Organizing Committee

Bart Koes
Prof Dr (IEC Chair, IBNP Forum)

Prof. Bart Koes is a Clinical Epidemiologist and Professor of General Practice at the Department of General Practice, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. He has been active in primary care research focusing on areas such as back pain and other musculoskeletal conditions. From April 2018 - April 2026 he had a part-time position as Professor of Musculoskeletal Disorders in Primary Care at the University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. Professor Koes is one of the most published researchers in the field of back pain, ranked 2nd in the world (ISI-Web of Science, 2026). He has > 710 peer reviewed publications in PubMed. This includes publications in high-ranking journals such as NEJM, JAMA, Annals Internal Med, the Lancet and BMJ. His publications are frequently cited; > 48,000 citations (ISI-Web of Science, 2026) and he has an h-index of 108 (Web-of Science, 2026). Bart Koes co-authored clinical guidelines for the management of back pain and sciatica. He is currently the Chair of the International Executive Committee of the International Forum for Back and Neck Pain Research in Primary Care.

Noa Ben Ami
Prof PT PhD

Prof. Noa Ben Ami is Head of the Department of Physiotherapy at Ariel University, Israel, and Head of the Musculoskeletal Care and Health Sustainability Laboratory. She specializes in musculoskeletal pain, mainly low back pain. Her research is dedicated to reducing overtreatment in musculoskeletal conditions and women's health, and implementing evidence-based practice in public health systems. Prof. Ben Ami developed the Enhanced Transtheoretical Model Intervention (ETMI) for treating patients with chronic low back pain. ETMI is an evidence-based approach that shifts the focus from traditional physiotherapy to supporting patients' self-management and promoting recreational physical activity.

Rachelle Buchbinder AO
Prof MBBS(Hons), PhD

Prof. Rachelle Buchbinder combines rheumatology practice with clinical research. She is an NHMRC Investigator Fellow, Vice Chancellor's Distinguished Professor and Head, Musculoskeletal Health Unit and Wiser Health Care Group in the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University. She is known internationally as a vocal proponent of evidence-based medicine and for her landmark studies, particularly those examining treatments accepted into practice before their proper evaluation. Her 2021 book, 'Hippocrasy: how doctors are betraying their oath', written with orthopaedic surgeon Ian Harris, aims to highlight society's overreliance on medicine for a general audience.

Clermont Dionne
Prof PhD

Prof. Clermont Dionne is Professor and Chair in the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, in Québec City, Canada. He is also a senior investigator in the Laval University Hospital Research Centre. He holds a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Washington (School of Public Health, Seattle, WA). His research program, funded by FRQS, CIHR and IRSST, focuses on the epidemiology of musculoskeletal pain. Prof. Dionne is involved in many national and international committees, including the Editorial Board of the PAIN journal (IASP), in which he works as Epidemiology Section Editor. Clermont chaired the Local Organizing Committee of IBNP Forum XVI 2019.

Cesar Hincapié
Prof DC PhD

Prof. Cesar Hincapié is an epidemiologist, chiropractor, and Senior Scientist at the Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute (EBPI) of the University of Zurich, where he leads the Musculoskeletal Epidemiology Research Group. He is also Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology. His research focuses on studying the burden, etiology, prognosis, and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders and their resulting disability, and applies a clinical epidemiological perspective to the area of musculoskeletal health and care. Dr. Hincapié is the principal investigator of the SNSF and ECCRE funded SALuBRITY randomised clinical trial, assessing the comparative effectiveness of spinal manual therapy and corticosteroid nerve root injection for the management of patients with spine-related leg pain. Cesar chaired the Local Organizing Committee of IBNP Forum XIX 2025, held in Davos, Switzerland.

Jan Hartvigsen
Prof DC PhD

Prof. Jan Hartvigsen is focussed on improving care for people with musculoskeletal pain and disability by bringing together people from diverse backgrounds in productive research and clinical collaborations. He was member of the WHO Guideline Development Group for Primary Chronic Low Back Pain published in 2023. He was deputy-chair of the landmark Lancet Low Back Pain Series that was published in The Lancet in 2018. Jan Hartvigsen has been active in translating evidence into implementable clinical programs that support better self-management for people with back pain for example the GLA:D Back program and the SELFBack app. He is also co-founder and mentor in the Chiropractic Academy for Research Leadership. He has supervised 22 PhD students to completion. In 2020, Jan Hartvigsen was appointed Knight of the Order of Dannebrog by Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II for meritorious service to Denmark through science.

