essence of physical rehabilitation medicine — integrating clinical insight, patient-centred care, functional improvement,and technological innovation.
Dr Aoife Murray
Dr Murray is an Advanced Spasticity and Neuro-rehabilitation Fellow, currently working in Oxford Centre for Enablement for her final year of Physical Rehabilitation Medicine training. She was
drawn to spasticity management
Edel O’Neill is a Clinical Specialist in Occupational Therapy. She holds a Master of Science in Advanced Healthcare Practice in which the primary focus was on early and effective Upper Limb Neurorehabilitation of Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy.
Edel O'Neill
Working as part of a multidisciplinary team at the Central Remedial Clinic in Dublin, Ireland, Edel is the clinical lead in the Upper Limb Therapy Services for infants through to adults with a primary neuro-disability.
Catherine Moran
Ms Moran completed Neurosurgical training in Ireland and was awarded Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland in 2016. Ms Moran has completed advanced Neurosurgical Fellowships in Functional Neurosurgery in the
UK (Bristol NHS Trust) and US (Washington University, St Louis). She has also completed fellowship training in Complex Spinal Neurosurgery, in Kings College Hospital London (specialising in spinal tumour surgery, trauma and degenerative pathologies) and The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square London
Lille, France, she specialized in hand and nerve surgery under the guidance of Professor Christian Fontaine. She expanded her skills in neuro-orthopaedics at Hopital de Garches (Pr Denormandie) and at the Institut de la Main (Dr Leclercq). She joined the Institut de la Main in Paris in 2021.She has a Master‘s Degree in Neurosciences. She is the author of 25 scientific articles and book chapters, and has presented more than 35 oral presentations at National and International Society Meetings.
Besides spasticity of the upper and lower limbs, her main field of interest is the peripheral nerve and brachial plexus surgery, and she is involved in teaching both nationally and internationally.
Nadine Sturbridge Nachef
Member of the French Society for Orthopedic and Traumatologic Society (SOFCOT) and of the French Society for Surgery of the Hand (SFCM). Dr Nadine Sturbois-Nachef studied medicine in Montpellier, France. Former Chef de Clinique of the University of
Margaret Dee is an Occupational Therapist working in working as part of a multi-disciplinary team in the National Upper Limb service in the Central Remedial Clinic (CRC), Clontarf, Dublin. She has an interest in upper limb
Margaret Dee
tone and postural management, specifically with school-age children.
Eugene Park
Dr. Eugene Park is a pediatric hand and plastic surgeon at Shriners Children's Philadelphia. Dr. Park completed residency training in plastic surgery at Northwestern University followed by a hand surgery fellowship at Stanford University. Dr. Park completed additional training in pediatric hand and upper extremity
surgery at Shriners Children's Philadelphia and stayed on as staff after. Dr. Park specializes in the surgical treatment of upper extremity spasticity in children, as well as peripheral nerve injuries and brachial plexus birth injuries.
International Speakers
Dr Sze Ryn Chung
Dr. Chung Sze Ryn is a Consultant Hand and Wrist Surgeon from the Department of Hand and Reconstructive Microsurgery at Singapore General Hospital. She was the Gold Medalist of the 2024 European Diploma in Hand Surgery.
She completed her medical degree at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 2011 and completed her
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hand surgery residency training in 2020. She pursued a fellowship under Professor Caroline Leclercq in Upper Limb Spasticity at the Institut de la Main in Paris, France, in 2023.
Dr. Chung is currently the Fellowship Chair of the Asia Pacific Wrist Association and has extensive experience in wrist arthroscopy, alongside a growing clinical and academic interest in upper limb spasticity surgery.
Dr. Chung Sze Ryn is a Consultant Hand and Wrist Surgeon from the Department of Hand and Reconstructive Microsurgery at Singapore General Hospital. She was the Gold Medalist of the 2024 European Diploma in Hand Surgery.
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Miryam Obdeijn
Miryam Obdeijn is an associate professor in plastic, reconstructive and handsurgery. She works in the Amsterdam University Medical Center and is specialized in hand and wrist surgery and more specifically in the surgical treatment of spasticity of the upper limb in both children and adults. She
participated in writing the national guidelines for the treatment of spasticity of the upper limb in children. In order to improve the information for her patients she developed short explanatory video’s about the operating procedures for children and their caretakers.
