New Board

 

President - Dr. Tony Schneiders (New Zealand)

Tony served in clinic and private practice settings before returning to full-time study in 1991 in Manipulative Physiotherapy (PGDipManipTh) at Curtin University in Western Australia, where he also worked as a Musculoskeletal Teaching Fellow.

 

Tony subsequently pursued further postgraduate education at both Curtin University and the University of Otago, respectively obtaining an MSc(Phty) and a PGCertTertT, and completed his PhD at Otago in 2006.

 

Tony joined the Otago School of Physiotherapy as a lecturer in 1995 and has since been awarded the Vadoott Cup (Best Lecturer Award) three times.

 

He is now President and Head of Department at Central Queensland University in Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia.

 

Tony has both a sports and manipulative physiotherapy focus. His specific research interests include sports injury/prevention, sports-related concussion, athlete screening, biomechanics, exercise prescription, exercise compliance/adherence issues, balance, laterality, and low back pain.

 

Tony serves on the Research, Professional Development, and Scientific Congress Committee, and on the IFSPT Registration Board.

 

Email: a.schneiders@cqu.edu.au

 

 

 

Vice President - Kristian Thorborg (Denmark)

Kristian Thorborg is an Assistant Professor, Ph.D., and Specialist in Sports Physical Therapy. Through the last 10 years, Kristian has been deeply involved in Danish Society of Sports Physical Therapy (DSSF), first serving as Editor in Chief for the Danish Sports Medicine and Physiotherapy Journal, then as Board member for education and courses offered under the Danish Society of Sports physiotherapists.

 

The last 3 years he has been Chairman twice for the scientific committee for the Danish Sports Congress. In 2015, he was appointed Board Member of the Research Committee for the International Federation in Sport Physical Therapy Research Committee.

 

Email: kristianthorborg@hotmail.com

 

 

 

Treasurer - Gordon Eiland (USA)

After years of working for rehabilitation facilities in Texas, and owning his own practice, for the past year and a half Gordon has been an independent contractor/travel therapist. He recently completed assignments in Phoenix, AZ and Traverse City, MI. He has just begun his next assignment: Physical Therapist at the new American Chinese Hospital in Shanghai, China.

 

Gordon is served two terms as Treasurer for the Sports Physical Therapy Section, APTA.

 

Gordon is the chair of the IFSPT's Administrative Services Team, and as a member of the PR/Marketing and Professional Development Committees.

 

Email: wgeiland@gmail.com

 

 

Secretary - Maria Constantinou (Australia)

Maria Constantinou is an Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) titled Sport Physiotherapist and a Fellow of the Australian Sports Medicine Federation (FASMF). She completed her Masters in Physiotherapy Studies (Sports) at the University of Queensland in 1999 and has worked as an academic since. Maria worked as a Sports Physiotherapist at a number of major sporting events including the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Olympic Games, Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games, Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and the Pan Pacific Masters Games in 2008 and 2010.

 

Maria has served on a number of committees of the Australian Physiotherapy Association and Sports Medicine Australia organizations. She is the current Sports Physiotherapy delegate to the International Federation of Sports Physical Therapy (IFSPT). Maria is a Lecturer at the School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast campus. Her interests include musculoskeletal assessment and management of sporting injuries. Maria has presented at a number of international and Australian sports medicine and physiotherapy conferences, symposia and professional development events. One of Maria's interests is the international advancement of the sports physiotherapy profession. Maria is also interested in life-long learning in the physiotherapy profession which includes the facilitation and convening of postgraduate studies and the use of reflection in clinical practice.

 

Maria has a number of publications including the book Therapeutic Taping for Musculoskeletal Conditions which she co-authored with Mark Brown in 2010. Maria's research interests include the neuromechanics of hip joint osteoarthritis, which is the focus of her current PhD studies.

 

Maria is serving on the Research Committee for IFSPT.

 

Email: maria.c@optusnet.com.au

 

 

 

Member-at-large - Luciana De Michelis Mendonça (Brazil)

Luciana has been a SONAFE (Brazilian National Society of Sports Physical Therapy) associate since 2007 and has always engaged to help her profession grow. She took part in Organizing Committees of 3 SONAFE's Conferences since then. Moreover, she now have 6 years of dedication on SONAFE's Executive Board. She is the first female president of SONAFE (2016-2017), in a country with many restrictions to women's participation in sport and politics.

 

Luciana is a teacher in a Federal University in Brazil (Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri - UFVJM) and develops research in Sports Physical Therapy field. She worked in the Brazilian National Male Volleyball Team (under - 19) and in a Female Soccer Team (Clube Atlético Mineiro). She participated in the last 3 editions of IOC World Conference on Injury and Illness in Sport with poster and workshops presentations. She also engaged the organization of the Physical Therapy services of the Rio 2016 Olympics and Paralympics Games. Nowadays she is the coordinator of a Postgraduate Program in Rehabilitation and Functional Performance in UFVJM.

 

Email: lucianademichelis@yahoo.com.br

Twitter: @luludemichelis

 

 

 

Member-at-large - Carlo S. Ramponi (Italy)

Carlo Ramponi started to work in sport rehabilitation a few months after completing his Physiotherapy degree, working with professional athletes and or teams. His principal interests are muscle injuries, ACL and shoulder instability rehabilitation. He works as part of the health team in his private center, in national teams and in sports clubs. He has also been involved in professional association committees for many years.
Carlo is the president of the Group of Italian Sports Physical Therapists (GISPT).
The GISPT is a young group which started in 1999. They achieved IFSPT Membership in 2009. Carlo first joined GISPT 10 years ago while he was completing his Postgraduate Certificate (PGC) in SPORT Rehabilitation at the University of Genoa.

In June 2017 the GISPT SPT Pathway was officially recognized by IFSPT.

 

Email: ramponi.carlo@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

Member-at-large - Colin Paterson (UK)

Colin is currently a Senior Lecturer and Course Leader at the University of Brighton and is involved with pre-registration and post-graduate education, specializing in sports and exercise medicine.  He is currently undertaking his doctorate where the focus is on exploring the professional learning and professional development of sports physiotherapists.

 

Colin has been a member of the executive committee of the ACPSEM since 2004 and has held many positions including regional representative, newsletter editor, vice chair, chair (2013-16). He is currently a Vice President of the organization and one the ACPSEM soft tissue techniques course tutors. As part of these roles, Colin was responsible for the coordination and further development of the CPD pathway in the UK for a large number of years. He also sits on the IFSPT registration committee and has been involved in registration approvals for a number of years.

 

Colin is an experienced sports physiotherapist, a Registered International Sports Physical Therapist (RISPT) and has been involved with the last 4 Paralympic Games, has worked with Team GB, worked for the English institute of Sport and the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia will be his 4th commonwealth games.

 

Email: c.paterson2@brighton.ac.uk

Twitter: @physiocolinp