Dr. Karen Foley is the Chief Executive of Acquired Brain Injury Ireland. Karen has been a senior staff member in ABI Ireland for many years and established herself as a leader within the organisation and broader sector. She has been the organisation’s Head of Service Operations since 2021 with responsibility for strategic service development, operational management, rehabilitation processes and standards nationally. Karen achieved a Research Doctorate from Trinity College Dublin, postgraduate certification in Healthcare Management from the Institute for Public Administration and Certification in Brain Injury Specialism, accredited by the Brain Injury Association of America. Karen holds a Board position with the Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI) and represents on a number of national working groups, striving to deliver on the recommendations of the Ombudsman’s Wasted Lives report and the rollout of the National Neuro-Rehabilitation Strategy.

Eléonore BAYEN (Medical Doctor Neurology, PhD Economy) is Professor of Medicine at Sorbonne University and head of the clinical Neuro-Rehab Dept at Salpêtrière hospital (Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine in Paris, France). She is an expert in Traumatic Brain Injury (care and research) and in neuro-cognitive evaluation and rehabilitation. She is author of 80 research articles on TBI outcomes, on rehabilitation using innovative health technology, on predictors of neurological disabilities.

Elizabeth experienced a traumatic brain injury at the age of 12, altering her life trajectory. Her experience inspired her to pursue a career in special education, where she could offer support to those facing similar challenges. Currently she works as an educational interpreter, assisting children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Several years later, her additional interest in public health motivated her to pursue her Master’s of Public Health at the University of Queensland. Elizabeth extends her passion for public health to the Princess Alexandra Hospital. She leads a weekly program designed for patients in their neurorehabilitation unit. The program combines gentle stretching, guided breathing, and sound meditation promoting physical, emotional and social well-being. She also advocates for epilepsy awareness, leveraging her experience to foster support. In the process of obtaining her Master’s of Public Health, Elizabeth's dedication to enhancing well-being for individuals with brain injuries is evident. In her final year, she completed a Master’s thesis which examined long-term outcomes of early adolescents who experienced a brain injury, under Dr. Kim-Huong Nguyen’s supervision. She currently works with individuals post-brain injury to (re)create a sense of belonging and community as people navigate their life post-injury. Elizabeth’s work is done through a combination of her lived experience, research, and work in health service provision.