Antonio José Almeida, LL.B., LL.M., D.E.A.
Senior Director, Operations
World Federation of Hemophilia
Mr. Antonio José Almeida is the Senior Director of Operations at the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) in Montreal, Canada. He oversees and guides all key WFH general operation functions – Congress & Meetings, Finance & Administration, Information Technology, and Human Resources.
Previously, from March 2016 to June 2019 he was Director of Programs and Education and responsible for the planning, implementation, follow-up and evaluation of international health care development programs, as well as the delivery of medical education, training curricula, and the development of educational resources. He also supported the CEO in his work with corporate partners. From October 2008 to March 2016 he was Director of Programs and was also responsible for all WFH country programs, the Global Alliance for Progress (GAP) and Cornerstone Initiative programs.
Mr. Almeida earned his law degree from the University of Montréal where he also obtained a Master of Laws. He subsequently studied European Law at the Université Catholique of Louvain (Belgium) and obtained a D.E.A. in Public International Law from the Université Paris 2 (France).
A lawyer by training with more than 20 years of experience working in the non-for-profit NGO sector in Canada and abroad, Mr. Almeida’s areas of expertise include management, human rights, the rule of law, program design and implementation, advocacy (people and patient rights), education and capacity-building of civil society and national patient organizations.
Emily Ayoub
Data and Research Manager
World Federation of Hemophilia
Emily Ayoub is the Data and Research Manager at the World Federation of Hemophilia. She manages the World Bleeding Disorders Registry (WBDR) and related programs and initiatives. Before joining the WFH, Emily spent 9 years in academia as a cancer researcher and an academic development officer. As a Manager and Patient Advocate in the Canadian non-profit sector, Emily developed innovative programs alongside Patient Partners, and conducted national Needs Assessment studies. Through media and awareness campaigns, she advocated for patients living with incurable cancers. Emily holds a doctorate degree in Biochemistry from McGill University. Outside of the office, Emily enjoys singing, painting, and hiking with her husband, son, and their Mini-Pinscher.
Cindy Bailey
Director of Physical and Occupational Therapy
Orthopaedic Institute for Children and Orthopaedic Hemophilia Treatment Center
Dr. Bailey is a past Assistant Professor of Clinical Practice in the Dept.s of Biokinesiology & Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California & Mt. St. Marys Physical Therapy Doctorate programs. She is the past Administrator of the Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital Sports Care Outreach ∓ Education program and the Director of P.T. at the Lifespan Hemophilia Treatment Center at the Orthopaedic Institute for Children in Los Angeles. Her post graduate work includs an Advanced Residency at Kaiser Los Angeles in Manual Orthopaedic Physical Therapy & a Post Doctoral Fellowship at USCs Keck school of Medicine in Medical Educ. Teaching & Learning. Since 1997 Cindy has traveled with the USC ice hockey team as their medical provider. With her Certified Athletic Training & Sports Specialty backgrounds she has been an invited practitioner to assist with the Pan Am Games, several U.S. Olympic teams, Macabbi Games and the World Ice Skating Championships. Dr. Bailey as a lead author wrote the USA Guideline for use of MSKUS in the HTC and as co-author has published articles on MSKUS in "Haemaphilia" & "The Journal of Ultrasonic Medicine". She is also one of the worlds leading instructors in Kinesiology, Leuko and Sports Taping.
Nihal Bakeer
Pediatric Hematologist
Indiana Hemophilia & Thrombosis Center
Nihal Bakeer, MD Pediatric Hematologist, Indiana Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center Assistant Clinical Professor, Marian University, School of Osteopathic Medicine Indianapolis, Indiana Dr. Bakeer received her medical degree from the University of Jordan in Amman, Jordan in 2006 and subsequently completed a transitional specialized Pediatric Hematology, Oncology residency at the King Hussein Cancer Center. In 2009, Dr. Bakeer joined Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio where she completed her residency in Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine and her fellowship in Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation. Dr. Bakeer specializes in hemostasis and has a special interest in hemophilic arthropathy and musculoskeletal health of patients with hemophilia. She currently leads the IHTC’s point-of-care musculoskeletal ultrasound (POC-MSKUS) program for patients with bleeding disorders. In addition to her work in hemophilic arthropathy, Dr. Bakeer directs the Pediatric and Neonatal Stroke and Thrombosis programs at the IHTC and serves as the institutional primary investigator for several registries and clinical research trials in pediatric hemostasis and thrombosis.
Alexej Barg
Orthopaedics - Adjunct Associate Professor
University of Utah
Dr. Alexej Barg specializes in the care of the foot and ankle and traumatic injuries to the lower extremity. Dr. Barg’s expertise is to perform reconstructive surgery of the foot and ankle. Special interests include total ankle replacement and joint preserving procedures in patients with ankle osteoarthritis, sports injuries of the foot and ankle and patients with sequalae of trauma of the lower extremity. Prior to joining our foot and ankle team, Dr. Barg was Head of Foot & Ankle Surgery at the University of Basel in Switzerland.
Alain Baumann
CEO
World Federation of Hemophilia
Alain Baumann is the CEO of the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) and has held this position since 2015. Alain brings with him a proven track record leading nonprofit as well as for-profit healthcare organizations. Early on in his career, he worked for a major pharmaceutical company holding marketing and general manager positions. Within the nonprofit sector he worked for the World Economic Forum as well as for the AO Foundation, a global nonprofit organization focusing on education and research in orthopedic surgery.
Francesco Benazzo
Orthopedic Surgeon
Clinica Ortopedica e Traumatologica, University of Pavia
Francesco Benazzo, MD, Prof Full Professor of Orthopedics and Traumatology, University of Pavia (2000- now) Chairman, Clinica Ortopoedica e Traumatologica, University of Pavia, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, ending 28th February 2020 Chairman, Sezione di Chirurgia Protesica ad Indirizzo Robotico - Unità di Traumatologia dello Sport, Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto ospedaliero, Brescia (March 1st, 2020) Chairman, residency program of Orthopedics an Traumatology of the University of Pasvia, 2002 - now Main interest: - basic science (connective tissue research, scaffolding, stem cells) - prosthetic replacement hip and knee, primary and revision - prosthetic engineering (designer of different models of hip and knee systems) - sports traumatology
Greig Blamey
Consultant Physiotherapist
Adult Inherited Bleeding Disorders Program of Manitoba
Mr. Blamey is a Consultant Physiotherapist with the Adult Inherited Bleeding Disorders Program of Manitoba, located in Winnipeg, Canada. He began working with Bleeding Disorders in 1997, and is a past Chair of both the Canadian Physiotherapists in Hemophilia Care and the Musculoskeletal Committee of the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH). Mr Blamey has conducted Physiotherapy and Musculoskeletal Workshops on behalf of the WFH in Europe, Africa, South America, Central and East Asia, and the Middle East, and has been an invited speaker to national hemophilia events in Australia, Qatar, the United Kingdom, The United States, Canada, China, Brazil, Ireland, and Singapore. He is a co-developer of the WFH Standardized Global Musculoskeletal Training Curriculum, and Co-Chair of the Multidisciplinary Committee for the 2022 WFH World Congress. In addition to his clinical responsibilities, Mr. Blamey is a Sessional Instructor at the University of Manitoba in the Faculty of Graduate Studies - College of Rehabilitation Sciences.
