Speaker Biographies – 2024 Concussion in Sport Symposium

Speakers

Adam Sollitt

While leading the research and auditing program for the International Ice Hockey Federation, he had the opportunity to work with and visit National Sport Organizations in over 60 nations around the world, including gathering information on their risk and safety policies, procedures, and operations. Since returning to Canada full time, he has been a representative on the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Sport Council’s workgroup on concussions in sport for the past 7 years, first as a representative of the government of Alberta, and later as a national multi-sport organization representative with the Coaching Association of Canada.  He is as a full-time coaching consultant with the Coaching Association of Canada and oversees the concussion portfolio. 

 

Alex Lithopoulos, Ph.D.

Dr. Alex Lithopoulos works at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, where he coordinates the Living Concussion Guidelines that provide evidence-based recommendations for adult concussion healthcare providers and patients. He has expertise in the psychology of behaviour change, communication and persuasion, branding, and social marketing, which he uses to promote implementation of the guidelines in practice. He has over 30 peer-reviewed publications, and has written extensively on behaviour change in public health and healthcare settings.  

 

Alison Doherty, Ph.D.

Dr. Alison Doherty is a professor of Sport Management in the School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences at Western University. Her research focuses on the capacity and management of nonprofit and community-based organizations for safe and inclusive sport and physical activity. She is currently leading or involved in projects advancing insight to gender equity in sport leadership, integration of newly arrived migrants in and through organized sport, and management of concussion in youth sport. Dr. Doherty has consulted and shared her research with local, provincial, and national sport organizations, with a focus on translating key findings and discussing implications for effective practice. She is the Lead of the Sport and Social Impact Research Group (SSIRG) at Western, a board member of Canada’s Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC), and a member of the Canadian Women & Sport Impact Research Committee. Dr. Doherty is a former Canadian Champion and National Team heptathlete, and a long-time track and field coach with Western.

 

Andrée-Anne Ledoux, Ph.D.

Dr. Andrée-Anne Ledoux is a scientist for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (CHEO), assistant professor for the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, adjunct professor for both the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa, and in the Department of Neuroscience at Carleton University.  Dr. Ledoux earned her PhD in Experimental Psychology and Behavioural Neuroscience from the University of Ottawa in 2013. In 2019, she completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship, studying pediatric concussion at CHEORI. Dr. Ledoux and her team are interested in developing and testing management protocols that target neuronal repair in the hopes of reducing the risk of persistent post-concussive symptoms, reducing the recovery period, and promoting resiliency and neural protection in pediatric concussions.

 

Anna Guenther

Anna Guenther is a 4th year undergraduate student studying Honours Kinesiology at the University of Waterloo. She has been involved in concussion research throughout her schooling and work terms and is currently a student member of the Concussion in Para Sport Group. Her research interests include identifying and implementing concussion assessment and rehabilitation strategies for athletes who are blind or visually impaired.

 

 

Brandy Tanenbaum

Brandy Tanenbaum is a certified risk manager and works as the injury prevention coordinator in the Tory Trauma Program at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. She shares a passion with her colleagues for driving community health by reducing the risk and severity of traumatic injury. Brandy has a degree in kinesiology and health sciences and a master’s degree in public health. She explores the intersections of injury with the social determinants of health, advocating for progressive prevention programming, and contributing to research that aims to understand how we can do this work better together.

 

Danielle Duplessis

Danielle Duplessis obtained her B.Sc in the Cognitive Science program at Mount Allison University and an MSc at the University of Toronto in Rehabilitation Sciences with a focus in Cognitive Rehabilitation. Since graduating she has gone on to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Developmental Psychology with a specialization in Clinical Neuropsychology at York University. Her work broadly focuses on improving outcomes for children with brain injuries as they return to activities like school and sports. She has merged her interests to support a variety of projects in Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital’s NOvEL and PEARL labs including developing R2Play, a multidomain return-to-play assessment for youth athletes following concussion. Her current research focuses on building an accessible return-to-play tool for Para athletes. Outside of school, she is a wheelchair basketball player and Paralympian who competed with Team Canada for 4 years.

