2024 Programme

Else Charlotte Sandset completed her undergraduate medical training at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 2006. She now works as consultant vascular neurologist at Oslo University Hospital in Norway. She chairs the Oslo Stroke Clinical Research Group at Oslo University Hospital and is part of the Prehospital Acute Brain Programme at the Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation. She is involved in clinical research spanning from the ambulance dispatch centre to secondary prevention of stroke, and a strong advocate of the importance of a diversity and inclusion foucs in stroke research.  

Dr. Anita Arsovska is Head of Department for Urgent Neurology at the University Clinic of Neurology and Professor of Neurology at the University “Ss Cyril and Methodius”, Faculty of Medicine in Skopje, North Macedonia. Her main interest involve stroke management, neurosonology and neuroimaging. Prof. Arsovska is Full member of European Academy of Neurology, Fellow of European Stroke Organization and Board member of World Stroke Organization. She is President of the Macedonian Stroke Association, Associate Commissioning Editor of World Stroke Academy and former Vice-President of Stroke Alliance for Europe. Prof. Arsovska is involved in the ESO-EAST and Angels projects. She has also participated in the Stroke Action Plan for Europe as part of the acute stroke management working group and is one of the national coordinators for implementation of SAP-E in N. Macedonia. Prof. Arsovska is very active in promoting stroke prevention and raising stroke awareness, organizing many public campaigns and scientific meetings and supporting the European and the World Stroke Day.

I suffered a Cerebral Venous Thrombosis when I was 34 years old (in 2011). Until then I thought strokes only affected older people… I couldn’t imagine how difficult it is to sit, stand up, walk or take a bath by myself after a severe brain injury. Stroke is the main cause of death and morbidity in my country (Portugal), and I felt people weren’t actually aware of its burden. Nowadays I don’t work as a journalist anymore, now I’m a patient advocate, board member of the first portuguese stroke survivors organization and a fulltime mom! I gave birth to my 3rd child two years after my stroke. Such a blessing!

Iwona Sarzyńska-Długosz MD, PhD, assistant professor, neurologist, rehabilitation medicine specialist, pain medicine specialist, head of Neurological Rehabilitation Ward at 2nd Department of Neurology in Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw, Poland, chairman of Polish Neurological Society Neurorehabilitation Section, vice-president of Polish Rehabilitation Medicine Society, spasticity management expert, certified teacher for botulinum toxin treatment and expert for Stroke Foundation in Poland.

Dr Ashford is Reader in Rehabilitation (King’s College London) and Consultation Physiotherapist (London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust). He incorporates clinical practice in complex disability management in acquired brain injury with research and implementation science. He has been a leader for the development of practice in spasticity management and rehabilitation in this context for patients following stroke and acquired brain injury nationally and internationally. He currently leads research projects on rehabilitation planning for spasticity management, including development of a treatment planning mobile accessible web tool for clinicians, those with stroke and carers. He has an interest in development and prevention of contracture following neurological impairment and the factors that influence prevention and treatment. 

Professor Falkenberg is an optometrist with a particular interest in research related to vision problems after stroke, knowledge translation and interdisciplinary collaboration. She has extensive experience in teaching and supervising. She has a PhD in psychophysics and vision science from Glasgow Caledonian University and did a Post-Doc in Vision Rehabilitation at UCL, London.  

Dr Lauren Hepworth is a stroke specialist orthoptist with over 15 years clinical experience. She obtained her PhD in 2017. She is currently a Tenure Track Research Fellow based at the University of Liverpool and Chief Investigator of the Impact of Visual Impairment after Stroke II (IVIS II) study.

I’m Jeremy Johnston from Hillsborough, Northern Ireland, a now retired teacher of Design and Technology. I’m married and we have two children. I like to keep myself busy in and around our home enjoying my woodworking hobby but have enjoyed some travel opportunities since my stroke in March 2017. 

Stacie Broek is an ex-marketing professional turned author, who had to teach herself to write again after a stroke at age 46. She’s the author of (al)ONE: Thriving a Stroke as well as a digital course creator.

Stacie is an advocate for passion-based therapy and believes that stroke should be seen as an opportunity. Her work includes writing, public speaking and influencing public health policy.

Some key examples include: Philips Healthcare interview for the World Stroke Day 2022, World Stroke Campaign Committee member and shooting a pilot for the AI media company “In the Room”.

Chris Macey is Director of Advocacy and Patient Support in the Irish Heart Foundation, A journalism graduate, Chris worked as a senior journalist with the Irish Press Group for 12 years, specialising in politics, health and social issues before being appointed as a Special Adviser in the Departments of the Taoiseach and Foreign Affairs. He later worked for the Sunday Independent and established a stable of quality local newspapers and magazines after working for the Rehab Group as Head of Communications. Chris was previously Chairman of both the Neurological Alliance of Ireland and the Volunteer Stroke Scheme and is currently Treasurer of the Stroke Alliance for Europe.  

Marina holds a PhD in Medical Sciences from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland and works as a Clinical Lecturer at the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at the Cyprus University of Technology. Marina is the founder of the Cyprus Stroke Association, a Stroke Support Organization, and an Inaugural Future Stroke Leader Alumni of the World Stroke Organization. She investigates Patient and Public Involvement in Stroke and Aphasia research, has several peer-reviewed scientific publications, and presents her work at international stroke and aphasia conferences. She is a stroke and aphasia advocate in Europe and Cyprus and a National Coordinator of SAP-E. 

