Keeping Strong, Keeping Active: What's New in Cerebral Palsy Research

 This free to attend seminar is hosted by The Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London and will bring you up to date with what is new in the field of cerebral palsy (CP) research from a number of international and national speakers alongside perspectives from people with CP. 

The morning session will cover topics such as the experience of ageing with cerebral palsy, muscle change across the life span, muscle activity patterns in health and disease and the effect of stretch on muscle tendon units. 

The lunchtime session will also provide an opportunity for a number of interactive activities for those who wish to try!

The afternoon session is focused on sharing the research findings and the ‘insider perspectives’ from the STAR (Strength Training for Adolescents with cerebral palsy) multi centre randomised control trial.

You can sign up for one, two or all the sessions.

For any queries, please contact Dr Grace Lavelle on 01895 628275, grace.lavelle@brunel.ac.uk or Anna Liddle at anna.liddle@brunel.ac.uk

Programme

Morning session

10:00am        Welcome

                      Prof Christina Victor, Vice-Dean Research, College of Health and Life Sciences and

                      Theme Lead – Ageing Studies, Brunel University London

10:05am        Mini symposium: the experience of ageing with cerebral palsy

                      Dr Jennifer Ryan, Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy, Brunel University London & Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland;

                      Emily Livingston, Speech and Language Therapist and Service User, and Academic Researcher,

                     University of Surrey

 11:00am        Muscles changes in the people with CP across the lifespan

                       Dr Adam Shortland, Consultant Clinical Scientist, Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust & King’s College London

11.30am        Coffee/tea

12.00pm        Does stretching alter muscle-tendon unit mechanics in children with spastic cerebral palsy?

                      Dr Nicola Theis, Senior Lecturer in Sport & Exercise, University of Gloucester

12:30pm        Daily muscle activity patterns in health and disease

                      Prof Taija Finni, Professor of Kinesiology, University of Jyvästylä, Finland

Lunchtime session

1:15pm          Lunch with Tom’s Frogs Bikes and Adam’s interactive gaming station

Afternoon session

2:15pm          Findings from the STAR trial: the inside perspective from people with CP, clinicians and researchers

                      Dr Grace Lavelle, Post-doctoral Research Fellow and Physiotherapist, Brunel University London;

                      Dr Marika Noorkoiv, Post-doctoral Research Fellow and Physiotherapist, Brunel University London;

                      Ms Wendy Levin, Specialist paediatric physiotherapist, Swiss Cottage;   

                     School Development & Research Centre and Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust;

                     Participants from the STAR trial.

 4.00pm       End of seminar