Christian Carulli
Associate Professor
Orthopaedic Clinic, University of Florence
Christian Carulli works as an Associate Professor at Orthopaedic Clinic, University of Florence.
President of the Degree Course of Nursing, University of Florence
Medical School, University of Rome – “Tor Vergata”, degree as MD on 2000, July 27th with a research on the influence of post-traumatic occult injuries of the knee after ACL ruptures.
Specialty of Hand Surgery, University of Florence, degree on June 2003, with a research on suspension arthroplasty in thumb arthritis.
Specialty of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University of Florence, degree on October 2008, with a research on total knee arthroplasty with mobile bearing and rotating platform.
Grant by the Italian Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (SIOT) in 2007.
Visiting Observer at Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, USA in 2009 (Host: Dr. Robert L. Buly).
Degree in Master in Bone metabolism pathology in 2011, University of Florence, Florence.
Degree of Basic Life Support on December 2000.
Degree of Advanced Trauma Life Support on June 2002.
Responsible of the Multidisciplinary Diagnostic Clinical Pathway on the management of haemorrhagic diseases, Careggi University Hospital.
Author and Editor of the book "The management of haemophilic arthropathy" - Bentham Science Publisher. 2017 - ISSN: 2468-6662; ISBN-13: 978-1681083544
Horacio Caviglia
Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
Buenos Aires University
Horacio Caviglia is Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Buenos Aires University, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is also the Past President of Musculoskeletal Committee of WFH. He published several articles in journals such as Haemophilia and Clinical Orthopedics and Related Research.Horacio Caviglia is Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Buenos Aires University, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is also the Past President of Musculoskeletal Committee of WFH. He published several articles in journals such as Haemophilia and Clinical Orthopedics and Related Research.
Donna Coffin
Director, Research & Education
World Federation of Hemophilia
Donna Coffin, MSc is currently the Director, Research & Education at the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) in Montreal, Canada. Donna is an epidemiologist, trained at McGill University in Montreal, and has spent much of her career conducting evidence-based research for health care and regulatory agencies around the world. Since joining the WFH in 2016, Donna has established the Research & Education department, with focus on the development and implementation of the World Bleeding Disorders Registry. Her team is also responsible for all WFH research activities, including the WFH Annual Global Survey, the WFH Clinical Research Grant Program, and the production of evidence-based advocacy tools used to promote treatment for all.
Cameron Cramey
Physiotherapist
Royal Adelaide Hospital
Residing in Adelaide, Australia, I am a keen trail runner who enjoys bush camping with my family. I completed my undergraduate physiotherapy training at the University of South Australia in 2003, and post graduate musculoskeltal masters in Physiotherapy at LaTrobe University Melbourne in 2014. I have worked as a primary contact physiotherapist in both the Government and private sectors. Currently working across a variety of extended scope physiotherapy roles in the Spinal and Emergency Departments at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH), I have also been a member of the RAH Haemophilia Treatment Centre (HTC) team for the past 10 years. I love working in a collobaorative nature with our HTC Haematologists and Nurse Specialist to optimise the management of the diverse musculoskeletal sequelae associated with haemophilia and other bleeding disorders.
Ruben Cuesta‑Barriuso
Physiotherapist
Universidad de Murcia
Rubén Cuesta-Barriuso, PT, PhD, is a physiotherapist and researcher at the University of Murcia, Spain. Dr Cuesta-Barriuso has a degree in Physiotherapy (2004) from the University of Valladolid and a Masters in Manual therapy (2008) from the University of Zaragoza. Presently, his main research interests lie in the area of musculoskeletal treatment in adults patients with hemophilic arthropathy. In 2013, he completed his PhD thesis at the University of Murcia. His research focuses on the safety and effectiveness of ortophedic manual therapy in patients with hemophilic artropathy. Dr Cuesta-Barriuso has also received a number of prestigious industry-sponsored research grants and awards since 2014. He has volunteered for more than 15 years in training programs for patients and their families, organized by the Spanish Federation of Hemophilia and its member organizations. He has served on boards of NMO in local, national and scientific organizations of patients with haemophilia. He has collaborated with the WFH in twinning programs in countries such as Peru and El Salvador. Between 2015 and 2020, Dr Cuesta-Barriuso coordinated the physiotherapy center of the Spanish Federation of Hemophilia in Madrid, evaluating and treating patients from all over Spain.
Rohini Akash Dange
HOD physiotherpy &Rehab
Sahyadri Speciality Hospital
23 years of experience in clinical practice & teaching.
Worked in a charitable hospital for 7 years.
National Haemophilia Update, faculty member
Member at Large, WFH Committee Member 2018
Several Published Papers in Haemophilia
Fellowship in Haemophilia & related Surgery
Milan,Italy.
Developed independent Rehab in-patient ward, & developing various haemophilia units in the country.
Have been actively working with Workshops, speaker & chair in WFH committee & sessions.
Keen interest in Rehab treatment measures, prevention medicine, awareness and training programs.
Vision is to make health care industry recognize that physiotherapy is an essential core health service that is well positioned to play an active role in transforming the Indian health system from illness focus to vaible & relevant health system through best practices that incorporate knowledge generation, synthesis & adoption.
Piet de Kleijn
Physiotherapist (retired)
UMC Utrecht, The Netherlands
Since my graduation as physical therapist in 1979 affiliated to the Van Creveldkliniek in the Netherlands. Retired since July 2020, and active as volunteer for the WFH (e.g. Twinning) and advisory board (MASAG) of the EHC. Awarded with the Van Creveldkliniek twice as Twin of the year (WFH), and personally as International healthcare volunteer (WFH), Pietrogrande Award (WFH) and Recognition Award (EAHAD). Former boardmember of the MSK (WHW) and physiotherapists committee (EAHAD). Extended experience in Twinning activities, workshops and presentations internationally and (co) author of articles in this field. Special interest in ways to implement physiotherapy care in PWH and allied disorders world-wide.
Hortensia de la Corte-Rodriguez
Specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
“La Paz” University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
Hortensia de la Corte is a MD specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the La Paz University Hospital of Madrid (Spain) and a PhD from the Complutense University. She has extensive experience in hemophilia and has worked on musculoskeletal complications in this field for the last 10 years.
