The ResearchWorks Podcast

It's our final episode of our AACPDM 2026 series!

All recorded live from the USA - it's been our great privilege to be a part of this year's AACPDM conference. There is much to be proud of and so much to look forward to - and Dayna takes the time to summarise our series of interviews this year.

Our regular long-form interviews will re-commence soon! The ResearchWorks team are taking a well earned break for a few weeks, mainly to get over the jet-lag but we're keen to finish the year strongly with another stellar line-up of interviews with researchers from across the globe.

Thank you for joining us this week and a huge shout out to all the fine folk who came by the booth and said hello - we love hearing the stories of how the pod has been able to have an impact in so many different countries and cities.

We also love hearing how research has transformed clinical practice and we're proud to play our part in making this happen.

The video-casts from the conference will be uploaded to our YouTube channel soon - due to the bandwidth required, the videocasts will be released over the coming weeks.

NB. Moderate post processing was applied to this episodes recording due to higher than usual ambient noise.

Home & Community Walking Activity: Power Training with Interval Treadmill Training (PT3) and Short-Burst Interval Treadmill Training in Cerebral Palsy: Parent Reported Outcomes

Mirror Movement and Neuroplastic Re-organization of Motor Cortical Lateralization in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy.

NB. Moderate post processing was applied to this recording due to the higher than usual ambient noise in the conference hall.

Differences in Bone Mineral Density Response to Bisphosphonate Treatment by Stage in Puberty in Children with Cerebral Palsy

Characteristics and epidemiology of children and adults with cerebral palsy in Latin America.

Frame Running Training For Youth with Cerebral Palsy and Similar Neurodisabilities: A Multicentre Randomized, Waitlist Controlled Trial of Fitness, Fatigue and Mobility Outcomes.

Gayle G. Arnold Award Finalist

NB. Moderate noise reduction and post processing was used due to ambient noise in the corridor next to the podcast booth.

Back to the Future: Celebrating 80 Years of Science at AACPDM and Envisioning an Even Brighter Future

Diane is a recently retired tenured Senior Investigator at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She is internationally recognized for her research which focuses muscle strengthening and on the design of device-augmented interventions to promote activity, mobility and neuroplasticity in infants and children with cerebral palsy, including a pediatric strengthening exoskeleton and a smart harness to promote infant mobility.

Diane pioneered the use of mobile brain imaging technologies to evaluate cortical activity during functional motor tasks and for neurofeedback training. She has over 175 peer-reviewed publications and was an Associate Editor of Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair.

Diane is a Past President of the Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis Society and the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM) - the first physical therapist to serve in that role.

She is a co-founder of the International Alliance of the Academies of Childhood Disabilities, an international effort to support the scientific education of multidisciplinary health professionals caring for children with CP and their families. She has received multiple awards, including the 2024 Mentorship award from the AACPDM and the 2025 Lifetime Achievement award from the Cerebral Palsy Foundation

Dr Adam Kirton: From thought to function with non-invasive brain computer interface.

What are the possibilities of turning a thought into something that is actionable? For children with CP that have significant motor impairments, access to the environment can be incredibly challenging.

Dr Kirton came onto the pod to talk about his education session and free paper titled "Achievement of Personalized, Previously Impossible Goals by Children with Severe Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy Using Brain-Computer Interface."

Join us as we explore this novel intervention, understand how it works and what the possibilities are right now.

Prof Iona Novak: The latest in the early intervention traffic lights

There has been an explosion of research over the past decade - what a wonderful time to be in the field!

Prof Novak came on the pod to talk about her presentation titled "Closing the Evidence–Practice Gap: State-of-the-Art Knowledge Translation to Transform Early Intervention Training"

What has changed since the last traffic light publications and what do we now know?

Tune in to hear this year's Lifetime Achievement Award winner for AACPDM 2026!

Dr Nicole Enlow: Mental health diagnoses in youth with CP

An important conversation and topic that needs much needed research. Dr Enlow joins us on the pod to talk about. her paper "Understanding Mental Health Diagnosis Rates and Referral Practices for Youth With Cerebral Palsy."

