Leading Change: Redefining Physiotherapy by Growing the Next Generation of Innovators

Learning objectives

1. Recognise how sustainable innovation in physiotherapy depends on developing early-career leadership capacity
2. Understand how young clinicians can contribute meaningfully to research, quality improvement, and service redesign regardless of seniority
3. Gain confidence to initiate evidence-informed improvements within clinical practice and healthcare systems.

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Symposium Convenor: Associate Professor Shamala Thilarajah, Senior Principal Physiotherapist, Singapore General Hospital

Biography:  A/Prof Shamala Thilarajah trained as a physiotherapist specialising in neurological rehabilitation in Sydney and London before returning home to Singapore in 2012. She has worked across acute to community sectors over the 20 years of clinical experience. At present, A/Prof Thilarajah leads several stroke improvements projects at an institutional and health cluster level. She also holds a part-time position with Ministry of Health Chief Allied Health Officer’s Office as one of the leads for the Community Rehabilitation Transformation Workgroup. In 2020, A/Prof Thilarajah was one of the 2 Singaporeans who were selected as a World Stroke Organisation Future Leader. She is a passionate advocate for people with stroke and other disabilities and believes in equal access to social participation for people with disabilities. She served as the elected President of the Singapore National Stroke Association from 2021-2025 and remains as an Executive Committee Member.

Speaker: Ms Khaw Xin Yue, Senior Physiotherapist, Tan Tock Seng Hospital

Title: Moving Together: The Power of Group Therapy in Rehabilitation

Biography: Xin Yue is a senior neurological physiotherapist who graduated from University College London with a Master's degree in Advanced Physiotherapy (Neuro-physiotherapy) in 2023. She has accumulated over 10 years of clinical experience in acute and subacute neurological rehabilitation settings. Her clinical interests include spinal cord injury management, stroke rehabilitation, brain injury management and post-surgical care. Currently, Xin Yue represents the physiotherapist in the spinal cord injury multidisciplinary team and leads the implementation of group therapy programmes in acute and subacute neurological wards. She also co-leads the development of cardiovascular training protocols for stroke patients in collaboration with other institutions. She actively represents physiotherapy in multidisciplinary teams for Enhanced Recovery After Surgery programmes with National Neuroscience Institute. Beyond clinical practice, Xin Yue is committed to advancing the profession through research, conference presentations, and mentoring physiotherapy residents in neurological rehabilitation.

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Speaker: Ms Clarissa Eng, Senior Physiotherapist, Sengkang General Hospital

Title: Making it work: Practical Insights from Stroke Rehabilitation Research

Biography: Clarissa is a Senior Physiotherapist at Sengkang General Hospital, specializing in Neurorehabilitation. She completed her MSc in Neurorehabilitation with Distinction at Plymouth University in 2023 and did her dissertation looking at Factors predicting return to work after a posterior circulation stroke.

She is currently the Team Lead for the Inpatient Rehabilitation team at SKH. She has done research in areas of post-stroke Return to Work (RTW) and is currently actively participating in research involving High Intensity Training in stroke patients, as well as the use of functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) in post-stroke rehabilitation.

Speaker: Ms. Woon Ee Lin, Senior Physiotherapist, Singapore General Hospital

Title: Development of interpretational thresholds for the five-times sit-to-stand test: linking performance to functional status

Biography: Ee Lin is a Senior Physiotherapist at Singapore General Hospital. She has over 9 years of experience as a physiotherapist with an interest in the management of musculoskeletal conditions. She plays an active role in several telerehabilitation research projects and has been an advocate of using of technology to improve healthcare accessibility and streamline processes, ultimately reducing dependence on healthcare manpower.

Speaker: Mr Benedict Ho Chung Yin, Principal Physiotherapist, Home Nursing Foundation (Home Therapy)

Title: Designing Better Rehab: Physiotherapists Leading interRAI-Informed, Team-Based Quality Improvement

Biography: Mr Benedict Ho is a physiotherapist trained in Melbourne, with broad clinical experience across aged care, transitional care, community rehabilitation, home rehabilitation, and private practice. A significant portion of his early career was spent in community rehabilitation, working within transdisciplinary teams to deliver patient-centred care in South-eastern Melbourne. After returning to Singapore in 2017, he gained experience in acute and rehabilitation hospitals before returning to community practice through Home Therapy at Home Nursing Foundation. His clinical expertise includes neurological rehabilitation, geriatrics, community and home-based rehabilitation, and interprofessional collaboration. He is deeply committed to supporting patients in returning to meaningful activities and life roles, regardless of health conditions or impairments. In addition to clinical practice, he has a strong interest in clinical supervision, focusing on developing physiotherapists’ core competencies, professional growth, and wellbeing. He is also actively engaged in advancing the profession as a council member of the Singapore Physiotherapy Association.

Speaker: Ms Pevenpreet Kaur, Physiotherapist, Outram Community Hospital

Title: Beyond Exercise: Addressing Sleep and Fatigue in Stroke Rehabilitation

Biography: Pevenpreet is a physiotherapist at Outram Community Hospital. She graduated with a Bachelor in Physiotherapy from Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) in 2021. She has 4 years of working experience and is currently pursuing further studies at SIT in Master of Clinical Research. Her area of interest includes stroke, research and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology in community hospitals