Her area of expertise includes the diagnosis and treatment of pain and musculoskeletal problems of hemophilia, as well as the prevention of disability. He has extensive experience in the use of point-of-care ultrasound for the early diagnosis and follow-up of hemophilic arthropathy. Consequently, she is the author of more than 25 peer review publications on musculoskeletal problems in hemophilia, plus several chapters in books on hemophilia. She is part of the Scientific Committee and collaborates with several organizations of hemophilia patients.
Dario Di Minno
Assistant Professor
University of Naples Federico II
Born in 1981, Dr. Di Minno graduated in Medicine in 2006. During the post-graduate school in Internal Medicine, besides the attendance of the Reference Centre for Coagulation Disorders, he began a parallel three-year training at the Rheumatology Unit of the University of Naples “Federico II”.
In addition to an intense scientific productivity about bleeding disorders (mainly hemophilia clinical management, risk of inhibitor development and the following economic impact) and thrombotic disease (atypical sites thrombosis, metabolic syndrome and venous thrombosis, perioperative management of antithrombotic therapy, the clinical management of new antiplatelet and anticoagulant agents), during these years he conceived and carried out a series of projects aimed at evaluation of clinical and molecular mechanisms of cardiovascular risk in patients with chronic arthritides. By involving in these projects, a series of physicians and researchers from different disciplines, he founded the CaRRDs (Cardiovascular Risk in Rheumatic Diseases) study group and, over the past two years, has produced a large number of innovative studies published in international journals. Using clinical and radiological models taken from the rheumatologic experience, he turned his interest in the identification of the “early hemophilic arthropathy”. To this end, he took part in a project for the ultrasound assessment of hemophilic arthropathy. He has been awarded for a study on Healthy Joints of hemophilia patients and a more recent project on ultrasound evaluation of patients with moderate hemophilia has been selected for the inclusion in the 2012 European ASPIRE program.
Helen Dixon
Physiotherapist
Wellington Haemophilia Centre
Helen has been a musculoskeletal physiotherapist for over 30 years. During the last 8 years she has been working with People With Haemophilia in central New Zealand. Working with individuals, families and carers to ensure the best outcomes for musculoskeletal health. She has also been involved in developing educational material and delivering education to the Haemophilia community and health care workers throughout Australasia with the Australia New Zealand Haemophilia Physiotherapy group. Also presenting globally at the WFH MSK Conference and World Conference during this time. Helen believes that improved Musculoskeletal health is essential and achievable for everyone living with Haemophilia.
Claudia Djambas Khayat
Hematologist Pediatrician
Hotel Dieu De France Hospital Saint Joseph University
Claudia Djambas Khayat is a paediatric haematologist graduated in 1994. She works at Hotel Dieu de France Hospital Beirut as consultant in paediatric haematology. She is Associate Professor at the Saint Joseph University of Beirut. Her main interest is hemostasis. In 2006 she benefits from the International Hemophilia Training Center program (IHTC) at the Royal Free Hospital in London where she gained the experience she needed to drive change back in Beirut and implement multidisciplinary consultation. She obtained her master in clinical biology in 2007. Her research project focused on the molecular analysis of F8 Lebanese Haemophilia A patients and phenotype- genotype correlation. Since then she conducts genetic counselling in haemophilia. She also developed, as medical advisor of the Lebanese Haemophilia Association, a three years national program for improvement of haemophilia care in Lebanon and a screening program for bleeding disorder in the Bekaa valley and Akkar region. She is in charge of the national data registry. Dr Khayat draft the first version of treatment guidelines for haemophilia in her community. She is member of VWD and Rare bleeding disorders Committee of the world federation of hemophilia. She is now involved in several clinical study on haemophilia , von willebrand and mainly fibrinogen.
Andrea Doria
Radiologist
The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Andrea Doria received her medical degree from the Universidade Federal do Parana, Brazil, and did her training in Paediatrics and Radiology at the Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil. She then received a PhD in medical sciences from the Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil. She moved to Canada to pursue a fellowship in Pediatric Radiology and obtained a master’s degree in clinical epidemiology at the University of Toronto. During her fellowship she received the 2002 John Caffey Award for her work on BOLD MRI in experimental arthritis and the 2003 John Kirkpatrick Young Investigator Award for her meta-analysis in appendicitis. Her passions are: the implementation of innovative analytic methods, processes and strategies that can improve clinical practice, development of evidence-based best practice guidelines that can lead to excellence of patient care, and translation of science and technologies into practices that can transform healthcare delivery. Her teaching interests include the delivery of a course on “Introduction to Research for Radiologists” with the goal of improving the quality of research in radiology.
Gaetan Duport
Patient Advocate
Association Française des Hémophiles
Gaetan Duport is an advocate for the Association Française des Hemophiles (AFH), the french NMO since 2012. With a background in physiotherapy, his field of interests are related to patient and professional relationship focus on patient education, decision making and patient partnership.
Miguel Escobar
Professor
University of Texas
Dr. Miguel Escobar is a Professor at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).
Dr. Escobar’s research interests include hemophilia and inhibitors, general hemostasis, thrombophilia and venous thromboembolism.
Dr. Escobar has received numerous excellence teaching awards and has contributed extensively to the literature clinically and scientifically in numerous subjects concerning bleeding and clotting disorders.
Brian Feldman
Head, Division of Rheumatology
The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Brian Feldman is Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, and the Institute of Health Policy Management & Evaluation at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. He is Division Head of Rheumatology at The Hospital for Sick Children.
Dr. Feldman’s main focus has been in clinical epidemiology research in the field of childhood rheumatic disease. Recognizing the challenges involved in the study of rare disease Dr. Feldman has worked to improve the tools available to assist in this research. He has worked at developing and refining outcome measurement tools for use in clinical trials and in outcome studies. He has developed innovative methodologies for the study of new therapies (e.g. the Randomized Placebo Phase Design) and refined and tested powerful existing methods (e.g. Bayesian meta-analysis of n-of-1 randomized trials). Dr. Feldman has made contributions to the understanding of the prognosis and treatment of juvenile dermatomyositis, the cost-effective prevention of arthropathy in severe hemophilia, the course and outcome of systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis and juvenile SLE, and the role of fitness and exercise in childhood chronic diseases including arthritis and fibromyalgia.
Wouter Foppen
Radiology Resident
University Medical Center Utrecht
Wouter Foppen is a radiologist in training and a postdoctoral researcher with a special interest in musculoskeletal radiology. At Utrecht University, he is trained as a Medical Doctor, Epidemiologist, and defended his PhD on 'Imaging of Haemophilic Arthropathy' with success in 2016. He published >20 peer-reviewed papers mainly on blood-induced joint damage, with key publications on the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound for evaluation of early blood-induced joint damage, the value of routine ultrasound in children with haemophilia, and the predictive value of early MRI abnormalities in persons with limited haemophilic arthropathy. In addition to his work on early blood-induced joint damage, he evaluated the reproducibility of a widely used scoring system to evaluate moderate-severe haemophilic arthropathy on X-rays and composed a reference atlas.