This conversation highlights an area of emerging research on a critical topic that is of high importance for our young people with cerebral palsy.

Dr Laura Prosser and Dr Ellen Sutter: Dynamic Body Weight Support

The availability of innovative technologies truly makes this such an exciting time for our practice and research. Dynamic body weight support provides the opportunity for ON time mobility and communication and the evidence is truly exciting.

Dr Prosser and Dr Sutter joined us on the pod to talk about their education session titled "Supporting Mobility and Development: Evidence-Based Use of Body-Weight Support Harness Systems in Children with Motor Impairments."

Be sure to tune in as they share new research data and the exciting developments in our field.

Dr David Frumberg - Gynecologic preventive care in women with CP.

Do women with cerebral palsy receive preventative gynecologic care?

In short - they receive substantially less! The bottom line here is that barriers to preventative care for women with cerebral palsy needs to be better understood and that vital steps are taken to eliminate this disparity.

Asst Prof Eric Chin: Interference pain in adults with CP

As an award finalist for 3 different categories (Promising Career Award Finalist; Southern Family Cerebral Palsy Center Best Adult Paper Award Finalist; Complex Care Early Career Award Finalist), this work is clearly important for the field.

Dr Chin joins us to discuss his paper titled "Multidimensional Impacts of Chronic Pain and Associated Risk Factors in Self- reporting Adults with Cerebral Palsy: A Community Registry Study."

It is fantastic to see the work that is being done now in adults with CP.

NB. Post processing was applied to this episode due to medium levels of ambient noise.

Dr Hank Chambers: Mentorship Award and reflecting on the evolution of AACPDM

The role of mentors can not be overstated - this is how we learn, sharpen our skills and become better at what we do for the sake of the young people that we have the privilege of working with.

Dr Chambers was awarded the Mentorship Award at AACPDM and for good reason. His long history of advocacy and well as his investment into AACPDM and into the careers of many clinicians and research is a testament to his generosity and outstanding career.

Dr Bhooma R. Aravamuthan: Characteristics of People with Cerebral Palsy Across the United States

Southern Family Cerebral Palsy Center Best Adult Paper Award Finalist.

Recorded LIVE at AACPDM 2026 Philadelphia

Dr Jason Howard and Dr Christina Herrero: Orthopedic Aspects of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

highlight the changing paradigm of orthopedic treatments for musculoskeletal manifestations associated with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), considering the impact of newer therapies.

Recorded LIVE at AACPDM 2026 Philadelphia

Dr Julie Feuerstein and Dr Jennifer Tucker: Play can't wait - ON Time Mobility and Communication

Recorded LIVE at AACPDM 2026 Philadelphia

Dr Cristina Sarmiento: The Lived Experience of Primary and Preventive Care for Adults with Cerebral Palsy

Gayle G. Arnold Award Finalist;

Promising Career Award Finalist;

Southern Family Cerebral Palsy Center Best Adult Paper Award Finalist

Recorded LIVE at AACPDM 2026 Philadelphia

NB. Aggressive levels of noise reduction was applied to this recording due to ambient noise outside of our control.

Susan Duff and Dr Chet Moritz: Can Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation Benefit Children with CP or SCI?

What is the current state of the evidence for transcutaneous spincal cord stimulation? Who can it be used for? What is currently approved for use and what are some of the outcomes reported?

If you're asking these questions - then this episode is for you!

Recorded LIVE at AACPDM 2026 Philadelphia

Meaghan Rubsam: What makes physical therapy intensive?

How do we define "intensive" therapy? What makes therapy intensive? Is it just about the time that is spent in therapy?

Short answer - no. Time is part of it but there is so much more to consider!

Meaghan Rubsam joined us on the pod at AACPDM to talk us through this topic. A great exploration of the concept of "intensive" or episodic care. Be sure to tune in!

Recorded LIVE at AACPDM 2026 Philadelphia