Besides her clinical work, Miryam Obdeijn is director of the training program for plastic surgery in the Amsterdam UMC, and past president of the Dutch Society for Surgery of the Hand.
I am a consultant orthopaedic surgeon based at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital. UK
My main elective interest is in reconstructive surgery for neuro-muscular disability. My practice covers adult and paediatric brain trauma/ stroke and cerebral palsy covering three
Simon Pickard
neurorehabilitation centers in the West Midlands spinal cord injury at the North West, West Midlands and London Spinal Injury centres as well as the regional muscle disorders service.I spend a lot of time in my car.
Masterclass since the first one and to be involved in many anatomical and clinical studies on hyperselective neurectomy, having completed more than 75 dissections of upper limbs motor nerves. In Italy I've been trained at the Hand and Microsurgery Department guided by Doctor B. Battiston at CTO Hospital of Turin. Currently I run a consultation for children affected by spasticity, and I am also in the hand surgery team at the Pediatric Hospital Regina Margherita in Turin.
Nathalie Bini
I had the chance to meet dr Leclercq during my last two years of med school and I have been passionate about spasticity ever since. I had the chance to spend more than two years in total at the Institut de la Main in Paris, to be part of the "Surgical Skills in Upper Limb Spasticity"
Prof Bertrand Coulet
Chief of Hand and Upper Limb Department - Surgery of Palsies.
University Hospital Lapeyronie - Montpellier Médical School.
Dr. Christopher Crowe is an Assistant Professor of Plastic and Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital. He serves as Director of the Multidisciplinary Spasticity Surgery Clinic and Director of Research for the Unified Hand
Dr. Christopher Crowe
Surgery Service. Dr. Crowe’s clinical practice focuses on adult and pediatric hand and wrist surgery, complex peripheral nerve injuries, surgical management of spasticity in the upper and lower extremities, and reconstruction of upper limb function following cervical spinal cord injury. His research interests closely align with his clinical work and center on surgical outcomes in nerve injury and upper motor neuron syndrome. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and multiple textbook chapters, and currently serves as a Section Editor for the American Society for Surgery of the Hand’s educational resource, Handthology.
After completing her residency in orthopedic surgery, Dr. Laure Gatin did her clinical fellowship in neuro-orthopedic surgery under Dr. Philippe Denormandie in Garches, where she specialized in this field of disability surgery (lower and upper extremities).
Dr. Laure Gatin
It was then that she developed a particular interest in the elderly and acquired deforming hypertonia. After a mobility assignment at the CentraleSupélec engineering school to organize the logistics for the management of acquired deforming hypertonia (tenotomies, botulinum toxin injections, and on-site phenolization) in nursing homes, she helped establish a mobile unit for these patients in the Île-de-France region. She currently co-directs one of the seven French units.
Specialist in Orthopedics and Traumatology, Specialist in Hand Surgery and Microsurgery
Studied medicine and specialized in Orthopedics and Traumatology in Padova (Italy). Then he spent a long period in Paris (Institut de la Main-Director Prof. Alain Gilbert).
Paolo Panciera
In Verona (Italy) obtained the master’s degree in Hand Surgery, second level. Since 2014 Director of the Hand and Spasticity Surgery Service at the Villa Salus Hospital (Mestre/Venice).Chairman of the Second International Symposium on surgery of the spastic upper limb (Venice, 2019) and part of the faculty of the third (Amsterdam 2021-webinar), the fourth (Amsterdam 2022-on site) and the Fifth Symposium on Surgery of the spastic upper limb (Mayo Clinic, Rochester - USA - 2024)Permanent member of the Faculty of the Master Class: surgical skills in upper limb spasticity, held twice a year in Budapest since 2019.In the 2022 IFSSH/FESSH Congress in London his free paper about spasticity has been selected as one of the Best Papers of the Conference.Author of book chapters and scientific articles, and presented several oral communications at National and International Congresses.
and has an assignment as Karolinska University Hospital Chief Physician. Her clinical practice focuses on both upper and lower limb in cerebral palsy, arthrogryposis, and trauma, as well as spina bifida limb deficiencies and developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), In her research, she focuses mainly on cerebral palsy, with particular interest in muscle physiology, morphology, and function, as well as treatment strategies including the use of botulinum toxin. Her work seeks to deepen understanding of neuromuscular impairments and translate scientific insights into improved therapeutic interventions. She also studies gait and standing in spina bifida, arthrogryposis, bladder exstrophy and limb deficiencies.Dr. Pontén is actively involved in teaching and mentoring the next generation of surgeons and researchers, and she contributes regularly to national and international scientific forums.