Steve Kamper
Prof PT PhD

Prof. Steve Kamper is a Professor of Allied Health at University of Sydney and Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Australia. He has published over 200 articles, mostly because he is friends with lots of smart and energetic people, especially PhD students. Steve does all the usual researcher things like applying for grants (sometimes successfully), supervising students, sitting on committees, speaking at conferences and sounding serious in the media. Along with research into pain generally and more specifically in young people, an increasing focus of Steve's work is in understanding how to embed research activity and translation in clinical practice. This is difficult because it means academics need to give some control, power and decision-making over to others (consumers, clinicians, health service managers).

Chris Maher
Prof PT PhD DMedSc

Prof. Chris Maher is an NHMRC Research Fellow and Professor at the University of Sydney. He has degrees in physiotherapy and exercise science, a PhD and higher doctorate (DMedSc). He is the founding Director of the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health leading a team of 115 staff and higher degree students. Chris is Chair of the Australian and New Zealand Low Back Pain Research Network and Deputy Chair of the Australian and New Zealand Musculoskeletal Clinical Trials Network. Chris has been fortunate to be able to collaborate with outstanding researchers on important back pain trials such as PACE, PRECISE, OPAL, SHaPED, WALKBACK and RESOLVE. In 2024 he received an Australia Day Honour (AM) for service to physiotherapy as a researcher, clinician and mentor, particularly in the field of pain management. He has over 1,000 publications, $112M in grant funding and 53 PhD completions.

Michiel F. Reneman
Prof PT PhD

Full Professor Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, The Netherlands. Educational Background in Physical Therapy (1988) and Movement Sciences (1992). PhD in Rehabilitation Medicine (2004). Main research topics and projects are: functional capacity evaluation, vocational rehabilitation, pain rehabilitation, Groningen Spine Cohort (2015-2028), central sensitization and physical functioning. Past President of Pain Alliance in the Netherlands (IASP chapter). Participating in Taskforces of EFIC, IASP and Cochrane Rehabilitation.

Arnold Wong
Prof PT PhD (LOC Chair, IBNP Forum 2027)

Prof. Arnold Wong is a Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and the Associate Director of the Research Institute for Smart Ageing at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Since completing his PhD at the University of Alberta in 2015, he has established an impressive research record, being ranked by Stanford University among the top 2% of the most-cited scientists in Orthopedics since 2022. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles in prestigious journals, including Lancet Rheumatology, Spine, Pain, J Orthop Sports Phys Ther, Ageing Res Rev, Sleep Med Rev, Age Ageing, and JAMA Netw Open, garnering over 7,600 citations. His research focuses on the clinical management of spinal disorders in older adults and adolescent scoliosis, earning him major international accolades such as the ISSLS Prize (2026) and SOSORT Awards (2019, 2025). Furthermore, he serves as Deputy Editor of the European Spine Journal, Treasurer of SOSORT, and a member of the ISSLS Program Committee and Education Committee.

Fadi Al Zoubi
Prof PT PhD

Prof. Fadi Al Zoubi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China. His research focuses on musculoskeletal physiotherapy, chronic musculoskeletal pain, clinical practice guideline development, implementation science, evidence-based practice, digital health, artificial intelligence-supported rehabilitation and education, and knowledge translation. He has established a strong international research profile dedicated to improving the uptake of evidence-based care among physiotherapists and other healthcare professionals through theory-informed implementation strategies, guideline adaptation, and innovative digital health solutions. He is a recognised leader in physiotherapy education. He has pioneered AI-supported and blended learning approaches that enhance clinical reasoning, evidence-based decision-making, and student engagement, including the development of AI chatbot platforms and innovative musculoskeletal case-based learning initiatives.

Sharon Tsang
Prof PT PhD

Prof. Sharon Tsang is an Associate Professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), with over two decades of clinical and academic experience. As a specialist in musculoskeletal physiotherapy and a Specialist Research Physiotherapist (Fellow) of the Australian College of Physiotherapy, her research centres on spine biomechanics, chronic spinal pain management, clinical prediction modelling, and randomized controlled trials for neck and back disorders. Sharon is widely recognized for her academic leadership, serving as Programme Coordinator for the MSc in Manipulative Physiotherapy and Programme Leader for the MSc in Advanced Physiotherapy at PolyU. Internationally, she has contributed to professional standards through her service on the Standards Committee of the International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Physical Therapists (IFOMPT). Locally, she has shaped the physiotherapy governance as a member of the Hong Kong Physiotherapists Board, an Honorary Senior Physiotherapist with the Hospital Authority, and an instructor for Physiotherapy Practice under Direct Access training programme.