Angela Forsyth
Director
Optum Physical Therapy Collaborative
Angela Forsyth, PT, DPT is a physical therapist specializing in orthopedics and bleeding disorders for 25 years and is the Director of the Optum Physical Therapy Collaborative. She previously practiced physiotherapy in the HTCs at Rush University, Christiana Hospital, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. She has authored many publications, served as faculty for NHF and WFH Congresses, and presented throughout the USA and in over 20 countries. Dr. Forsyth is past chair of WFH’s Musculoskeletal Committee, and NHF’s PT Working Group and past recipient for NHF’s PT Excellence Fellowship and PT of the Year Award.
Sharon Funk
Physical Therapist
Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Dr. Sharon McHugh Funk has been treating persons with hemophilia for over 41 years, and was a founding member of the National Hemophilia Foundation’s (NHF) Physical Therapy Working Group. She developed the joint evaluation tool for the Joint Outcome Study; a prospective, randomized study comparing the joint outcomes of young boys with hemophilia on primary prophylaxis versus those receiving on-demand therapy. She has been involved in the development and psychometric testing confirming the reliability and validity of the Hemophilia Joint Health Score. (HJHS), an impairment measure for evaluating joint disease in hemophilia. She is currently the co-chair of the Physical Function and Joint Health Expert Working Group of the Hemophilia International Prophylaxis Study Group of which she has been a member for the past 18 years.
Cesar Garrido
President
World Federation of Hemophilia
Cesar Garrido was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He has two sons, one of whom has hemophilia A, which was the impetus for him becoming a committed member of the bleeding disorders community—a commitment which began over two decades ago.
In 1996, Garrido became a member of the Venezuelan Association for Hemophilia (AVH). He has held a number of roles in that organization, including being a member of the Board of Directors and Treasurer and Project Manager. At the AVH, he has been key member of several endeavours, including the creation of new diagnostic laboratories in Venezuela, and campaigns for testing and diagnosis of people with hemophilia (PWH) in Venezuela and Latin America. He was also part of national programs which increased access to factor, developed outreach and identification campaigns, increased access to education, and set up regional medical workshops for PWH.
At the international level, Garrido was an Advisory Board member of the International Alliance Patient Organization (IAPO) and has been a member of HERO (Haemophilia Experiences, Results and Opportunities) since 2010. He was also a development manager for a strategic alliance of 27 countries from the Americas—called the Coalition of the Americas (CoA)— that was set up to influence public policies.
The WFH has been a big part of Cesar Garrido’s life since 1999. He was a member of the Board of Directors from 2002 to 2010 and was most recently lay member from 2014 until his election as President in 2020. He has held a number of important roles at the WFH, including chair of the Accreditation Committee, chair of the Hemophilia Organization Twinnings (HOT) Committee, co-chair of Capacity Building Committee, national member organization (NMO) Vice President, and member of the President’s Strategic Council.
Antonio Gavrilovski
Orthopaedic Surgeon
University Clinic for Orthopaedic Surgery
Antonio Gavrilovski, MD, was born in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia where he graduated Medical Faculty at the University "St Cyril and Methodius” in Skopje in January 2003. Dr. Gavrilovski successfully finished his specialization studies in orthopedic surgery in 2008 and has since had title of orthopedic surgeon. He is a permanent employee of University Clinic for Orthopedic Surgery at Clinical Centre in Skopje, Macedonia. His main interests are adult reconstructive surgeries of the hip and knee. He is one of the founders of the national multidisciplinary haemophlia center and has done over 60 major surgical interventions in haemophilia patients in period from 2012 until 2019. He is also a member of many domestic and International associations (MAOT, EFORT, AAOS, WFH) and is the current general secretary of the national orthopaedics and traumatology association. Dr. Gavrilovski is a member of World Federation of Hemophilia and is currently the general secretary of the WFH Musculoskeletal Committee.
Marvin Gilbert
Orthopedic Surgeon
Mount Sinai Hemophilia Center
After completing his medical studies at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, Dr. Gilbert completed his orthopedic training at Mount Sinai Hospital. Following this, he studied in the musculoskeletal manifestations of hemophilia under Professor Robert Duthie at Oxford, England and Professor Ake Ahlberg at Malmö, Sweden. In 1969, along with Dr. Louis Aledort, Dr. Gilbert founded the Hemophilia Center at Mount Sinai Hospital. For over a decade, he served as Medical Director of the National Hemophilia Foundation (USA). As one of the original members of the Musculoskeletal Committee of the WFH, he has held various offices and eventually was chairman of the MSK. He has also been the recipient of the The Pietrogrande Prize.
Nicholas Goddard
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
The Royal Free Hospital and School of Medicine in London
Mr Nicholas Goddard is Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and Honorary Senior Lecturer at The Royal Free Hospital and School of Medicine in London. He is an examiner for the MRCS examination at the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the M.B., B.S. at the University of London. Mr Goddard received his medical training at the Medical College of St Bartholomew’s Hospital at the University of London. He qualified M.B., B.S. (London) in 1978 and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1983. In 1989, Mr Goddard spent some time on a surgical fellowship in Paris at the University of Paris VI, and undertook Diplomas in Microsurgical Studies, and in Surgery of the Hand and Upper Limb during that year. He completed several appointments at Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, and was a Senior Registrar at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore . Mr Goddard is author or co-author of over 90 peer reviewed articles and abstracts, the co-author and editor of three books and the author of 42 book chapters. He is well known on the national and international symposium circuit especially at the American Society of Surgery of the Hand and is the current Vice Chair of the Musculoskeletal Committee of the World Federation of Haemophilia He has a particular interest in sports related injuries of the wrist and now has over 15 years experience of percutaneous fixation of acute scaphoid fractures and non-unions. This work was presented at the AAOS in Chicago in 2006, and the IFSSH in Sydney in 2007. In addition he has one of the largest experiences of knee replacement for patients with haemophilia.
Cesar Haddad
Physiotherapist
Lebanese Association for Hemophilia
Cesar Haddad, Physiotherapist specialized in Hemophilia care responsible of the physiotherapy unit at the Lebanese Hemophilia Treatment Center since 2009. Cesar ensures physiotherapy assessment, builds treatment protocol and provides rehabilitative follow up, consultation services and education for patients with hemophilia and their families in addition to preparing and organizing workshops and professional educational trainings. Became a regional Hemophilia physiotherapy trainer with the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) after attending many workshops and congresses. In 2013, Cesar received a caregiver award funds were used to assess Lebanese Hemophilia patients with international assessment tools and diffused the technique and results in a regional workshop prepared in Beirut,2015. In 2015, received an International Hemophilia Treatment Center fellowship with the WFH at Utrecht Medical Center, Van Creveldkliniek – Netherlands. On a community level, Cesar plays an important role in preparing educational and awareness activities with the Lebanese Association for Hemophilia.