Eva Pontén
Eva Pontén, MD, PhD is an Associate Professor and a specialist in orthopedic surgery and hand surgeon at the Department of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery, Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm,
Eva Pontén, MD, PhD is an Associate Professor and a specialist in orthopedic surgery and hand surgeon at the Department of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery, Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm,
Limb Reconstruction at Hôpital de la Timone before joining the Plastic Surgery team at Montreal General Hospital in June 2025.Dr. Jaloux earned her medical degree from Aix-Marseille University in 2012 and completed her residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery in Marseille. She completed a hand surgery fellowship at Institut de la Main, focusing on spastic upper limb surgery, and holds a PhD in Neurosciences.Passionate about advancing patient care, Dr. Jaloux conducts research on peripheral nerve regeneration and surgical management of spastic upper limbs, combining clinical expertise with scientific innovation.
the fields of Plastic, Orthopedic, and Neurosurgery, allows her to provide comprehensive care to patients with complex clinical problems from a unique perspective.
Kitty Wu is a hand and reconstructive surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota with a specific interest in the functional reconstruction of upper extremity injuries. Her diverse training background, in
Dr Kitty Wu
with specialist hand surgery fellowships in Manchester, Wrightington, and Sydney, Australia. He has completed an MD thesis on human and foetal wound healing, after which he was awarded a Hunterian Professorship by the Royal College of Surgeons. He is the author of over 70 peer reviewed publications, many book chapters, and was co-editor of the recent IFSSH book. He was President of the British Society for Surgery of the Hand in 2023 and is currently BSSH International Liaison. He has been a Council Member of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons since 2013 and is past Chair of Plastic Surgery Education in the UK. He is a current member of the FESSH Education Committee. His clinical interests are in children’s hand surgery, spasticity, and peripheral nerve surgery, including that of the brachial plexus.
Dean Boyce
Dean Boyce is the Director of the Welsh Centre for Plastic Surgery & Burns, and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Swansea. He trained in Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery in South Wales and Birmingham,
Dr. Charlotte Jaloux is a French-trained plastic and hand surgeon specializing in complex reconstructive procedures, upper limb spasticity, trauma surgery, and peripheral nerve injury. She previously served as Chief of the Department of Hand Surgery and
Dr Charlotte Jaloux
Limb Reconstruction at Hôpital de la Timone before joining the Plastic Surgery team at Montreal General Hospital in June 2025.Dr. Jaloux earned her medical degree from Aix-Marseille University in 2012 and completed her residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery in Marseille. She completed a hand surgery fellowship at Institut de la Main, focusing on spastic upper limb surgery, and holds a PhD in Neurosciences.Passionate about advancing patient care, Dr. Jaloux conducts research on peripheral nerve regeneration and surgical management of spastic upper limbs, combining clinical expertise with scientific innovation.
Mr Petros Mikalef is a Consultant Hand and Spasticity Surgeon at the Birmingham Upper and Lower Limb Spasticity Service (BULLSS) at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham, UK, specialising in the management of upper and lower limb spasticity in adult
Petros Mikalef
patients. He runs structured, high-volume multidisciplinary (MDT) upper and lower limb clinics and dedicated spasticity operating theatre lists. He provides individualised, function-driven surgical and non-surgical care. He has extensive international training and experience treating spasticity arising from stroke, traumatic brain injury, and cerebral palsy. Mr Mikalef is actively involved in teaching, training, and international collaboration mainly in the field of upper-limb spasticity surgery.
Mr. Orlando Merced-O’Neill has over 30 years of experience and leadership in regenerative medicine, organ and tissue transplantation, and microsurgery training. He is currently the Director of Microsurgical Education Axogen Inc. where he
Orlando Merced-ONeill
collaborates with the Professional Education Department to provide microsurgical education and surgical support to surgeons globally. Along with internationally known surgeons he participates in humanitarian surgical missions in pediatric brachial plexus reconstruction surgery. He is nationally and internationally recognized for his surgical innovations in peripheral nerve surgery, microsurgery, tissue and organ recovery and transplantation.
