The International Program Committee

Jette Bangshaab

Master in social sciences, physical therapist, certified project manager. Program manager and senior lecturer at UCN, Denmark. Worked with rehabilitation in teaching, research and project managing for 15 years - in the last 6 years with focus on technology supported rehabilitation in a research programme at UCN.

In her involvement with RIWC 2020, Jette Bangshaab will apply her expertise to the following areas: Chronic Health-related Problems, Age-related Disabilities & Impairments, Rehabilitation in Research and Education, Technology & Accessibility, Telerehabilitation.

Inge Storgaard Bonfils

Inge Storgaard Bonfils is a Senior Associate Professor, at the Department of Social Work, University College Copenhagen, Denmark. Her research field covers social work, disability, psycho-social and vocational rehabilitation and user involvement. She is a member of the National Board of Nordic Network on Disability Research (NNDR) and engaged in several networks on research and education in social work and disability.

In her involvement with RIWC 2020, Inge Storgaard Bonfils will apply her expertise to the following areas: Work & Provision Related Problems, Social Exclusion & Persecution, Psycho-social Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation in Research and Education, Social Work.

Karen la Cour

Karen la Cour is head of the Rehabilitation research group at REHPA, The Danish Knowledge Center for Rehabilitation and Palliative Care. Her research is based in the health sciences and focuses on rehabilitation and palliative care for people with life-threatening illness.

In her involvement with RIWC 2020, Karen la Cour will apply her expertise to the following areas: Chronic Health-related Problems, Community-based Rehabilitation, Palliation, Home-based Rehabilitation, User Involvement.

Sarah Dean

Sarah Dean’s research area is in applied, interdisciplinary health research, applying psychology to rehabilitation and health. This includes goal-setting and behaviour change strategies for facilitating adherence to exercise therapy and physical activity and process evaluations assessing intervention fidelity in clinical trials.

In her involvement with RIWC 2020, Sarah Dean will apply her expertise to the following areas: Chronic Health-related Problems, Age-related Disabilities & Impairments, Community-based Rehabilitation, Goalsetting, Psychosocial Rehabilitation.

Birthe Dinesen

Dr. Birthe Dinesen is Professor and Head of Laboratory of Welfare Technologies Telehealth & Telerehabilitation Aalborg University. She is doing research within telerehabilitation within elderly care and chronic disease management and has published more than 67 peer reviewed papers. Dr. Dinesen specializes in participatory design and engagement methods by the use new technologies such as virtual reality, gamification, tracking devices, social media to for rehabilitation of patients.

In her involvement with RIWC 2020, Birthe Dinesen will apply her expertise to the following areas:Temporary Health-related Problems, Chronic Health-related Problems, Assistive Technology, Cross-sectoral Rehabilitation, Technology and Accessibility, Telerehabilitation, User Involvement.

Lisbeth Koed Doktor

Lisbeth Koed Doktor has a master in Danish and Ancient Civilizations and has throughout her working life focused on communication and interacting between people across boundaries, mainly concerning disabilities. She has worked as an editor of books in the publishing industry and has written several articles for her own organisation Muskelsvindfonden, the Danish organisation for people with muscular dystrophies which is known for their work with rehabilitation. She held the chair as president for Muskelsvindfonden from 2016-2019.

In her involvement with RIWC 2020, Lisbeth Koed Doktor will apply her expertise to the following areas:Chronic Health-related Problems, Work & Provision Related Problems, Human Civil Rights, Social Integration, User Involvement.

Reuben Escorpizo

Reuben Escorpizo is a professor of rehabilitation and movement science at the University of Vermont (USA). His areas of research include vocational rehabilitation and return-to-work, spinal cord injury, and disability evaluation. He is the U.S. lead for the International Spinal Cord Injury Study, a multinational cohort study on community-dwelling individuals with spinal cord injury.

