KBIF to Host DTI Workshop at BSPRM Annual Scientific Conference in Edinburgh
The Kent Brain Injury Forum (KBIF) is pleased to be contributing to the 2026 Annual Scientific Conference of the British Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (BSPRM), taking place in Edinburgh from 29-30 September 2026, with pre-conference workshops being held on 28 September at Murrayfield Stadium.
As part of the pre-conference programme, KBIF will host Workshop 6: Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in Research, Clinical and Medico-Legal Practice on Monday 28 September, from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm.
The workshop will bring together expertise from neurorehabilitation, research and medico-legal practice to explore the emerging role of Diffusion Tensor Imaging in understanding and assessing traumatic brain injury.
Exploring the emerging role of Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Traditional structural MRI can provide important information about visible changes to brain structure following injury. However, traumatic brain injury can also result in more subtle changes that may not be readily apparent on conventional imaging.
Diffusion Tensor Imaging is an advanced MRI-based technique that provides information about the movement of water molecules within brain tissue and can be used to investigate the organisation and integrity of white matter pathways.
The workshop will explore the potential role, applications and limitations of DTI in traumatic brain injury, considering how emerging neuroimaging techniques may contribute to research, clinical assessment and medico-legal analysis.
A multidisciplinary approach to DTI and traumatic brain injury
The workshop will be led by Dr Mohamed Sakel, Chair of the Kent Brain Injury Forum, who will be joined by Professor Karen Saunders, Pankaj Madan and Warren Collins.
Dr Gabriel Gaciu from Active Neuro will coordinate the workshop.
Dr Sakel is a Consultant Physician in Rehabilitation Medicine and an experienced clinician and researcher in neurorehabilitation and acquired brain injury. He has a particular interest in traumatic brain injury and rehabilitation and has contributed to research exploring the experiences and needs of people with severe TBI as they transition from inpatient rehabilitation into the community.
Professor Karen Saunders is a specialist neurological physiotherapist, consultant research fellow and doctoral researcher whose work has focused extensively on traumatic brain injury, neurorehabilitation, co-production and long-term outcomes following brain injury. Her research includes work exploring the experiences and needs of people living with moderate to severe TBI in the community.
The workshop will also bring an important legal perspective through Pankaj Madan and Warren Collins. Mr Madan is a barrister specialising in personal injury and catastrophic injury litigation, with particular expertise in brain injury cases. His work includes consideration of developments in neurodiagnostics and their potential implications for brain injury litigation.
Warren Collins is a solicitor advocate specialising exclusively in catastrophic injury litigation, with a particular interest in brain injury. He has extensive experience working at the intersection of complex brain injury, rehabilitation and the legal process.
Bringing these different perspectives together reflects the increasingly multidisciplinary nature of brain injury assessment and rehabilitation. It also provides an opportunity to consider DTI not only from a clinical and research perspective, but in the context of medico-legal practice.
About the BSPRM Annual Scientific Conference
The British Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (BSPRM) Annual Scientific Conference is a major meeting for professionals working across physical and rehabilitation medicine. The 2026 conference will take place in Edinburgh on 29–30 September, with the pre-conference workshops taking place on 28 September.
The conference provides an opportunity for clinicians, researchers and other professionals involved in rehabilitation to share research, clinical experience and developments in the field.
The 2026 programme will also include international perspectives, with the BSPRM announcing that Professor Fary Khan, President of the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM), and Professor Levent Özçakar, President-Elect of ISPRM, will participate in the Edinburgh meeting.
For KBIF, participation in the conference represents an important opportunity to raise awareness of brain injury rehabilitation, share knowledge and encourage collaboration across professional disciplines.
Workshop: Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in Research, Clinical and Medico-Legal Practice
Date: Monday, 28 September 2026
Time: 4:30–6:00 pm
Venue: Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh