PROGRAMME

Traumatic Brain Injury NZ Conference Programme - Wednesday 12 March 2025

Plenary Session

Chairperson: Connor Kitto

Conway Rooms 3 - 5

8.00am – 8.45am	Registration In the Level 1 Foyer, Te Pae
8.45am	Mihi Whakatau Welcome Leisa Aumua
9.00am	Keynote Speaker - Holly Kostrzewski How to succeed in college, graduate school and life with a traumatic brain injury
10.00am	Dr Ross Keenan Advanced imaging of microstructural lesions in mild traumatic brain injury Pacific Radiology

10.45am

Morning Tea

Concurrent Sessions, venue Conway Rooms 1 - 5

Times	Conway Rooms 3 - 5 Chairperson: Connor Kitto	Conway Room 2 Chairperson: Leisa Aumua	Conway Room 1 Chairperson: Pat Hopkins
11.15am – 1.00pm	Return to driving after traumatic brain injury 11.15am Margaret Boyle and Jarrod Withers Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust	The use of music therapy with traumatic brain injury clients 11.15am Kimberley Wade and Renata Kuswanto Southern Music Therapy	Way Finders – What we do, How we help 11.15am Mel Walford Way Finders
	Screening and outcomes of co-occurring traumatic brain injury among people with spinal cord injury 12.00pm Dr Debbie Snell University of Otago	Creating re-connection for people with long-term disability following traumatic brain injury 12.00pm Kirsty McDonald and Anneke Duyvestyn Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust	"Me, myself and an extension pole pruner" 12.00pm Sam Johnson
	Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for mild traumatic brain injury (ACTion mTBI): Feasibility study of effectiveness 12.30pm Dr Josh Faulkner Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington	Vocational input and return to work following a mild traumatic brain injury 12.30pm Jess Hope and Kate Gleason Proactive	Traumatic brain injury and aphasia: Prevocational and vocational rehabilitation pathways, integrating cognitive neuroscience informed through lived experience 12.30pm Garry Whittaker NSW Department of Education

1.00pm – 1.45pm

Lunch

Concurrent Sessions, venue Conway Rooms 1 - 5

Times	Conway Room 1 Chairperson: Pat Hopkins	Conway Room 2 Chairperson: Leisa Aumua	Conway Rooms 3 - 5 Chairperson: Connor Kitto
1.45pm – 3.00pm	A tale of two perspectives: From nurse to patient and innocent until proven guilty 1.45pm Sarah Raffell and Tori Dent Amend Rehab (Australia)	Creating better outcomes by removing digital interface barriers 1.45pm Chandra Harrison Access Advisor	Evidence-based interdisciplinary rehabilitation: Translating clinical practice guidelines into real world settings 1.45pm Christine Canty and Warren Cossou
	Headspace Hijiacked: A clinician's unfiltered brain injury journey 2.20pm Brendon Vercoe	An exploration of families' lived experiences of attention-related communication difficulties following traumatic brain injury 2.30pm Dr Maegan Vansolkema ABI Rehabilitation Auckland
	Lived experience in supporting a kaimahi (staff member) back to mahi (work) following a significant traumatic brain injury 2.40pm Katrina Berry Ngai Tahu Holdings

3.00pm – 3.30pm

Afternoon Tea

Concurrent Sessions, venue Conway Rooms 1 - 5

Times	Conway Rooms 1-2 Chairperson: Nicole Vercoe	Conway Rooms 3-5 Chairperson: Connor Kitto
3.30pm – 5.15pm	Neuropsychology and youth justice 3.30pm Leanne Mathews Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust	Patient-centred interdisciplinary rehabilitation 3.30pm Nikki Sainsbury, Dan and Sharlie Kennard HABIT
	"Who is this person I am tramping with and where are we going?" Neuropsychological formulation and real-life outcomes 4.00pm Dr Nic Ward and Dr Siobhan Palmer Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust
	Do less 4.45pm Bryony Matthews	Utility of a psychological screening tool early after mild traumatic brain injury 4.45pm Dr Debbie Snell Burwood Academy Trust

Traumatic Brain Injury NZ Conference Programme - Thursday 13 March 2025

Plenary Session

Chairperson: Connor Kitto

Conway Rooms 3 - 5

8.30am	Kaihautū Tika Hauātanga Disability Rights Commissioner Prudence Walker
9.00am	Keynote Speaker - Holly Kostrzewski Tramping to the top of Mt Brain Injury, reflections and lessons learned over 25 years
10.00am	Prof Julia Rucklidge Nutrition provides an essential foundation for optimizing mental health: Application to traumatic brain injury University of Canterbury

10.45am

Morning Tea

Concurrent Sessions, venue Conway Rooms 1 - 5

Times	Conway Rooms 1-2 Chairperson: Kirsty MacDonald	Conway Rooms 3-5 Chairperson: Connor Kitto
11.15am – 1.00pm	Working effectively with complex behaviours following traumatic brain injury 11.15am Leah Teschner Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust	Rugby and concussion – let's talk (Interview) 11.15am Steve Devine
	Integration of virtual reality into clinical practice (with a demo) 12.15pm Peta Murphy and Jo Nunnerley Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust, OTAGO University	Should I stay or should I go? When to make the call 11.45am Dr Stephen Kara Axis
		The risks of repeated head impacts for long term brain health 12.15pm Dr Helen Murray University of Auckland

1.00pm – 1.45pm

Lunch

Concurrent Sessions, venue Conway Rooms 1 - 5

Times	Conway Rooms 1-2 Chairperson: Kirsty MacDonald	Conway Rooms 3-5 Chairperson: Connor Kitto
1.45pm – 3.00pm	From grief to growth, Tori's story 1.45pm Neeka Aicken and Sandra Johnstone Advantage South	Instrumented Mouthguards - A new frontier: how can we use them to inform about player risk? And should parents be encouraged to monitor their child's contact loads? 1.45pm Associate Prof Melanie Bussey University of Otago, School of Physical Education Sport and Exercise Sciences
1.45pm – 3.00pm	"His moment of misfortune, my years of learnings" A personal insight into life skills coaching a young adult with traumatic brain injury 2.30pm Alan Signal Laura Fergusson Trust Wellington	Efficacy of Gamebreaker Softshell Headgear in mitigating brain injury risk: Reducing linear and rotational forces during controlled drop tests 2.30pm Annette Swale University of Canterbury

3.00pm – 3.30pm

Afternoon Tea

Plenary Session

Chairperson: Connor Kitto

Conway Rooms 3 - 5

Times	Conway Rooms 3 - 5
3.30pm	The New Zealand Rugby Foundation - How we support our players Lisa Kingi-Bon NZ Rugby Foundation Inc
3.50pm	Tinnitus and hyperacusis following traumatic brain injury Duncan Hann Dilworth Hearing
4.40pm	Early findings in the relationship between vestibular issues, noise sensitivity (hyperacusis), and psychological factors as predictors of the length of time to recover among adults with mild traumatic brain injury Rebekah Miller SPNZ (Balance Works Physiotherapy)

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