In his involvement with RIWC 2020, Reuben Escorpizo will apply his expertise to the following areas: Age-related disabilities & Impairments, Work & Provision Related Problems, Health and Function, ICF, Work and Employment.

Marianne Hedlund

Professor in disability studies and health science at NTNU/Nord University. Her special interest in rehabilitation is marginalization, work-life issues and disability in a lifespan perspective. Working on broad issues of rehabilitation and rehabilitation education at all level.

In her involvement with RIWC 2020, Marianne Hedlund will apply her expertise to the following areas: Chronic Health-related Problems, Poverty or Social Inequalities, Crosssectoral Rehabilitation, Marginalization, Return to Work.

Chris Jensen

Manager, National Advisory Unit on Occupational Rehabilitation, Rehabiliterings-senteret AiR, Norway. Main experience within the field of occupational rehabilitation and health, sickness absence research and return to work interventions in Norway and Denmark.

In his involvement with RIWC 2020, Chris Jensen will apply his expertise to the following areas: Temporary health-related problems, Work & Provision Related Problems, Cross-sectoral Rehabilitation, Return to Work, Work & Employment.

Anne-Merete Kissow

Education: Ph.d., Master of Educational Studies, Physiotherapist, Bachelor of Physical Education. Work experience: Senior researcher / consultant in Knowledge Centre on Disability, Lecturer in Physiotherapy, physical education and psychology, physiotherapist in Rehabilitation and Psychiatry. Author of textbooks and articles for professionals and scientific publications.

In her involvement with RIWC 2020, Anne-Merete Kissow will apply her expertise to the following areas:Congenital Diseases & Impairments, Age-related Disabilities & Impairments, Cross-sectoral Rehabilitation, Social Activities, Sport and Recreation.

Matilde Leonardi

Neurologist, Paediatrician. Director of Neurology, Public Health, Disability Unit and Coma Research Centre. Director Italian WHO Collaborating Centre-Research Branch Besta. Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy. Co-Chair WHO Functioning and Disability Reference Group.

In her involvement with RIWC 2020, Matilde Leonardi will apply her expertise to the following areas: Chronic Health-related Problems, Age-related Disabilities & Impairments, ICF, Rehabilitation in Research and Education, Work and Employment.

Thomas Maribo

Thomas Maribo is Head of Department for Public Health and Rehabilitation Research at DEFACTUM, Central Denmark Region and Associate Professor at Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Denmark. Thomas Maribo has published more than 55 papers within the field of rehabilitation. His primary research area is biopsychosocial rehabilitation and functioning focusing on cardiac rehabilitation.

In his involvement with RIWC 2020, Thomas Maribo will apply his expertise to the following areas: Chronic Health-related Problems, Age-related disabilities & Impairments, Cross-sectoral Rehabilitation, ICF, Rehabilitation in Research and Education.

Jørgen Feldbæk Nielsen

Professor in Neurorehabilitation. Leader of a multidisciplinary research team. Specific interest in stroke and traumatic brain injury.

In his involvement with RIWC 2020, Jørgen Feldbæk Nielsen will apply his expertise to the following areas: Temporary health-related problems, Chronic Health-related Problems, Hospital-based Rehabilitation, Medical Rehabilitation, Recovery.

Michael Brogioli

Board member, U.S. International Council on Disability; former Executive Director, RESNAVice President, North America, Rehabilitation International.

Yueqin Huang

MD, MPH, PhD. Professor of Psychiatric Epidemiology. Director, Division of Social Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Institute of Mental Health/The Sixth Hospital, Peking University. President, Chinese Mental Health Journal. Vice President, China Disabled Persons’ Federation. Chair, Commission of Health and Function, Rehabilitation International.

Ivan Kjær Lauridsen

Head of Health and Assisted Living Technologies, Municipality of Aarhus.

Chair of the Exhibition & Technology Committee.

Alain LePlege

Professor, Laboratoire de Sciences, Philosophie, Histoire, Paris Diderot University.