KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Carla Stecco MD PhD
Dr. Carla Stecco is a renowned Orthopedic Surgeon who serves as a Professor of Human Anatomy at the University of Padova. She is a distinguished member of various esteemed associations, including the Italian Society of Anatomy and Histology, the European Association of Clinical Anatomy, and the International Academy of Manual Musculoskeletal Medicine.
Dr. Stecco’s scientific work primarily focuses on the study of the anatomy of human fasciae. Her research delves into the macroscopic, histological, and physiopathological aspects of this connective tissue. Dr. Stecco’s extensive knowledge and expertise in this area have made her a leading authority on the subject.
With her commitment to advancing the field, Dr. Stecco has made significant contributions to the scientific community. Her work has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, and she has been invited to speak at various international conferences. Through her research, Dr. Stecco has helped to enhance our understanding of the human body’s intricate fascial network and its role in musculoskeletal health.
Keynote title: Superficial fascia alterations in lipedema
Summary: The data presented demonstrate in lipedema patients an alteration of thickness, echogenicity and texture of superficial fascia and retinacula cutis based on ultrasound imaging and histology. The immunoblotting and the collagen kit demonstrated the increase of collagen deposition in the superficial fascia, confirming the increase of rigidity of the connective tissue. Lastly, the SF showed higher levels of the inflammatory marker TNF-α factor with respect to controls. These analyses revealed a disarrangement, inflammation and fibrosis of the superficial fascia in lipedema, demonstrating its role in organizing and supporting the adipose tissue. In this way, the superficial fascia can become a good diagnostic marker for diagnosis of lipedema.
Keith Baar PhD
Keith is the head of the Functional Molecular Biology Laboratory in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior at the University of California, Davis. He is a renowned scientist in the emerging field of molecular exercise physiology and is leading a team of researchers attempting to develop ways to improve muscle, tendon, and ligament function.
The goal of his laboratory is to understand the molecular determinants of musculoskeletal development and the role of exercise in improving health and performance. To achieve this goal, he and his team work on muscle, tendon, and ligaments from 2- and 3-dimensional tissue culture, in vivo wild type and genetically modified animals, and humans.
Of particular interest are: 1) the interplay between nutrition and exercise and the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) in the maintenance of muscle mass; 2) the role of the amino acid transceptor LAT1 in the activation of protein synthesis and maintenance of muscle mass; 3) the mechanism of ER stress-induced loss of protein synthesis and how this leads to anabolic resistance in muscle; and 4) the role of growth factors and loading on the activation of the Egr-1 transcription factor and the development and mechanics of ligaments.
Keynote title: Connective Tissue Optimization: Getting Exercise and Nutrition Right
Summary: Connective tissues function to transmit and dissipate force. These tissues develop from one cell type into cells that absorb load (cartilage), cells that transfer load (tendon), and tissues that permit movement (fascia). These conversions are dependent on the load on the cells. Therefore, to get these tissues to work properly the load placed on the tissues need to be optimized. When the cells get the proper stimulus, the cells need the right building blocks to optimize their environment. This talk will discuss optimization of loading and nutrition.
Stephen Porges PhD
Stephen W. Porges, Ph.D. is Distinguished University Scientist at Indiana University where he is the founding director of the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium. He is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina, and Professor Emeritus at both the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Maryland.
He served as president of the Society for Psychophysiological Research and the Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences and is a former recipient of a National Institute of Mental Health Research Scientist Development Award. He has published more than 400 peer-reviewed papers across several disciplines including anesthesiology, biomedical engineering, critical care medicine, ergonomics, exercise physiology, gerontology, neurology, neuroscience, obstetrics, pediatrics, psychiatry, psychology, psychometrics, space medicine, and substance abuse. In 1994 he proposed the Polyvagal Theory, a theory that links the evolution of the mammalian autonomic nervous system to social behavior and emphasizes the importance of physiological state in the expression of behavioral problems and psychiatric disorders. The theory is leading to innovative treatments based on insights into the mechanisms mediating symptoms observed in several behavioral, psychiatric, and physical disorders.