Assad Haffar
Medical & Humanitarian Aid Director
World Federation of Hemophilia
Assad Haffar is currently the Humanitarian Aid Director at the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) in Montreal, Canada. Dr Haffar earned his MD at the University of Damascus in Damascus, Syria. He subsequently studied at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK, for his Master of Science in occupational medicine and at the University of Environmental and Occupational Health in Kitakyushu City, Japan, in industrial health studies.
During his career, Dr Haffar has worked for the Syrian government and International Labor Organization (ILO), including the Syrian Ministry of Labor (1980–1990) and the International Labor Organization, Geneva, Switzerland (1990–1996).
Dr Haffar has worked as coordinator for several projects related to occupational health at the Montreal Re-Adaptation Institute and the McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
Since Joining WFH in 2000, Dr Haffar has been involved in several activities, including twinning partnerships, symposia and workshops in the Middle East and African Region. In addition to supervising the WFH Humanitarian Aid Program which is considered the largest global humanitarian aid program that channels clotting factor concentrates to countries where people with hemophilia have limited access to these products. Dr Haffar assisted many countries in the Middle East and African region in joining and becoming members of the WFH, in developing National Hemophilia Care Programs and in establishing the comprehensive care approach in different hemophilia treatment centers.
Pamela Hilliard
Physiotherapist
The Hospital for Sick Children
Pamela Hilliard worked for almost 40 years as a clinical physiotherapist at The Hospital for Sick Children with a focus in the Hemophilia & Bleeding disorders program. Currently working part-time in clinical research through the Child Health & Evaluative Sciences Department at the Hospital for Sick Children. Member since its inception (2002) of the IPSG Physiotherapy (now Musculoskeletal Health) Expert Working Group and a co-developer of the Hemophilia Joint Health Score (HJHS). Pamela has been involved in teaching workshops and giving presentations on musculoskeletal assessment and treatment in hemophilia in a number of different countries and at WFH Congresses. She has also been involved in collaborative clinical research locally, nationally and internationally. Recipient of the TCOR Award of Appreciation in 2003, the Canadian Hemophilia Society Award of Appreciation in 2004, the Ann Harrington Award from Hemophilia Ontario in 2016 and the Pietrogrande Award from the World Federation of Haemophilia Musculoskeletal Committee in 2017.
Shannon Jackson
Hematologist
Providence Hematology
Dr. Jackson received her medical degree in 2001, and completed her internal medicine and hematology training at the University of Calgary in 2007. She went on to complete a sub-specialty fellowship in clinical hemostasis under the mentorship of Dr. Man-Chiu Poon at the University of Calgary, and has continued working with patients who have hemophilia and other bleeding disorders by joining the Adult Division of the British Columbia Bleeding Disorders Program, based at St. Paul’s Hospital.
Dr. Jackson’s current research interests include the study of the impact of ageing in the ageing hemophilia population, and in particular whether hemophiliacs develop ischemic heart disease at the same rate as the general population. She is currently studying the prevalence of disorders of collagen in the bleeding disorder population and platelet characteristics in type 2B von Willebrand Disease.
Fazarullah Khan
Physiotherapist
Tawam Hospital
Graduated from Government College of Physiotherapy, Trichy, India in1998. Certified Lymphedema Therapist, Certified Manual Therapist, Certified Dry needing Therapist, Seating and positioning Therapist. Received Training program on Hemophilia from Hemophilia Federation of India. Worked for 4 years in St John`s Medical College Bangalore, along with Bangalore Hemophilia chapter. Then moved to Sohar hospital, Oman where I initiated awareness about the role of Physiotherapy for People with Hemophilia. Currently working as a Senior Physiotherapist and Lead of acute care in Tawam Hospital for the past 15 years. Tawam hospital is a Hemophilia Treatment Centre. We treat all people with a bleeding disorder. I work with the multi-disciplinary team to provide comprehensive care for PWBD. We regularly have followed up with all our people with haemophilia. We periodically assess all our patients to provide treatment, health education and support to the PWH and their families. We have conducted few workshops in U.A.E to improve awareness of haemophilia management among health care providers.
Adolfo Llinás
Medical Director
Fundacion Santa Fe de Bogota
Adolfo Llinás, is Chief Medical Officer at Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, a staff member of the Adult Reconstructive Surgery Section of the Deparment of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Coordinator of the Hemophilia Program at Fundación Santa Fe University Hospital and Clinical Professor at Universidad de los Andes Medical School.
Sébastien Lobet
Physiotherapist and Researcher
Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc
Sébastien Lobet is currently a Physiotherapist and Researcher at the Haemostasis and Thrombosis Unit at the Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc in Brussels, Belgium. He is the past-chairman of the physiotherapy group of EAHAD. He is the founder and manager of Da Vinci Health, a fitness centre for people with chronic diseases. Dr. Lobet completed his Masters in Sport Physiotherapy in 1999 and completed his PhD thesis. His research focuses on the functional assessment of haemophilic arthropathy. In 2009, Dr. Lobet received the Henri Horoszowski Memorial Award of the WFH. Most recently, in 2019 Dr. Lobet was awarded with the EAHAD Research Grant Award with Professors N. Roussel and T. Hilberg and by the WFH for the World federation of Hemophilia 2018 Hemophilia Treatment Centre Twins of the Year Award. This award recognizes the 5-year collaboration with the hemophilia treatment centre at the Yopougon University Hospital in Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire).
JAMES V. LUCK, JR., M.D.
Professor in Residence
UCLA/Orthopaedic Institute for Children Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Director of Surgery and Rehabilitation
Hemophilia Treatment Center, Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital
From 1989 to 2011, Dr. Luck was President, Chief Executive Officer, and Medical Director of Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital. Through an alliance with UCLA, he served as residency Program Director of the combined UCLA/Orthopaedic Hospital Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA from 2005 to 2014, where he is currently Professor in Residence. From 2000 to 2011 he served as a Director of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS), which is responsible for the certification of all orthopaedic surgeons nationally, and served as its President in 2005. He served eight years, including two as Chairman of the Residency Review Committee (RRC) that accredits all orthopaedic training programs in the United States. He has also served on the Boards of Directors of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Orthopaedic Association, and the California Orthopaedic Association, where he was president in 1994-5. He served as Chairman of the National Medical Advisory Board of Shriners Hospitals for Children from 1998 to 2015.
Among Dr. Luck’s honors are Orthopaedic Teacher of the Year Award and Special Residents’ Award for Excellence in Teaching (Orthopaedic Hospital) and Twinned Centers of the Year-1997, presented by the World Federation of Hemophilia to both Dr. Luck and Dr. Adolfo Llinás of Fundación Santa Fe, Bogotá, Colombia. He was granted Humanitarian of the Year awards by California Hospital and the Crippled Children’s Guild. In 2013, Dr. Luck received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the World Federation of Hemophilia. In 2019, Dr. Luck received the Physician of the Year Award from the National Hemophilia Foundation and Lifetime Achievement award in 2020. Dr. Luck and his wife Mary have one son, three daughters, and six grandchildren.