 

Jamie Henry

Jamie Henry is the Director of Hockey Operations with Hockey Calgary, where he has been working in the areas of hockey operations as well as coach and player development for the past 6 years. Prior to joining Hockey Calgary, he completed an MBA and as well as MS in Sport Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In addition to his work with Hockey Calgary, he is a cycling coach and currently an Assistant/Skills coach with the Calgary Canucks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

 

Jen Kish

Jen Kish, a retired Canadian rugby player, dedicated 13 years to representing her country on the international stage, which included leading Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team to a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Kish endured 5 major concussions during her professional rugby career, one of which occurred four months prior to the Rio Olympic Games, yet Kish soldiered on, disregarding her injuries for the sake of her team and her life long dream. However, the consequences of playing through her injuries ultimately led to her retirement in 2018, and subsequent advocacy for mental health awareness. Now a keynote speaker and mental health advocate, Kish is contributing to concussion research by donating her brain to the Canadian Concussion Centre, aiming to raise awareness and promote safety in sports for future generations, particularly focusing on the unique risks faced by women athletes. Kish was awarded the Most Influential Athlete of the CAAWS Most Influential Women List of 2016, and inducted into both the Edmonton Hall of Fame in 2018 and the 2023 Rugby Canada Hall of Fame.

 

Jennifer Dawson, Ph.D. 

Dr. Jennifer Dawson works at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute as the Guideline Developer for the Living Guideline for Pediatric Concussion Care. The Living Guideline project involves synthesizing and evaluating all of the most recent high-quality research studies related to managing pediatric concussion. They’ve worked with over 45 top concussion experts from across North America, who came together to develop clinical recommendations and tools for diagnosing and concussion in youth.  

 

 

Josh Shore

Josh Shore has an Honours BSc. specialization in kinesiology from Queen’s University in and an MSc in Rehabilitation Science from the University of Toronto. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute at the University of Toronto, completing his research within the Bloorview Research Institute at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. His thesis work is part of the R2Play project, an interdisciplinary initiative to develop a new multidomain return-to-play assessment and rehabilitation tool for concussion. He is also a Registered Kinesiologist and has experience working clinically with adults and youth with concussion, designing individualized exercise and education-based rehabilitation programs to support return to school, sport, work, and life.

 

Kathryn Schneider, Ph.D., PT, DipManipPT

Dr. Kathryn Schneider is an associate professor and physiotherapist at the Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Calgary. Her research focuses on the prevention, detection, and treatment of sport-related concussion. Her work has identified a large treatment effect using multimodal physiotherapy and vestibular rehabilitation. She is a Clinical Specialist in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy, a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Manipulative Physiotherapists and has expertise and certification in vestibular rehabilitation. Her clinical practice focuses on the treatment of recreational to elite/professional athletes with ongoing symptoms following sport-related concussion. Over the past 8 years, she has worked with local, provincial, and national sport organizations and health care teams to develop and implement evidence-based concussion protocols and processes.  She is a member of the Federal Government Working Group on Concussion in Sport and is the co-lead of the integrated Knowledge Translation and Patient and Stakeholder engagement committee of the Canadian Concussion Network.

 

Katie Mitchell, Ph.D.

Dr. Katie Mitchell, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral clinician-scientist in the Centre for Sport-Related Concussion, Innovation, and Knowledge at the University of Toronto. Her research is focused on examining concussion recovery and digital health for high performance athletes. She is a Physiotherapist and Certified Athletic Therapist, providing clinical education and consulting for concussion and sports injury management. Katie is a member of the Concussion in Para Sport (CIPS) group and the Education and Research Committee for the Canadian Athletic Therapy Association. She has presented at national and international conferences, including the American College of Sports Medicine World Congress and the Consensus on Concussion in Sport. She has vast experience as medical staff in high performance sport and major games and is currently the Lead Team Therapist for the women’s national para ice hockey team.

 

Nick Reed, Ph.D.

Dr. Nick Reed completed his Bachelor of Kinesiology at McMaster University, his MSc in Occupational Therapy within the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of Toronto, and his Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Science at the University of Toronto. Dr. Reed is an Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of Toronto where he directs the OAK (Outcomes, Advocacy and Knowledge) Concussion Lab and holds a Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Pediatric Concussion. He is also a member of the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute at the University of Toronto. His work focuses on developing, delivering, and evaluating research, educational and clinical programming specific to youth and concussion.

 

Osman Ahmed, Ph.D.     