He is the author of The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-regulation (Norton, 2011), The Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory: The Transformative Power of Feeling Safe, (Norton, 2017), co-editor of Clinical Applications of the Polyvagal Theory: The Emergence of Polyvagal-Informed Therapies (Norton, 2018), Polyvagal Safety: Attachment, Communication, Self-Regulation (Norton 2021), co-author of Our Polyvagal World: How Safety and Trauma Change Us (Norton, 2023), and author of Polyvagal Perspectives: Interventions, Practices, and Strategies (Norton, 2024). Dr. Porges is the creator of a music-based intervention, the Safe and Sound Protocol ™ (SSP), which is used by therapists to improve social engagement, language processing, and state regulation, as well as to reduce hearing sensitivities. He is a co-founder and ​Ex Officio Board Member of Polyvagal Institute.
Keynote Title: Fascia, Autonomic Regulation, and the Pathways of Connection: A Polyvagal Perspective
​
Summary: This talk will examine the multifaceted role of fascia as both a structural and regulatory system that interacts with the autonomic nervous system to shape our capacity for connection and collaboration. Drawing on Polyvagal Theory, it explores how fascia contributes to the integration of sensory, mechanical, and autonomic processes, fostering states of safety and social engagement. This perspective highlights the importance of connection—within the body and between individuals—as a foundation for building resilient communities and advancing collaborative healing practices.
Antonio Stecco MD PhD
Dr. Antonio Stecco is a world-class authority on soft tissue, and especially the fascial system. Dr. Stecco is a graduate in Medicine and Surgery, and specialized in Physics Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Padua, Italy. His areas of prevalent scientific and clinical interest are anatomy of the fascia corporis via dissections and histological studies, including immunohistochemical and molecular biology; study and clinical application of hyaluronic acid; and myofascial syndrome. Following the techniques developed by his father, Luigi Stecco, PT, Dr. Stecco collaborated with his sister, Carla Stecco, MD and authored Fascial Manipulation for Musculoskeletal Pain (Piccin, 2004). It attracted worldwide attention from myofascial therapists to bodywork instructors. The authors based their model of therapeutic technique on thousands of hours of anatomical cadaver research. Since 2008, Dr. Stecco has been on the Scientific Committee of the Fascial Manipulation Association, which brings together researchers interested in studying diseases of the fascia and myofascial origin. He is the author of more then twelve articles published in international journals and co-author of three books.
​
Presentation title: The biomechanics of the fascial system
Summary: Fascial biomechanics is influenced by its composite structure formed by fibrous layers and loose connective tissue. Fascia shows a strong anisotropic behavior in accordance with principal collagen fibers directions, which characterize the composite structure, as well as viscoelastic properties that explain its ability to be modified in short term.
Neil Theise MD
Neil Theise, MD is a diagnostic liver pathologist, adult stem cell researcher, and complexity theorist in New York City, where he is Professor of Pathology and of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and attending physician at the Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center. He received his BA in Oriental Studies (Judaica/Hebraica) and a BAS in Computer Science from University of Pennsylvania before earning his MD from Columbia University.
Dr. Theise’s research revised understandings of human liver microanatomy which, in turn, led directly to identification of possible liver stem cell niches. This work, in turn, led to pioneering research into adult stem cell plasticity with publications on that topic in Science, Nature, and Cell. These remain active areas of scientific and clinical investigation.