Lynn Malec
Medical Director, Hematology; Assistant Investigator
Versiti Blood Research Institute
Dr. Malec graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine in 2006. She then completed Internal Medicine & Pediatrics (Med/Peds) Residency, Chief Residency in Pediatrics, and Hematology/Oncology Fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center/Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. She received a Master’s of Science in Clinical Research during her fellowship from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Malec became faculty in Pittsburgh before joining the team at Froedtert/MCW and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in 2016. She routinely sees patients with bleeding, clotting and other hematologic (blood) disorders.
Davide Matino
Assistant Professor, Medicine
McMaster University
Dr. Davide Matino is an Assistant Professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. He also works at the MUMC Hemophilia Clinic and the Thrombosis Clinic at the Juravinski Hospital. Dr. Matino obtained his medical degree at the University of Perugia Medical School and his residency training at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” in 2014. He completed a Clinical Fellowship in Bleeding disorders at McMaster University where he also received his MSc in Health Research Methodology, defending his thesis “Clinical application of the Web-Accessible Population Pharmacokinetic Service – Hemophilia (WAPPS-Hemo): proposal for a pilot study of a population pharmacokinetic approach to tailored prophylaxis in hemophilia”. He then joined the University of Perugia as Assistant Professor in Pharmacology working on a research project focused on the study of the immune response to FVIII in hemophilia, funded through a Young Investigator Award from the Italian Ministry of Health. His research is focused on inhibitor development in hemophilia, adaptive immunity and immunotolerance mechanisms, and the treatment of hemophilia patients with inhibitors. He is an active clinical trial Investigator.
Carlo Martinoli
Specialist in Diagnostic Radiology
University of Genoa
Carlo Martinoli received his medical degree in 1986 and became a specialist in diagnosCarlo Martinoli received his medical degree in 1986 and became a specialist in diagnostic radiology in 1989 at the University of Genoa, Italy. He has held positions of Staff Radiologist, Assistant Professor of Radiology and Associate Professor of Radiology at this University. Professor Martinoli’s emphasis on ultrasound and imaging of the musculoskeletal and peripheral nervous systems is known globally, and he has received many well-deserved teaching and professional awards. He has devoted more than 20 years to musculoskeletal radiology education and is author of a preeminent textbook on Musculoskeletal Ultrasound. Carlo Martinoli is actively involved with the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology - ESSR and has served this Society as Member of the Executive Committee, Chairman for Ultrasound, and Chairman of the Educational Committee.
Paul McLaughlin
Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist in Haemophilia
Katharine Dormandy Haemophilia Centre at Royal Free Hospital, London
Paul McLaughlin works as a Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist in Haemophilia at the Katharine Dormandy Haemophilia Centre at Royal Free Hospital in London. In 2000 he completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Ulster in Belfast, N Ireland, and his Master’s degree in Advanced Physiotherapy (Neuromusculoskeletal Rehabilitation) at King’s College London in 2009. He is currently undertaking a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funded PhD investigating the use of exercise based rehabilitation in the management of pain associated with haemophilic arthropathy. He is a past Chair of the HCPA - a UK group of specialist physiotherapists working in Haemophilia. He is a founding member and current vice-chair of the EAHAD physiotherapy committee, and a member of the musculoskeletal working party of the UKHCDO.
Alison Morris
Senior Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist
Perth Children's Hospital
Alison Morris is the Senior Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist at Perth Children’s Hospital in Western Australia. She completed her Bachelor of Science (Physiotherapy) with Honours at Curtin University in 1993 before completing a Masters in Sports Physiotherapy at the University of Queensland. She worked with a variety of State and National sporting teams before commencing work at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children (now Perth Children's Hospital) in 2005. Since then, she has been a key member of the Haemophilia Treatment Centre with a particular interest in the musculoskeletal outcomes of children with haemophilia and individualisation of care. She is the current Chair of the Australia and New Zealand Haemophilia Physiotherapist Group.
Pamela Narayan
Physiotherapist
Hemophilia Federation of India (HFI)
Pamela Narayan is a physiotherapist who graduated from Christian Medical College, Vellore in 1991 and completed her MSc in Physiotherapy from University of East London, UK in 1997.
She is committed to raising awareness about the role of physiotherapy in hemophilia at the local, national and international level.
She held the following posts on the MSK Committee of the WFH:
Member-at-Large: 2008-2010
Secretary: 2010-2014
She has completed two terms on the Executive Committee Board of the Hemophilia Federation (India) and has been on the Medical Advisory Board of the HFI since 2014 to 2019.
She has run:
Hemophilia Musculoskeletal workshops for both physiotherapists and pwh all over South Asia including Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
Physiotherapy workshops to raise awareness amongst PWH about the importance of exercise and activity in the several cities and towns along the length and breadth of India.
She has been an invited speaker several times at the WFH World Congress and MSK meetings since 2002.
Published several articles in the Haemophilia journal and co-authored chapters in books.
Was awarded a grant from NNHF to look at the MSK issues among PWH in India in 2015.
The project was awarded the Project of the Year 2019.
John Pasi
Professor of Haemostasis and Thrombosis
Royal London Haemophilia Centre
John Pasi has a clinical practice that spans both adults and children and covers all aspects of haemostasis and thrombosis. His particular research interests are new bioengineered therapies for haemophilia, novel therapies for haemophilia including gene therapy and RNAi technologies. He is closely involved in the design and development of trials for therapies in phase 1-4 programmes. He has been a part of the development of national policy / guideline formulation for haemostatic and thrombotic disorders and training initiatives such as residential academies, preceptorships and online education / training. Previously an advisor to the Parliamentary Health Select Committee, he is a member of NHS England Clinical Reference Group (GRG) for Inherited Bleeding Disorders, and co-chair of the ISTH Scientific and Standardization Committee on factor VIII, factor IX and rare coagulation disorders and the WFH Gene Therapy Roundtable.
Gianluigi Pasta
Orthopedist
Policlinico San Matteo Pavia Fondazione IRCCS
Gianluigi Pasta is an Orthopedic Surgeon of the Orthopedic and Traumatology Department at Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo in Pavia. He studied medicine at Palermo University and he received his MD in 1999. At the same University, he received his specialization in Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology in 2004. Orthopedic consultant at Hemophilia Centre of Palermo University from 2000 to 2006, and from 2006 to 2017 orthopedic consultant of Angelo Bianchi Bonomi Hemophilia Centre of Milan and from 2018 orthopedic consultant at Hemophilia Centre of Pavia. In this capacity, he provides clinical services in terms of musculoskeletal assessment, non-surgical and surgical treatment. He is the President of MSK Committee of the WFH and he is the coordinator of the MSK group of Italian Hemophilia Centres Association. Within this organization, he also serves as a Clinical Mentor for members from all regions of the country with less clinical experience in hemophilia care.