Dr. Osman Ahmed is the physiotherapy lead for Para Football across the 7 elite international squads, and as a physiotherapist with the England Cerebral Palsy Football team. Through this work, he was a member of the Team GB medical staff at both the 2008 Beijing and 2016 Paralympic Games. He teaches on the FA’s Advanced Trauma Medical Management course and is also Classification Lead for the Para Football program in England. Dr. Ahmed’s Ph.D. was focused on sports concussion and Facebook, and since then he has published and presented widely (primarily on concussion in sport and technology in healthcare). He holds several governance roles within Para Sports federations including Medical & Sports Science Director at the International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football, Medical Unit Co-Lead at the Para Football Foundation, and Medical Committee member of the International Blind Sport Association. He is a Co-Chair of the Concussion in Para Sport Group and holds Associate Editor positions at the British Journal of Sports Medicine and at BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, sits on the Institutional Ethics committee of World Rugby as an external member, and is a Visiting Senior Lecturer at the University of Portsmouth.

 

Paul Eliason, Ph.D.

Dr. Paul Eliason is a postdoctoral fellow in the Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, and brings experience in epidemiology, biostatistics, and research methods. He completed his Ph.D. specializing in Sport Medicine at the University of Calgary. His research focused on the identification of modifiable risk factors for injury in youth ice hockey as well as unintended consequences. He is also a data consultant for the National Hockey League.

 

 

Dr. Roger Zemek

Dr. Roger Zemek is a Pediatric Emergency physician, full Professor and Tier-1 Clinical Research Chair in Pediatric Concussion at the University of Ottawa and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO).  He is a Senior Scientist and Director of the Clinical Research Unit at the CHEO RI.  He holds several national and international leadership positions including Chair of the Pediatric Emergency Research Canada (PERC) network, and he co-leads the international team for the Living Guideline for Pediatric Concussion Care. He is the co-founder and Scientific Director of 360 Concussion Care, a network of interdisciplinary concussion clinics. Dr. Zemek’s program of research has helped to advance the diagnosis, prognosis, and management of pediatric concussion.

 

Scott Ramsay, Ph.D.

Dr. Scott Ramsay is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of British Columbia and Nurse Clinician in the Neurological Care Centre at BC Children’s Hospital. Dr. Ramsay focuses on the health care services for children and youth with neurological conditions, and the study of factors impeding care. He is interested in the integration of multidisciplinary care in the delivery of care for individuals with a traumatic brain injury. Prior to becoming a nurse and researcher, Scott was a high-level hockey player, where he suffered 5 concussions and post-concussion syndrome. He utilizes his unique perspective as a brain injury survivor, clinician, and researcher to collaborate with patients, clinicians, policymakers, and researchers, given his multiple roles in the care of children and youth with a brain injury in British Columbia.

 

Stephanie Cowle

Stephanie Cowle has spent 14 years working in the area of injury and trauma prevention. She is the Director of Knowledge Translation at Parachute, a national charity focused on preventing serious and fatal injuries. She leads Parachute’s projects to improve concussion prevention, recognition, and management across Canada. She has worked with more than 50 national sport bodies as well as government, health, and education stakeholders at national and provincial levels. She is a member of the Federal-Provincial/Territorial Work Group on Concussion in Sport and the Knowledge Translation Coordinator for the Canadian Concussion Network-Réseau Canadien des Commotions.

 

Terry Kell

Terry Kell is the founder and CEO of AgileIS leading a talented team who collectively brings concussion management solutions to sports organizations and educational institutions, through the mobile app CAPT. Terry identified the need for coordination of concussion protocols across sports and education to enable students and athletes to return safely to learn and play. Sports administrators coaches, trainers, athletes, educators, and parents using the CAPT app can focus on safety, and it provides the peace of mind that they are making the right decision for those suffering from concussion. Terry’s entrepreneurial spirit is part of his DNA. For 30 years Terry was the co-owner and President of Kanatek Technologies. Over Terry’s tenure, Kanatek grew from being an Ottawa-based PC integration company to an award-winning Enterprise Storage Solutions provider delivering solutions globally for Fortune 500 companies. Terry blends his vision for concussion management and his entrepreneurial spirit to CAPT which keeps our friends and family safe.

 

Victoria Formusa

Victoria Formusa is the Health Manager at Special Olympics Canada and has a MSc from the University of Toronto. Her research focused on optimizing the wellness of Special Olympics athletes through the utilization of a novel wellness framework. With a decade-long career in adaptive and disability sports, she also serves as a Special Olympics Ontario Competition Speed Skating coach. Passionate about athlete well-being, she actively participates in Advisory Committees aimed at enhancing the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She is a dedicated professional, merging her commitment to support the health and well-being of SO athletes with wellness advocacy to elevate the Special Olympics movement.