Impact to Recovery: Concussion in Sport Virtual Conference

Welcome to the Impact to Recovery: Concussion in Sport Virtual Conference Presented By HEADCHECK Health!

Join us online for a day filled with insightful sessions and informative topics on concussion in sport!

Our conference brings together experts in the field of athletic therapy, physiotherapy and orthopedics to share their knowledge and experience.

Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out in the industry, there's something for everyone at this event.

Don't miss this chance to learn from the best and connect with like-minded individuals. Register now and take your skills to the next level!

The Conference will run from 10:00 am - 1:45 pm EST

Conference Pricing (Untill Nov 14th)

• Student: $30.00
• Professional Member: $39.99

Conference Pricing (After Nov 15th)

• Student: $35.00
• Professional Member: $49.99

Agenda (All Times EST)

• 10:00 am - 10:30 am - Speaker 1: Melissa Biscardi - A Look Inside: Eye Movements in Concussion Assessment and Rehab
• 10:30 am - 11:00 am - Speaker 2: Dr. Bob McCormack - Concussions in Sport, What You Need to Know & What Is New
• 11:00 am - 11:30 am - Speaker 3: Kosta Ikonomou - Beyond the 7-10 Days, When Concussion Symptoms Persist
• 11:30 am - Noon: Speaker 4: Dr. Johna Register-Mihalik - Innovations and Iterations in Concussion Rehabilitation
• Noon - 12:15 pm - Break
• 12:15 pm - 12:45 pm - Speaker 5: Sonia Vovan - The Dizzy Brain: Vestibular Considerations Post-Concussion
• 12 45 pm - 1:15 pm - Speaker 6: Dr. Katie Mitchell - Topic: (Re)Integrate: Multimodal progressions for return to sport and physical activity following concussion
• 1:15pm - 1:45 pm - Speaker 7: Harrison Brown - Topic: Concussions in Context: What Every AT Should Know from the Data

Speaker Bios

Melissa Biscardi

• Melissa Biscardi, is an Osteopathic Practitioner and Registered Nurse whose clinical practice and research focuses on concussion rehabilitation and healthy brain aging. A lifelong learner, she is a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, on the last lap to completion. She is also the creator of the Brain Tool Kit mobile app. An easy to use app for clinicians and patients to help with oculomotor, vestibular and integrative concussion rehabilitation. After having her own brain scare in 2013, Melissa became committed to helping those with invisible injury reclaim their lives. With a background that bridges manual therapy, neuroscience, and rehabilitation, Melissa brings a unique perspective to concussion recovery—one that integrates hands-on treatment with cutting-edge evidence. She has published several research articles, 3 book chapters and often appears on podcasts, sharing her passion for brain health and education in a fun and playful way.
• Her published work explores sex-based differences, visual-vestibular disturbances, and the role of early intervention in post-concussion outcomes. She leads workshops across North America, training clinicians to better understand the role of exercise, manual therapy and movement in persistent symptoms, and how to integrate osteopathic and neuro-rehabilitative techniques effectively. Whether working with patients or teaching clinicians, Melissa helps others see concussion through a more holistic, neurologically-informed lens—one that empowers better outcomes, faster recovery, and a deeper understanding of how the brain and body heal.
• Melissa is on a mission to elevate concussion care by using a holistic and evidenced based approach helping both patients and healthcare providers bridge the gap between research and real-world recovery. Most importantly, Melissa is a big sister and mom to a 3-legged cat. When not seeing patients in the clinic or digging into the latest discoveries in the research office, she can be found hiking to great elevations, where she enjoys gaining perspective.
• To find out more about Melissa, visit: https://concussionrehab.ca/

Dr. Bob McCormack

• Dr. McCormack is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Orthopaedics at the University of British Columbia. The focus of his clinical practice has been on knee and shoulder injuries with subspecialty interest, and research activities, in the area of articular cartilage regeneration and ligament reconstruction. His research has generated over 160 peer reviewed publications, and he has made over 600 invited oral presentations. He is passionate about Evidenced Based Medicine and was a founding member of three of the major multicenter Orthopaedic research groups in Canada. This led to his appointment as a Fellow of the International Orthopaedic Research (FIOR) and the ICORS
• He is active in sports medicine and cares for athletes at the university, national and professional levels. This includes the varsity athletes at two universities, in both U Sports and the NCAA. At the professional level Dr. McCormack is the head physician for the BC Lions (CFL), is an Orthopaedic Surgeon for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC (MLS) and works as a consultant for the NHL/NHLPA.
• He is a physician for several national teams, in both summer and winter sports and has been part of the medical team at numerous international multi-sport events (including twelve Olympic Games). He was the head physician for the Canadian Olympic team from 2004 to 2020.
• Leadership roles in professional sports include being a Chief Medical Officer for the Canadian Football League as well as the Canadian Premiere League. Internationally he is the medical lead for the International Federation for Curling and is on the PASO medical commission, which is responsible for health care and antidoping at the Pan Am Games.
• In 2024 he was inducted into the BC Sport Hall of Fame.