Stirring complexity theory into this mix, he has extended his work to areas of theoretical biology and more fundamental questions regarding the underlying structure of the universe. In terms of biology, these ideas suggest that alternate models of the body, other than classical (‘Western’) cell doctrine, may be necessary to understand non-Western approaches to the body and health. Moreover, he models the universe as a holarchy of self-organizing complex systems from the quantum vacuum on up through all levels of scale: a view that points to consciousness as the fundamental ground of being of existence and a panpsychist perspective. His work with physicist Menas Kafatos points to three fundamental principles underlying the self-organizing universe: complementarity, sentience (or ‘creative interactivity’), and recursion, evident in different forms at every level of scale. These features map directly to insights regarding the nature of reality from contemplative practices and philosophical inquiry from diverse cultures and spiritual perspectives.
Dr. Theise is also a senior student of Zen Buddhism at the Village Zendo, New York City, under the guidance of Roshi Enkyo O’hara.
​
Presentation Title: The Fascial System and Its Interstitium
Summary: The newly classified "fascial system" is defined as a "layered body-wide multiscale network of connective tissue." The alternating layers are either collagen-rich and stiff or hyaluronic acid (HA)-rich and fluid. The HA domains are defined as the "fascial interstitium." It is in continuity with all other interstitial spaces of all scales. The biomechanical differences between these layers and their relationships in different sites confer their site-specific capacities for "tensional loading" and "shearing mobility." Also, these layers form a communication network with electromagnetic, biomechanical, small and large biomolecular, and cellular signaling that spans all body regions.
Helene Langevin MD PhD
​Keynote Title*: Taking fascia research to the next level
Summary: Although significant progress has been made in the field of fascia research in the last few decades, significant gaps remain in integrating the growing knowledge about fascia into mainstream biomedical science. This talk will outline three major initiatives led by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health that aim to fill these gaps: 1) developing imaging and other quantitative biomarkers relevant to myofascial pain; 2) understanding peripheral tissue and nervous system mechanisms of manual therapies; 3) building a combined spatial map and ontological framework for the fascia network. These synergistic initiatives will create opportunities for linking fascia to a number of key scientific fields.
​
*This Keynote will be prerecorded and shown during the Congress
Robert Schleip PhD
Keynote Title: TBA
Summary: TBA
Gil Hedley PhD
Since 1995, Gil Hedley, Ph.D., has been teaching “integral anatomy” in the dissection laboratory, via keynotes and speaking tours, online via his extensive website and membership portal, and via social media. He is the producer of The Integral Anatomy Series, the Anatomy from A to Z Project, and The Nerve Project, as well as being the author of several books. He is based at the Institute for Anatomical Research in Colorado Springs, CO, where he teaches, films, and serves as Board President.
​
Keynote Title: The Vagus Nerve in Context
Summary: It's one thing to have a mental notion of the vagus nerve, it's another thing to "track it in the wild." In this presentation Gil will demonstrate with laboratory imagery the source and branchings of the vagus nerve in context and in relationship to the surrounding tissues. As a result, you will be enabled to create a more meaningful relationship with these pathways and functions within yourself, and in connection and service to others.
Mark Driscoll, PhD
Mark Driscoll is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at McGill University, in Montreal, Canada. His published research focuses on the biomechanics of the spine from the perspective of devising an improved understanding of stability, diagnostics, or treatments – having a particular focus on the involvement of soft tissue such as fascia. Dr. Driscoll is the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Chair for Design Engineering for Interdisciplinary Innovation of Medical Technologies. He directs the Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Research Lab at McGill and co-directs the Orthopaedic Research Lab and the Montreal General hospital. Dr. Driscoll is past president of the Fascia Research Society and co-author of the book Fascia – Tension Network of the Human Body. Dr. Driscoll has received many awards for his research and corresponding inventions which serve in assisting people with disabilities around the world.
Topic/Title: Beyond Muscles and Bones: Understanding Fascia’s Role in Spine Biomechanics and Health
Summary: This talk challenges the current paradigm of how musculoskeletal disorders are interpreted, both
mechanically and clinically. Emerging trends in research supports fascia playing a critical biomechanical role in our bodies and our spines. This talk will share the latest research from my team demonstrating the critical role of our thoracolumbar fascia in support of spine health.
​