Board of Directors

Emily Slaven, PT, PhD, MS, Cert MDT

Chair

Emily Slaven is a Professor, Krannert School of Physical Therapy, University of Indianapolis, Indiana and a practicing clinician at Franciscan Health Mooresville. She has a BS in physiotherapy, 1996, University College Dublin, Ireland, a MS in physiotherapy, 2001, Manchester University, England, a MS in Biomechanics, 2008, Ball State University, Indiana and a PhD in Physical Therapy, 2010, Nova Southeastern University, Florida. She became credentialled in the McKenzie Method in 2002 and a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists in 2010. Emily values being able to bring her clinical experiences into the classroom in particular the role of MDT in patient care. Emily’s area of research relates to the influence of orthopaedic manual therapy on pain response and human movement.
Emily serves the board since 2023.

Yvonne Lindbäck, PT, Dip MDT, MS, PhD

Vice Chair

Yvonne Lindbäck is an senior lecturer at Linköping University and a clinician in primary care at Rörelse&Hälsa. She has an BS in physiotherapy, 1989, MSc in physiotherapy, 2001, specialist competence in orthopaedics, 2001 and a PhD, 2018, with the thesis: Pre-surgery physiotherapy and pain thresholds in patients with degenerative lumbar spine disorders. Available here. The research is about; evaluation of preoperative physiotherapy, interview study on the patients’ experience of preoperative physiotherapy and studies on pain thresholds before and 3 months after back surgery. Within Mechanical Therapy and therapy (MDT) she has a Diploma, 2005 and is a teacher in Mechanical Diagnostics and Therapy since 2009.

Yvonne serves the board since 2022.


Aileen Cuenca (-Williams), PT, Cert MDT

Treasurer

Aileen Cuenca- Williams is a practicing clinician at Prisma Health Physical Therapy Specialists in Columbia, South Carolina. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in Biology, went to Oakton Community College to achieve her Physical Therapist Assistant degree, and finally Governors State to receive her Masters in Physical Therapy in 2005. She practiced as a Physical Therapist in Illinois for 7 years prior to moving to South Carolina in 2012 specializing in orthopedics. She then pursued her certification in the McKenzie Diagnosis and Treatment, and has been a credentialed McKenzie Therapist (Cert MDT) since 2016 with a focus on treating spines within a neurosurgery practice.

Aileen serves the board since 2022.

Georg Supp, PT, Dip MDT

Secretary

Georg has been a physical therapist since 1992. Since 1997 he has run the rehabilitation centre PULZ in Freiburg in Germany together with MDT-credentialed Wolfgang Schoch. He received the Diploma in MDT in 1999. He is co-author of numerous German textbooks and he has published articles, comments and letters in several peer-reviewed journals. He is an international instructor of the McKenzie Institute International. Georg is the founder of IMDTRF Germany and a member of the Education Council of the McKenzie Institute International. Currently Georg is conducting research on Patient Reported Outcomes and patients' perspective on it. Recently, Georg has been elected as a member of the Congress Programme Committee for the World Physio Congress in Tokyo 2025.

Georg serves the board since 2011.


Janet Simon, PhD

Member at Large

Janet Simon is an Associate Professor in the Division on Athletic Training, School of Applied Health Sciences and Wellness, and College of Health Sciences and Professions. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Southern Connecticut State University (Athletic Training) in 2008, a master’s degree (Athletic Training) from Ohio University in 2010, a second master’s degree (Applied Statistics), and PhD (Epidemiology and Biostatistics) from Indiana University in 2014. Dr. Simon has published over 95 peer-reviewed articles in various sports medicine and orthopedic journals and has been principal investigator or co-investigator on Department of Defense and National Institutes of Health grants totaling over $8 million.
Janet serves the board since 2023.

Slavko Rogan, PT, Osteopath, PhD, PhD

Member at Large

Slavko Rogan is a lecturer at the Bern University of Applied Sciences at the Department of Health Profession, Division of Physiotherapy. He is the head of the department of qualification and examinations. He has a Bhealth in Physiotherapy (2003), MSc in Physiotherapy (2007), MSc in Osteopathy (2017), MA in adult education (2015), MA in school management (2020) and two PhDs (Maastricht University,2016 and Free University Brussel, 2022). His research focuses on educational research and in the field of musculoskeletal therapy on spinal mobilizations and their impact on the autonomic nervous system and about the influence of joint mobilizations on the sensorimotor system. In the Mc Kenzie Method, Slavko has attended Part A (2022).
Slavko serves the board since 2023.