Hariklia Proios, PhD, is a Professor of Neurocognitive Disorders and Rehabilitation at the University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece. Since 2020, she has served as President of SAFE (Stroke Alliance for Europe) and has been a Board member since 2016, representing the Hellenic Alliance for Stroke SSO. Holding a PhD from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a B.A. from Hofstra University, she achieved tenure as an Assistant Professor at Montclair State University. Dr. Proios has organised community support groups globally and currently leads the educational segment of the FASTHEROES project. Actively engaged in international stroke and rehab committees, she contributes to the World Health Organization and the American Congress of Rehab Medicine.

Katerina is a Speech and Language Therapist with a background in Psychology.  Her research is driven by the priorities of people with stroke and aphasia. She leads a programme of research on developing and evaluating complex interventions for aphasia; on the psychosocial impact of stroke, and on the development and use of patient-reported outcome measures. Katerina leads the Trials for Aphasia Panel of the Collaboration of Aphasia Trialists and is on the Board of Trustees of Aphasia Re-Connect. 

Helen is a Speech and Language Therapist. She sits on the Board of Directors of the Cork Stroke Support CLG and Chairs the Research and Education sub-committee. Helen’s post-stroke aphasia-focussed research endeavours to include people with aphasia through PPI and Codesign, reflecting her role on the PPI Ignite Advisory Panel. Helen established the Aphasia Café with her speech and language therapy students, an online conversation group, which is an informal supportive space for people with aphasia to meet for peer-support and to practice their communication skills. She currently leads ENSPIRED, the HEA funded North-South Research Programme which will establish an all-island communication focussed student network and research consortium. 

Suzanne Smith-Bayley is the National Manager, After Stroke and Professional Practice at March of Dimes Canada. Prior to transitioning into a leadership role,  Suzanne had extensive experience as an Occupational Therapist in the field of Adult Neurorehabilitation.  Suzanne’s work experience spans the healthcare continuum and includes hospital, community, vocational and government sectors. Most of her career has been working with people with stroke and their families in the community and championing best practice in rehabilitation.    

In her current role in the After Stroke program, Suzanne is the bridge between strategy and operational delivery.  This professional practice role allows her to spend a significant amount of time supporting front line staff to ensure that they have the requisite tools, skills and knowledge to be successful in supporting people with Stroke.  Suzanne’s clinical and leadership experience came together as she created the Competency Self-Assessment Tool that she will be presenting on at the ELASF conference.  

Prof Margaret McGrath is an occupational therapist with a special interest in sexuality, chronic disease and disability. Her research is focused on developing evidence based assessment and interventions for sexual dysfunction. She is also interested in how healthcare professionals can be supported to address sexuality in practice using theoretically informed behaviour change techniques.

Mia von Euler is educated at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, where she was associated professor of Neurology 2007-2019. In 2020 she became professor of Neurology at Örebro University and Dean of the Medical Faculty. Since 2022 she is the Chair of the Swedish stroke registry Riksstroke. Her research focuses on stroke. 

Niall currently holds the Chair in Clinical Psychology at the University of East Anglia. Prior to that, he was Consultant lead for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Stroke Clinical Psychology and an NHS Research Scotland Clinical Research Fellow. He has a longstanding clinical and research interest in the mood and emotional effects of stroke.

Professor Maggie Lawrence has a background in stroke nursing and information science. Maggie’s current research focus is on manging mood disorder after stroke. She leads HEADS: UP (Helping Ease Anxiety and Depression after Stroke), a programme of research that focuses on Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction for self-management of mood disorder post-stroke. 

Stacie Broek is an ex-marketing professional turned author, who had to teach herself to write again after a stroke at age 46. She’s the author of (al)ONE: Thriving a Stroke as well as a digital course creator.

Stacie is an advocate for passion-based therapy and believes that stroke should be seen as an opportunity. Her work includes writing, public speaking and influencing public health policy.

Some key examples include: Philips Healthcare interview for the World Stroke Day 2022, World Stroke Campaign Committee member and shooting a pilot for the AI media company “In the Room”.

Dr Dolan is a stroke physician working in Dublin. His research interests include cardiovascular epidemiology, blood pressure monitoring, arterial stiffness, resistant hypertension and stroke. Dr Dolan completed his research thesis with Professor Eoin O’Brien. This fruitful collaboration has allowed Dr Dolan to develop an international profile in hypertension research. 

In 2006 Dr Dolan took up a Fellowship in Stroke Medicine at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, and was appointed a consultant there in 2007. He returned to Connolly Hospital, Dublin, Ireland in April 2009 . Dr Dolan was an investigator on a number of studies including the Dublin Outcome Study (DOS), ASCOT ABPM, IDACO, ROX Control HTN and APOLO studies. He has published over 100 peer review papers in the areas of hypertension and stroke. He is a current board member on various national, international and journal advisory boards related to the area of hypertension.

Dr Noel McCaffrey is founder and CEO of ExWell Medical, a social enterprise that offers structured, medically-led exercise programmes in community settings  to people with diverse chronic illnesses, on referral from health care professionals. He developed a Masters Programme in Sports and Exercise Medicine in University College Dublin in the early 1990’s before spending 12 years in Dublin City University where he led the growth of ExWell’s predecessor programme. In 2019 he left DCU to drive the national rollout of ExWell.   

He is a consultant in Sports Medicine in Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital where he runs a musculoskeletal injury clinic and is also a Foundation Fellow of the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine. He was named as a United Nations 2022 Healthy Ageing Top 50 World Leader 

His main passion is ExWell and he is committed to the mission of making the service available through partnerships to everyone in Ireland and beyond who would benefit from it.