Sofia Pérez Alenda
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Physiotherapy
University of Valencia
Education: Degree in Physiotherapy (1999), Degree in Physical Education (2003), PhD in Science of Physical Activity and Sport (2010) . Thesis: "Effects of aquatic training on parameters of physical condition in haemophilic patients" Activities: – Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Physiotherapy, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain. – Since 2008, collaborator of the Rehabilitation area of the Haemostasis and Thrombosis Unit, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico la Fe, Valencia, Spain. Clinical and research experience in the treatment and prevention of musculoskeletal injuries, point of care ultrasound and prescription of exercise in haemophilic patients. -Regional coordinator, Spain and Portugal. European Physiotherapists Network, The European Association for Haemophilia and Allied Disorders (EAHAD)
Glenn Pierce
Vice-President, Medical
World Federation of Hemophilia
Dr. Glenn Pierce currently serves on the WFH as VP Medical and WFH USA Board of Directors and NHF (US) Medical and Scientific Advisory Council. He is an Entrepreneur-in-residence at Third Rock Ventures, recently cofounded and is CMO at Ambys Medicines, and also is a biotech consultant in the gene therapy and hematological areas.
Sheila Roche
Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist
National Coagulation Centre, St. James’s Hospital
Sheila Roche works as a Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist in Haemophilia in the National Coagulation Centre in St. James's Hospital Dublin, Ireland. In 2001 she completed her undergraduate physiotherapy degree in Trinity College Dublin and went on to complete her Masters degree in Musculoskeletal Manual Therapy through the University of Western Australia in Perth in 2009. In 2016 Sheila specialised in working with the adult Haemophilia population. She is involved in education and research with the Haemophilia population in Ireland. She has presented most recently at EAHAD 2021 on the use of Telehealth as well as the introduction of an exercise class for adult Haemophiliacs in the National Coagulation Centre Dublin.
Carlos Rodriguez‑Merchan
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
“La Paz” University Hospital
E. Carlos Rodriguez-Merchan is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at “La Paz” University Hospital of Madrid, Spain. He has an extensive background in haemophilia and has worked on orthopaedic complications in this field for the past 44 years. Consequently, he is the author of numerous peer-reviewed publications on musculoskeletal problems in haemophilia. Dr Rodriguez-Merchan has been Chairman of the Musculoskeletal Committee of the WFH (1998–2002) and a member of the Executive Committee of the WFH (2000–2002). He serves on the Editorial Board of the journal Haemophilia. He is also the editor of five important books related to haemophilia: Musculoskeletal Aspects of Haemophilia (Rodriguez-Merchan, Goddard, Lee, eds; Blackwell, Oxford, 2000), Inhibitors in Patients with Haemophilia (Rodriguez-Merchan, Lee, eds; Blackwell, Oxford, 2002), The Haemophilic Joints: New Perspectives (Rodriguez-Merchan, ed; Blackwell, Oxford, 2003), Current and Future Issues in Hemophilia Care (Rodriguez-Merchan, Valentino, eds; Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, 2011) and Joint Surgery in the Adult Patient with Hemophilia (Rodriguez-Merchan, ed; Springer International Publishing Switzerland, 2015).
Andrew Selvaggi
Patient with hemophilia
Australia
Andrew Selvaggi is a personal trainer and hemophilia advocate, who hails from Melbourne, Australia. From childhood through his teen years, Andrew remained in a wheelchair because of his struggle to manage his weight. After recognizing the detrimental effects of his lack of exercise, Andrew found a passion for fitness, got fit and lost more than 35 kilograms! For most of his life, Andrew has worked toward achieving balance, which involves truly listening to his body and taking advantage of the times when it positively responded to his active lifestyle. Andrew attended the Australian Institute of Fitness for his personal training accreditation, He understands first-hand that staying active and healthy is essential for all-around happiness.
Robert Sidonio
Director of Hemostasis and Thrombosis Clinical Operations
Emory University
Dr. Sidonio graduated from UAB medical school, completed his pediatric residency at the University of Louisville and completed his fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh where he also obtained his Masters in Clinical Investigation. Dr. Sidonio has been the Director of Hemostasis and Thrombosis Clinical Operations at Emory University since 2014. Dr. Sidonio has pilot studies focusing on quality of life and menstrual bleeding treatment in hemophilia carriers and women with low VWF and is the lead PI of the Emicizumab PUP and Nuwiq ITI trial, MOTIVATE ITI Study, Wilate prophylaxis study, Mexico Inhibitor Cross-sectional study and SAFE study. He is a board member of HTRS, HFA, medical advisor for FWGBD and MASAC, THSNA Summit C-Chair and Co-Chair of Women’s Health ISTH SSC.
Mauricio Silva
Medical Director
Orthopaedic Institute for Children
Mauricio Silva, M.D. is the Medical Director of Orthopaedic Institute for Children in Los Angeles and a Clinical Professor at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Dr. Silva is a board certified orthopaedic surgeon specializing in pediatric orthopaedics. His clinical interest includes pediatric orthopaedic trauma and outcomes, management of clubfoot deformities, and the management of musculoskeletal complications associated with hemophilia. He received his medical degree from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia in 1993, and completed his orthopaedic residency at the same institution in 1999. Dr. Silva joined Orthopaedic Institute for Children in 1999, where he completed his fellowship in pediatric orthopaedics in 2004. He has published over 50 peer reviewed articles and multiple book chapters. Dr. Silva is a member of AAOS, POSNA, COA, and the Colombian Society of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Luigi Solimeno
Director
UOC Traumatologia d’Urgenza, IRCCS Ospedale Poloclinico di Milano
Luigi Piero Solimeno, MD Dr Luigi Solimeno is the Director of Emergency Trauma Department and Rare Desease Service at IRCCS Cà Granda Foundation, Maggiore Hospital, Milan, Italy; a post he has held since 2015. Dr Solimeno has specialized in haemophilia care after undertaking a Fellowship in 1988, researching leg-length discrepancies in haemophilic patients, at the Angelo Bianchi Bonomi Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center, Milan. In 2001, he became Senior Surgeon at Ortho-Trauma Center Hospital of Milan and Head of Hemophilic Arthropathy Treatment Unit. Head of Ortho Trauma Unit at IRCCS Cà Granda Foundation, Maggiore Hospital from 2009 to 2015 Dr Solimeno is past-Chair of the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) Musculo Skeletal Committee (2010). To date, he has performed more than 800 major orthopaedic surgeries in patients with haemophilia and authored approximately 91 haemophilia-related publications. Dr Solimeno was also the lead organizer for the 1st Italian congress on musculo skeletal problems related to hemophilia (2003) and the WFH 10th International Musculoskeletal Congress (2007).