Derek Yau
Prof PT PhD

Prof. Derek Yau is an Assistant Professor and the Pain Laboratory Coordinator at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. As a registered physiotherapist with a PhD from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, he has received numerous accolades, competitive research grants, and leads innovative clinical trials. He was honoured with the prestigious World Physiotherapy Congress 2025 Specialty Group Award, presented by the International Confederation of Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapists (ICCrPT) in Tokyo, for his clinical research on prehabilitation aimed at improving postoperative recovery in cardiac surgery. Additionally, he secured the competitive Early Career Scheme grant from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council for the recent cycle. This critical funding directly supports his clinical trial focused on dual-task training to manage pain and improve frailty in older adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain. His research interests encompass pain management, exercise therapy, frailty management and perioperative management. In the field of pain research, his work significantly advances non-pharmacological approaches to pain management, seamlessly bridging the gap between clinical healthcare excellence and academic research innovation.

Annie Leong
Prof PT PhD

Prof. Annie Leong is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and a member of the Research Institute for Smart Ageing. She obtained her PhD from PolyU in 2016, subsequently completing postdoctoral training at La Trobe University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her primary research investigates upper quadrant musculoskeletal conditions, with a strong focus on shoulder disorders such as rotator cuff tendinopathy. Notably, her academic portfolio bridges shoulder pathology and neck pain by analyzing the close mechanical and neurological interconnections between the cervical spine and the shoulder complex. Utilizing advanced musculoskeletal ultrasound, 3D kinematics tracking, and brain neuroimaging, she evaluates how physical kinematics and psychological factors influence chronic upper-body pain.

Yongping Zheng
Prof Ir PhD

Prof. Yongping Zheng holds a prestigious Chair Professorship in Biomedical Engineering at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, where he also serves as the Director of the Research Institute for Smart Ageing. Celebrated for pioneering radiation-free spinal assessment technology, his research bridges advanced medical ultrasound, 3D imaging, and tissue elasticity measurement to revolutionize musculoskeletal healthcare globally. His definitive technological breakthrough is Scolioscan®, the world's first 3D ultrasound imaging system designed specifically for scoliosis assessment. This landmark medical invention completely replaces harmful, repetitive X-ray radiation with safe ultrasound waves, allowing frequent, risk-free monitoring of spinal deformities in adolescent patients. His highly prolific academic career features over 290 peer-reviewed journal papers, earning him more than 15,900 citations on Google Scholar. He also holds over 50 patent families and has authored pioneering textbooks on soft tissue elasticity and muscle dynamics. His successful translation of laboratory research into commercialized spine-monitoring technology earned him the prestigious 2022 BOCHK Science and Technology Innovation Prize.

Angela Leung
Prof RN PhD

Prof. Angela Leung is Professor and Associate Head (Research) at the School of Nursing, and Associate Director of the Research Institute for Smart Ageing at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She serves as Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Health Services and Associate Director of the Research Institute for Smart Ageing. As an authority in gerontechnology and health literacy, Angela leads multidisciplinary research optimizing healthy aging and dementia caregiving. Her bibliography features extensive international publications focusing on innovative digital interventions for older adults. She spearheaded pioneering projects, including the Diabetes Risk Score app, e-painting mobile systems, and interactive companion social robots designed to alleviate stress and depressive symptoms among dementia caregivers. Recognized globally, she was honored as a Hartford Geriatric Scholar at Johns Hopkins University and named a Distinguished Gerontological Nursing Educator. Recently, her pioneering leadership in smart aging healthcare solutions won her the prestigious Smart Ageing Award 2025 Medical & Health Trailblazer.

Crystal Kwan
Prof PhD

Prof. Crystal Kwan is an Associate Professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Holding a PhD in Social Work from the University of Calgary, she is a registered social worker with an international background in grassroots community organizing, elder poverty, and homelessness.

