Keynote & Plenary Speakers
IPBIS would like to share information about some of the Keynote/Plenary Speakers who will be presenting during the conference. More details about the Keynote speakers and other sessions will be posted in the coming months.
Shannon Scratch, PhD, CPsych
Keynote Address Title: From Inspiration to Iteration: Co-Design of Interventions for Young People with Acquired Brain Injury
Biography
Dr. Shannon Scratch is a Clinician Scientist at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and Assistant Professor in the Department of Paediatrics and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute at the University of Toronto. She is a practicing Clinical Neuropsychologist and her research program and hospital clinic are dedicated to youth experiencing prolonged symptoms post-concussion and acquired brain injury, and their caregivers and families. She holds foundation and tri-council funding and is especially interested in the development and testing of new interventions for these youths. She holds the Holland Family Professorship in Acquired Brain Injury and is the director of the Neurehab Outcomes via Education & Learning (NOvEL) Lab. She is passionate about fostering youth and family engagement in research and is the co-Chair of the Research Family Engagement Committee at Holland Bloorview.
Biography:
Dr. Chris Giza graduated from Dartmouth College, received his MD from West Virginia University and completed Adult and Pediatric Neurology training at UCLA. He worked on the Yosemite Search and Rescue team before joining the UCLA Brain Injury Research Center. He served as Vice-Chief of the California State Athletic Commission, and as an advisor for the U.S. Department of Defense, traveling to Afghanistan in 2011. He founded and directs the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT & Operation Mend BRAIN TBI programs. He co-authored concussion/mild TBI guidelines for AAN (2013), CDC (2018) and the Concussion in Sport Group (2017, 2023), where he is also on the Board of Directors and Chair of the CISG Education Committee. He serves on concussion advisory committees for MLS, NBA and US Soccer and is a clinical consultant for MLS/USSF, NHL/NHLPA, NBA, the LA Lakers and NFL. Dr. Giza is Professor and Chief of Pediatric Neurology at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital.
Chris Giza, MD, FAAN
Keynote Session Title: Biology = Treatment: Moving to Precision Care for Pediatric TBI
Steve Clifford, PhD, FRCPCH, FMedSci
Keynote Address Title: Personalising Kinder Therapies for Childhood Brain Tumours: From Advanced Genomics to Clinical Trials
Biography
Dr. Steve Clifford is Chair of Molecular Paediatric Oncology and Director of the Newcastle University Centre for Cancer. He leads its Childhood Brain Tumour Research team (25 scientists/clinicians), with major interests in understanding the biological basis of embryonal brain tumour development (principally medulloblastoma), and translating these findings into improved clinical treatments. His international bench-to-bedside programme in medulloblastoma has been central to advances in childhood neuro-oncology research and international clinical trials over the last two decades. His team has made fundamental discoveries through advanced genomic, biomarker, trials and functional studies, and translated these into improved molecular diagnostics, risk-stratification, and therapeutics. Prof. Clifford is Chair of the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) CNS tumours group. He sits on steering committees including the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group executive and ITCC-Brain committee, and on advisory panels for organisations including The Brain Tumour Charity (SAB Chair), Cancer Research UK, The Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission, The French National Cancer Institute (INCa) and The Singapore Medical Research Council. He is a Trustee of the JGWP charitable foundation and ‘Children with Cancer in Malawi’, a charity outreach programme for children’s cancer care in Africa.