Keynotes 2027
Sisary Kheng
CEO, Exceed Worldwide, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Sisary Kheng is the CEO of Exceed Worldwide. She oversees a world-renowned training programme at the Cambodian School of Prosthetics and Orthotics, that has empowered clinicians from 30 countries, while supporting regional operations across four Asian nations.
Sisary is engineering the future of comprehensive physical rehabilitation in Cambodia by combining frontline national clinical expertise with global strategic policy towards Universal Health Coverage. She has transitioned from being a clinical Prosthetist / Orthotist to becoming a premier authority in pioneering rehabilitation system sustainability through rehabilitation personnel education, service development, research, and policy advancement. Sisary’s PhD research on innovative financing has positioned her at the forefront of the global shift from charity-based aid to resilient financing models.
By integrating P&O into Universal Health Coverage frameworks, mobility rehabilitation is transforming into a sovereign right. She is committed to targeting global equity and quality services through integrated rehabilitation and professional service education.
For Sisary, true success is defined by permanence.Her mission is to ensure that every child, in any rural province in Cambodia and in other war- and conflict-affected countries, receives care because a national system is in place. The aim is to replace the fragility of donor cycles with a sustainable, professional commitment for generations to come.
Natasha Layton
Associate Professor, Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre, Monash University, Frankston, Australia
Associate Professor Natasha Layton is a thought leader in functioning, disability and outcomes. Her subject matter expertise is in assistive technology and related solutions, and she is a named contributor to the 2022 Global Report on Assistive Technology of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
An occupational therapist by background, she works in Australia with a range of consumer groups, government and the non-profit sector. Globally, Natasha has consulted to the World Health Organisation and the United Nations-auspiced global assistive technology funder, ATscale. She represents Australian Standards to the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) on assistive product classification and terminology. Her volunteership includes board positions with the Global Alliance of Assistive Technology Organisations (GAATO) and the Australian Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology Association (ARATA).
Natasha is particularly interested in the relationship between practice-based evidence and evidence-based practice. Experienced in mixed methods, inclusive and co-designed research, she has redeveloped several researchtools to access hard-to-reach populations.
Currently working at the Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living Research Centre of Monash University, Australia, Natasha has worked on research grants worth over $AUD 10 million and published over 80 peer reviewed publications including 15 book chapters, many in collaboration with consumers.
Nerrolyn Ramstrand
Professor of Prosthetics and Orthotics, Jönköping University, Sweden
Nerrolyn Ramstrand trained as a prosthetist /orthotist at La Trobe University in Australia, where she also completed her doctoral studies. After several years of teaching in the prosthetics and orthotics programme at the British Columbia Institute of Technology in Canada, she settled in Sweden, where she is currently a Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation at Jönköping University. Alongside her research and teaching duties, Nerrolyn served a four-year appointment as Jönköping University’s Senior Advisor for Internationalisation.
Nerrolyn has published extensively in prosthetics and orthotics, with a focus on understanding and supporting users in ways that respond to their needs and the contexts in which they live. She has led projects across multiple countries, including multi-year initiatives in Cambodia and Ukraine. Her work combines both qualitative and quantitative approaches to capture client needs and to evaluate if interventions are responsive, sustainable, and appropriate.
With a long-standing commitment to education, Nerrolyn also conducts research to ensure that prosthetics and orthotics curricula remain relevant to current and future practice. She is dedicated to helping students develop the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care effectively across culturally diverse settings.
Massimo Sartori
Full Professor and Head of Neuromuscular Robotics, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
Massimo Sartori is a Professor and Head of Neuromuscular Robotics at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. His research focuses on understanding how human movement emerges from the interaction between the nervous and musculoskeletal systems in healthy and impaired individuals. He combines neural interfacing with real-time neuromusculoskeletal modelling to develop symbiotic robotic exoskeletons and bionic limbs aimed at restoring movement after neuromuscular injury. He has contributed to the development of widely used open-source musculoskeletal modelling platforms, including CEINMS-RT and MyoSuite and has received multiple prestigious blue-sky grants from the EU’s premier funding agency the European Research Council.
Massimo has developed patented technologies in wearable sensors, exoskeletons, and bionic legs in collaboration with industry partners such as OttoBock HealthCare and received an official commendation from the Municipality of Affi, Italy. He co-chairs the IEEE RAS Technical Committee on BioRobotics and serves as Associate Editor of IEEE TNSRE.
He earned his PhD in Information Engineering from the University of Padova (2011), held visiting positions at the University of Western Australia, Griffith University, and Stanford University, and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Göttingen, where he became Junior Research Group Leader in 2015. He has been at the University of Twente since 2017.
Zy Kher Lee
Athlete and full scholarship student at Shanghai University of Sport, China
Zy Kher Lee is a remarkable young athlete and scholar who has overcome extraordinary physical challenges. Born with mobility impairments affecting both arms and legs, Zy’s determination is captured in his inspiring motto and book: “No Hands, No Legs, No Excuses.”
Fluent in English, Chinese, Malay, and Thai, Zy is a full scholarship student majoring in Human Kinesiology and Science at Shanghai University of Sport, China.
Zy is also a national swimmer for Thailand. He began swimming at age six and entered national competitions at 12. His achievements include:
- Three-time former Asian record holder
- Two-time former Southeast Asia record holder
- Former World No.7 in Men’s 200m Freestyle
- Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals at the Asian Youth Para Games 2021
Zy’s journey demonstrates resilience, determination, and excellence in both academics and sports, inspiring communities worldwide to pursue their dreams regardless of limitations.
Zy’s lecture will be supported by his father Walter, who is a visionary entrepreneur, internationally recognized chef, and social innovator with over 30 years of experience creating global businesses and empowering communities. He founded the Zy Movement Foundation, pioneering programmes such as “Climb to Change a Life (CTCAL)” and “ASEAN Medical Seminars” to support children with mobility impairments and their families. He believes: “Our mission is to prepare the child for the road, not the road for the child.”