Additionally, is an adjunct faculty at University of Texas San Antonio, General Surgery, Plastics Division.
He is an Associate Member of the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery, Affiliate Member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, member of American for Advancing Tissue and Biologics and the Association of Extremity Nerve Surgeons.
Joaquim Casanas
Head of Department Hospitl Teknon
Head of Department Hsopital Bellvitge . Barcelona
Head of Departmen Pediatric H SJD
Past President Spanish Hand Surgery Society
Wee is a Senior Consultant at the Department of Hand and Reconstructive Microsurgery, SGH and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. After graduating from the University of Edinburgh,he completed his Plastic Surgery training and obtained the FRCS
Wee Leon Lam
(Plastic Surgery), followed by a microsurgery fellowship at Chang Gung Memorial hospital, Taiwan. Wee was a Consultant Plastic and Hand Surgeon in Edinburgh until 2023 when he accepted a job offer to return to Singapore. His main interests are in both adult and paediatric hand surgery, particularly congenital hand surgery and neuromuscular disorders. He helped set up the Complex Spasticity Clinics and Complex Nerve Clinics at SGH to help patients with stroke, brain injuries and other spasticity disorders, as well as complex nerve problems. Wee s well published and lectures nationally and internationally. He was the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Hand Surgery (European volume) from 2022-2025, and the current President of the British Society for Surgery of the Hand.
Sami Tuffaha
Dr. Sami Tuffaha is an Associate Professor in Plastic Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery, Neurosurgery, and Biomedical Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Dr. Tuffaha completed his residency training in the Johns Hopkins/University of Maryland Plastic and Reconstructive Training Program. He then completed additional fellowship training in Hand and Upper Extremity surgery at the Mayo Clinic, with an emphasis on Microsurgery and Peripheral Nerve Surgery.
Dr. Tuffaha’s clinical practice is focused on addressing functional deficits and pain arising from peripheral and central nervous system disorders. He has a special treating paralysis and spasticity arising from upper motor neuron injury.
Dr. Tuffaha also leads a complimentary basic, translational and clinical research program aimed at developing strategies to enhance nerve regeneration and advance the care of patients with peripheral nerve and upper motor neuron injuries. These efforts include ongoing clinical trials assessing the efficacy of therapeutic and diagnostic agents developed in the lab.
Laura Martini, MD is a senior Hand Surgery specialist with over thirty years of experience in clinical practice, surgery, and academic activity within the Italian National Health Service. She has served as a Level I Medical Manager in the Department of Hand Surgery at
Laura Martini
Piero Palagi Hospital, Azienda USL Toscana Centro (Florence), since January 2000 and, since June 2023, holds a High Specialization Assignment in Neuro-Orthopedics.
Dr. Martini began her career in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Department of the Azienda Sanitaria Firenze, working as an assistant from 1994 to 1995 and as a scholarship holder from 1996 to 1999. She has performed over 6,000 surgical procedures as lead surgeon, specializing in traumatic and elective pathologies of the hand and upper limb. Her expertise includes fractures of the hand and wrist, tendon and nerve repair, ligament reconstruction, neurovascular flaps, tissue loss reconstruction, joint and prosthetic surgery, functional upper limb surgery, Dupuytren’s disease, and regenerative surgery with autologous fat grafting.
She also serves as Corporate Representative for Clinical Risk, Accreditation, and Quality, and coordinates the Multidisciplinary Neuro-Orthopedics Service. Since 2021, she has been President of the Guideline Commission of the Italian Society of Hand Surgery (SICM) and is actively involved in national and international scientific activity, training, and publications.
cerebral palsy management, peripheral nerve surgery, and limb deformity correction. Her practice focuses on complex upper limb reconstruction, neuromuscular conditions, and paediatric trauma within a tertiary referral setting. She qualified from the University of Dundee and completed higher surgical training in the Mersey region, followed by fellowships in the UK and internationally, including Australia, Cambodia, and France. She undertakes regular humanitarian work in Cambodia and is Chair of the Global Partnerships Committee for the British Society for Children’s Orthopaedic Surgery. Ms Dorman is departmental lead for education, a member of the BSSH Global Advisory Committee, and has research interests in paediatric upper limb, cerebral palsy, and inclusive, patient-centred outcomes.
Sara Dorman
Ms Sara Dorman is a Consultant Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon at Sheffield Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, specialising in paediatric upper limb conditions,