Sonia Vovan

• Sonia Vovan is a registered physiotherapist and vestibular therapist with over a decade of experience in concussion management and vestibular rehabilitation. Currently pursuing her PhD at York University (in collaboration with the KITE Research Institute), Sonia's research focuses on sex-related differences in post-concussion recovery among working-aged adults. She developed "The Dizzy Brain" course to train healthcare professionals on vestibular dysfunction after concussions and serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Toronto. In addition to her clinical work, Sonia is the Executive Secretary of the Neurosciences Division of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association and a Board Member of the Brain Injury Association of York Region.
• To find out more about Sonia, visit: https://soniavovan.com/

Kosta Ikonomou

• Kosta is a clinical specialist physiotherapist with over a decade of experience in sports medicine and concussions. He has worked in acute neuro hospitals and specialized concussion clinics, treating persistent symptoms. In sports, Kosta collaborated with Chelsea Football Club Academy, Olympic GB diving, Vancouver Bandits Basketball (CEBL), CIS rugby, and ice hockey teams.

• Beyond a Physiotherapy degree, Kosta holds a Master's in Sports Medicine from University College London, a FIFA Sports Medicine Diploma, and certifications in Vestibular Rehabilitation and visual-vestibular postgraduate training for concussion rehabilitation from Duke University. His research findings on the effects of fatigue on the vestibular oculomotor screen was presented at BASEM in Leeds in 2018 and the 2023 Concussion Consensus statement in Amsterdam.
• To To find out more about Kosta, visit: https://education.akesosportsmed.com

Dr. Johna Register-Mihalik

• Dr. Johna Register-Mihalik is a Professor and an Associate Department Chair in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also a founding and core faculty member in the Matthew Gfeller Center and serves as the Co-Director of the STAR Heel Performance Laboratory and Traumatic Division Director for the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research. She is also a core faculty member at the Injury Prevention Research Center. Her primary research work is based in her clinical background as an Athletic Trainer and centers on novel behavioral and clinical interventions to prevent and manage concussions across the lifespan including early and active rehabilitation. She has received funding from the DOD, CDC, NCAA, and several foundations in this area of work. She is a fellow of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and the American College of Sports Medicine. She lives in Durham, NC with her husband Jason, and her two children, John and Jenna.

Dr. Katie Mitchell

• Dr. Katie Mitchell is a clinician-scientist and educator, Certified Athletic Therapist and Registered Physiotherapist, with expertise in concussion, sport injury risk prevention, motor control and learning. Currently, she is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Centre for Sport-Related Concussion Research, Innovation, and Knowledge at the University of Toronto. With over a decade of experience in clinical care and sport, Katie translates her research through the CNS-Education platform for practitioners focused on advancing rehab and injury prevention. In addition, she is a member of the Concussion in Para Sport (CIPS) group and is the dedicated therapist for Team Canada Women’s Para Ice Hockey program.
• To To find out more about Katie, visit: https://thriveneurosport.ca/ & https://cnsed.learnworlds.com/

Harrison Brown

• Harrison Brown is the co-founder and CEO of HEADCHECK Health, a company on a mission to stop concussion mismanagement before it happens. His graduate research at the University of British Columbia focused on how concussions are identified and managed, work that ultimately led to the creation of HEADCHECK. Today, HEADHCECK is the digital foundation for everyone from professional leagues like MLS and CFL to grassroots youth sports associations. The platform puts their concussion policies into action, making it easier for frontline staff to do their jobs and giving administrators real-time visibility into adherence. The result: safer athletes and organizations protected from preventable risk.

Conference Sponsors

Presenting Sponsor

HEADCHECK Health

https://www.headcheckhealth.com

Silver Sponsors

Ontario College of Health and Technology

https://ocht.ca/

Bronze Sponsors

OnField Therapy

https://onfieldtherapy.ca/

FAQ

Will the presentation be recorded?

• Yes, the presentation will be recorded and avaliable to participants after the event.

Can I claim CEUs for this

• Yes, we are going through the CATA approved providers program. The conference will be worth 1.4 CEUs
• For other health care providers, we are looking into the continuing education requirements.

Additional Questions?

Send us an Email! athletictrainingnetwork@gmail.com