Focal Dystonia
Mark Edwards is a Professor of Neurology and Interface Disorders at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London and works clinically at the Maudsley Hospital and Kings College Hospital. He has a specialist clinical and research interest in Movement Disorders and Functional Neurological Disorder (FND).
He did his PhD with Professor John Rothwell and Professor Kailash Bhatia at the UCL Institute of Neurology, studying the pathophysiology of genetic dystonia. Following completion of neurology training he became a Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant Neurologist at UCL and the National Hospital for Neurology. Here he developed an NIHR funded research program and specialist diagnostic and treatment service for patients with FND.
After moving to St George’s in 2015 he expanded this work to develop one of the first integrated diagnostic and treatment services for FND alongside continued research work into the pathophysiology of the disorder and development and testing of novel treatments, including the first randomised trial of specialist physiotherapy for functional movement disorders.
He recently led the development of a national exemplar pathway for Functional Neurological Disorder for the National Neurology Advisory Group on behalf of NHS England. He was appointed to his new post at Kings in September 2022. He has published over 300 peer reviewed publications and is author of the Oxford Specialist Handbook of Parkinson’s Disease and Other Movement Disorders.
He is President of the Association of British Neurology Movement Disorders Group, International Executive Committee member of the International Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Society, Board Member of the Functional Neurological Disorder Society, Associate Editor of the European Journal of Neurology, and medical advisor for FNDHope, the UK Dystonia Society and the British Association of Performing Arts Medicine.
Bronwen Ackermann
Associate Professor Bronwen Ackermann is a specialist musicians’ physiotherapist, musculoskeletal anatomist and musicians’ health researcher at the University of Sydney. Her interest in performing arts health grew as a result of working with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra since 1995, going on to work on improving occupational health as well as developing best-practice injury prevention and management strategies with all the major Australian Orchestras, as well as the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
She received a Churchill fellowship in 2002 allowing her begin what is now 20 years of collaboration with international colleagues involved in both research and clinical work in the field of music medicine.
She completed her PhD in 2003 looking at physiotherapy mangement of performance-related musculoskeletal injuries in violinists, and joined academia in 2006, where she has lectured in physiotherapy and functional musculoskeletal anatomy.
She continues to conduct research into musicians’ health focussing on performance-related injury prevention, performance-related injury assessment and management, optimising performance through enhancing physical and pscyhological well-being, and understanding the anatomical, physiological and biomechanical mechanisms underpinning musical performance.
Her latest project is supported by an Alexander von Humboldt Experienced Researcher Fellowship, working with neurologist Prof.Dr Med. Eckart Altenmüller in Hannover, Germany, on a retraining program for musicians with focal dystonia affecting the embouchure and the hand.
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BAPAM’s expert-led training events are ideal for healthcare and education practitioners working in the performing arts who wish to deepen their understanding and enhance their skills. We explore research, evidence and practice to treat and prevent common and complex health problems specific to artists, creators and performance professionals. We share knowledge and invite discussion on key topics in current performing arts medicine practice. Our approach is multidisciplinary: physiological and psychological care for healthy and sustainable creative practice.
Online sessions are held on the last Wednesday of the month from 7pm BST. Most sessions are recorded for ticket holders who cannot attend on the day (please check the event description).