This extensive foundation directly drives her qualitative research into how chronic low back pain and lumbar spinal stenosis impact older adults' daily lives, frequently leading to functional disability, social isolation, and depressive symptoms. Utilizing in-depth life history interviews, Crystal co-evaluates innovative mind-body interventions, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy combined with targeted exercise. This clinical approach effectively helps aging populations build psychological resilience, manage chronic spinal pain, and remain socially active within their communities. Recognizing her profound research contributions, PolyU named her the Thetos Foundation Young Scholar in Social Services (2025–2029) to fund her upcoming community projects.

Jason Cheung
Prof MMedSc, MS, PDipMDPath, MD, MEd, FHKAM(orth), FRCSEd(orth), FHKCOS

Prof. Jason Cheung is the Chair of HKUMed's Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, is an internationally celebrated pioneer in spinal medicine. ScholarGPS officially ranks him as the number one worldwide expert in Scoliosis, backed by over 8,700 academic citations and a H-index of 48. His breakthrough clinical research highlights include discovering scoliosis-linked SLC6A9 gene mutations, co-developing the AI-driven AlignPro monitoring app, and launching robot-assisted spine surgery within Hong Kong public healthcare. Furthermore, his landmark randomized clinical trials on brace-weaning protocols earned the prestigious 2024 Global Spine Congress Best Paper Award. To continuously fuel these innovations, Jason secures highly competitive grant funding from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council, the Research Impact Fund, and the Health and Medical Research Fund. His vast external recognition features a Geneva Inventions Gold Medal, the elite Li Shu Fan Medical Foundation Professorship, and his executive appointment as the incoming AO Spine Asia Pacific Chairman.

Regina Sit
Prof MD, FRACGP, FHKCFP, FHKAM (Family Medicine), DCH (HK) (HKCPaed), PgDipPD (Cardiff), PdipCommunityGeriatrics, Dip Med (CUHK)

Prof. Regina Sit is a leading Family Medicine Specialist and Clinical Associate Professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is globally recognized for bridging the gap between specialized pain clinics and community primary care to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. As a certified Interventional Pain Sonologist, Regina uniquely integrates point-of-care ultrasound diagnostics into family medicine. Her international standing is highlighted by her appointment as a Lancet Commissioner on Osteoarthritis. Additionally, she serves as Project Director for the CUHK-Jockey Club Pain Relief Project for Seniors, pioneering community-level, multidisciplinary interventions for chronic multi-site pain. Regina's high-impact research on low back pain, knee osteoarthritis, and regenerative medicine is extensively published in top-tier medical journals like the Annals of Family Medicine. Her work heavily influences global health strategies, championing non-pharmacological coping mechanisms and early lifestyle interventions to prevent debilitating disability in aging populations.

Diego Rothschild
DC MSc DIANM

Diego is a Doctor of Chiropractic based in Hong Kong, with postgraduate training in clinical orthopedics and neuromusculoskeletal medicine. As the co-founder of a leading chiropractic clinic, he actively advances conservative spine care therapies across East Asia. Diego graduated from the prestigious Franco-European Chiropractic Institute in Paris before earning a Postdoctoral Diplomate in Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine (DIANM) from the University of Bridgeport in 2023. To further his research in spinal care and clinical biomechanics, he completed an MSc in Sports Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. There, he conducted a Delphi study to develop a new lumbar spinal stenosis questionnaire, which is planned for global validation. Deeply committed to healthcare education, Diego served as the Chairman of Continuing Professional Development for the Hong Kong Chiropractic College Foundation from 2018 to 2024. He also serves as a Board Member and Fellow of the International Academy of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine, actively working to elevate global clinical standards.

Jeremy R Chang

Dr. Jeremy R Chang is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, The University of Sydney. His research focuses on low back pain, with interests in psychosocial factors, clinical trials, evidence synthesis, and the application of artificial intelligence to musculoskeletal healthcare. He completed his PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2025 and received the Faculty Distinguished Thesis Award. His research has been published in leading journals including PAIN, The Journal of Pain, Sleep Medicine Reviews, and JAMA Network Open. His work has also been recognised through several awards, including third place in the IASP PMM SIG Best Publication Award and the Best Quantitative Publication Pitch from Wiser Healthcare. Before entering academia, Jeremy worked as a physiotherapist in hospital and elite-sport settings. His current research aims to improve the assessment, management, and delivery of high-value care for people with low back pain.