Bruno Steiner
Physical Therapy and MSKUS Program Manager
Washington Center for Bleeding Disorders
Dr. Bruno Steiner is the Physical Therapy and MSKUS Program Manager with the Washington Center for Bleeding Disorders in Seattle, Washington, where he treats patients with hemophilia and conducts clinical research. He is a clinical instructor with the University of Washington, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. Dr. Steiner is actively involved as a speaker and lecturer for the advancement of MSKUS use in the realm of hemophilia and is an instructor for UCSD’s MSKUS in Hemophilia course in San Diego. He is currently the co-chair of the regularly scheduled international MSKUS Rounds and Case Discussions in Hemophilia. Before joining the hemophilia community 6 years ago, he owned and operated a manual physical therapy out-patient center in New Orleans, LA, where he treated acute and chronic orthopedic conditions for 25 years. To his pleasant surprise, he found that, with some modification to his technique, both soft tissue and joint mobilization were indeed helpful in the management of hemarthropathic pain as well as other MSK complaints. To this day, he continues to implement manual techniques and therapies in concert with MSKUS evaluation to treat the many MSK challenges faced by people with hemophilia.
David Stephensen
Physiotherapist
Kent Haemophilia Centre / Royal London Hospital
David Stephensen is a physiotherapist at the Kent Haemophilia and Thrombosis Centre, UK,and the Haemophilia Centre at the Royal London Hospital, UK. Dr Stephensen is an experienced clinical scientist with more than 25 years’ clinical experience managing children and adults with haemophilia including 16 years clinical and laboratory research. Dr Stephensen is currently Chair of the Physiotherapy Committee of the European Association of Haemophilia and Allied Disorders, and has recently been appointed Deputy Director of Research & Innovation at a large NHS healthcare Trust in the UK and is an Associate Editor of Haemophilia. He was awarded a Clinical Lectureship in 2011 and subsequently secured several NIHR, commercial and charity funded research grants. Each research programme has furthered knowledge of biomechanical and physiological function and changes in skeletal muscle morphology in clinical and healthy populations. His work has informed clinical practice, particularly for those with haemophilia and long-term conditions. His work includes investigating the benefits of exercise for people with haemophilia as well as using ultrasound imaging to explore its use in differentiating musculoskeletal bleeding, guiding rehabilitation and the influence of muscle morphology on strength. David has established physiotherapy-led clinics for people with haemophilia, implementing point-of-care ultrasound as routine assessment.
Karen Strike
Physiotherapist
McMaster University Medical Center
Karen Strike currently works as a physiotherapist in the bleeding disorders program at McMaster University Medical Center, Ontario, Canada. She completed her degree in Kinesiology and Masters in Physiotherapy at McMaster University. Karen is an Assistant Clinical Professor (Adjunct) at McMaster University and a part-time faculty member at Mohawk College. In addition to her clinical role as the physiotherapist with the Hamilton Niagara Hemophilia Treatment Centre, Karen is currently pursuing her PhD in Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University. Her principal research areas include best practices for the assessment and management of the musculoskeletal implication of a bleeding disorder, patient engagement and physiotherapy scope of practice. She is an experienced speaker having presented on the topic of hemophilia and physiotherapy globally. Karen was also granted the Clinical Health Professional Research Award from Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation in 2013 and is a recipient of the Canadian Hemophilia Society Baxalta Fellowship. She has served on a number of boards and committees throughout her career, including the Hamilton Health Sciences Health Professional Investigator Award Review Board and WFH Musculoskeletal Committee for which she was a contributor to the Physiotherapy curriculum. She has also served as Co-Chair of the Physiotherapy Education Committee for Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation and is Past President of the Canadian Physiotherapists in Hemophilia Care for the Canadian Hemophilia Society.
Rachel Tiktinsky
Physiotherapist
National Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer
Rachel Tiktinsky, Physiotherapist Rachel has been involved in Hemophilia care for 24 years. She works in the Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center in Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel. Her work with Hemophilia has included physical activity and sports, hydrotherapy, electrotherapy, gait analysis and training, virtual reality and balance and diagnostic ultrasound. All hemophilia patients are treated in the center including children and adults. Treatement includes pre and post operative, maintenance, post bleeds and strengthening. She is involved in their summer camp, Hemophilia weekend for families and other activities. She also trains physical therapists from other countries as “train the trainers”.
Merel Timmer
Physiotherapist & Researcher
Van Creveldkliniek, Centre for Benign Haematology, UMC Utrecht
Merel Timmer is a physiotherapist and researcher at the van Creveldkliniek, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands. In 2018 she finished her PhD titled: "Joints, functioning and movement behaviour in haemophilia". After she finished her PhD she continued working as a physiotherapist and researcher at the van Creveldkliniek. Her research is focussed on POC-US in addition to physical exam, physical functioning and movement behaviour and collaboration with primary care physiotherapists in persons with haemophilia. In addition to her work as a physiotherapist and researcher, she works as a lecturer within the MSc Clinical Health Sciences and is a member of the Scientific College of the Royal Dutch Society of Physiotherapy.
Lena Volland
Director of Education
National Hemophilia Foundation
Lena Volland PT, Ph.D. (c) is the Director of Education at the National Hemophilia Foundation in the United States. As a physical therapist, she has been working with complex chronic pain patients in the outpatient setting for over 10 years and completed extensive continuing education in pain science. She was introduced to the bleeding disorder community working at the University of California San Diego Hemophilia and Thrombosis Treatment Center in clinical care and research. Here, she was largely involved in the development, validation, and implementation of musculoskeletal ultrasound procedures as well as educational initiatives. She received her original physical therapy education in Germany but also holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from California State University, San Marcos, and a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Mount St. Mary’s University. Additionally, she is a Board-Certified Clinical Specialists in Orthopedic Physical Therapy, American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) certified Clinical Instructor (CI), and APTA Certified CI Trainer. Currently, she is working on a Ph.D. in Translational Health Sciences at George Washington University with a focus on chronic pain management in persons with bleeding disorders.
Nichan Zourikian
Physiotherapist
CHU Sainte-Justine
Nichan Zourikian has been working in the bleeding disorders community since 1994, when he joined the Sainte-Justine Pediatric/Adult Comprehensive Hemostasis and Inhibitor Center comprehensive care team. Nichan has regularly volunteered since 1998 for the Canadian Hemophilia Society (CHS) and Quebec Chapter, as well as the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH). In recognition of his achievements, he received the CHS Award of Appreciation in 2005, the Quebec Chapter’s Award of Appreciation in 2009 and the prestigious WFH Inga Marie Nilsson Award in 2010. Nichan has been a member of IPSG’s Expert Physical Therapy Working Group since its inception as a co-developer of the Hemophilia Joint Health Score (HJHS) and is a co-investigator: HJHS Adult Validation Study. He has also co-author of over 20 peer-reviewed publications, including a recent ‘Obesity in haemophilia’ review article.