Gordon Alderink PT, PhD

Gordon Alderink completed his certificate in physical therapy in the School of Health-Related Sciences at the Mayo Clinic in 1978. He spent six years in clinical practice (University of Michigan Hospitals; St. Joseph Mercy Health System), completing a Master of Science degree in kinesiology at the University of Michigan in 1983 along the way before joining the physical therapy faculty at Grand Valley State University in 1984. In his 38 years at GVSU Alderink taught orthopaedic and sports physical therapy, research design, and clinical kinesiology/biomechanics. Early in his tenure at GVSU Gordy earned his doctorate in engineering mechanics, gained experience in clinical gait analysis, and completed his
dissertation on the examination of Fryette’s laws of coupled spinal motion (using three-dimensional motion capture) while at Michigan State University. Alderink was instrumental in establishing and directing the Motion Analysis Center at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital (MFB) in 1993, which focused its work on instrumented gait analysis of children and adults with neuromuscular disorders. As lab staff increased at the Motion Analysis Center and assumed the direction of the clinical services, Alderink led the Center to its initial national accreditation and continued to provide consultative advice to the staff for over two decades. In 2003 the GVSU physical therapy program moved into the GVSU’s
Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences, which housed the Alderink-designed Biomechanics and Motor Performance Laboratory (BMPL). Alderink’s research interests and activities in the BMPL included pathological gait analysis, running biomechanics, and postural and balance control during quiet stance and locomotion. His research advising work with Dr. Samhit Rhodes and her graduate engineering students at GVSU has centered on advanced signal processing related to the nonlinear dynamics of
standing balance.

Eddie O’Connor, PhD, CMPC

Dr. Eddie O’Connor, PhD, CMPC is a clinical and sport/performance psychologist with a private tele-health practice in Grand Rapids, MI. He spent 16 years as Director & Chief Psychologist of The Pain Center at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital leading a multidisciplinary team in the treatment of chronic pain, fibromyalgia and headaches. He now specializes in performance anxiety and injury rehabilitation with athletes, and applies performance psychology to medical populations like pain and obesity to enhance self-care. Dr. O’Connor is author and host of “The Psychology of Performance: How to Be Your Best in Life” via The Great Courses (www.thegreatcourses.com/dreddieoconnor). He is owner of Success Stories Membership, an online community of high achievers like you, overcoming their personal obstacles to excellence (www.dreddieoconnor.com/membership). Social media & other resources: https://linktr.ee/DrEddieOC

Steve Reynolds, JD

Steve is a partner at the law firm of Fox Swibel Levin & Carroll LLP. He assists clients in almost every aspect of business technology. He specializes in using intellectual property (patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets) to create value. Steve crafts legal tools to protect all intangible aspects of businesses, including confidential information and data. Steve has represented many types of clients. He has represented clients in billion dollar patent litigation disputes and in complex, international mergers. He has also represented undergraduate students and individual entrepreneurs in setting up and growing their businesses.Steve has experience at all stages of litigation, from prefiling negotiations through trial and appeals. He has appeared in federal courts across the country (including the Six, Seventh, and Federal Courts of Appeals and on petition to the Supreme Court). He has also litigated before the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board and Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.

Michael Distler, MD

Michael Distler received his bachelor’s degree in pre-medicine studies at the University of Dayton before receiving his medical doctorate at The University of Toledo College of Medicine. He went on to complete his residency training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation from Case Western Reserve University/Metrohealth in Cleveland, Ohio.

Janet Downey, PT (Retired)

Janet is a Life Member and Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatrics Emeritus. She received her Bachelor’s in Physical Therapy from the University of Missouri in 1972 and her Master’s in Physical Therapy from the University of Michigan in 1998. She has served the APTAMI in a variety of positions, including Speaker of the Meeting, Chief Delegate, and President and the APTA on the Nominating Committee and is currently APTAMI Archivist. She is the recipient of the APTAMI Marjorie Stamm Outstanding Member Award and the APTA Lucy Blair Service Award. Although retired, she remains very interested in pain in children and its effects on the family. She is also able to use her professional contacts to identify and share the development of pain education and management through the years.

Diane Jacobs, PT (Retired)

Diane Jacobs’ clinical career spanned fifty years, the last 30 years of which she maintained a solo practice and devoted herself to learning all she could about the nervous system, particularly the sensory nervous system, pain science, how manual therapy could help with pain, and the kind of pain it could help. In 2005 she helped establish a pain interest group within the profession in Canada, which in 2009 became the Canadian Physiotherapy Association Pain Science Division, upon which she served as Communications Liaison until 2013. She was active in online discussion forums that aligned with her interests and aspirations and was invited to teach workshops in many countries. In 2016 she published a book, DermoNeuroModulating, which contains her treatment ideas, overall philosophy, and reconceptualization of the role of the manual therapy clinician. She maintains a Facebook group for those interested in these topics and answers clinicians’ questions about the work. 

Jodette Rose Ed.D, MSW, CPC

Jodette Rose is a life coach, hypnotherapist, and guided meditation teacher at Sage, Moon Wellness in Dorr, MI. Jodette’s background is in social work, serving populations in domestic violence, sexual assault services, and case management. She also served as a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator, and Independent Evaluator in mental health research for Creighton University, and the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System. Jodette earned her Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership at Creighton University in Omaha, NE, and Master of Social Work at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. Josette’s area of interest centers on the impact that cultural belief systems have on client experiences with emotional and physical pain, as well as their perceived efficacy of available treatments.

Bronnie Lennox Thompson PhD, MSc, Dip OT

Bronnie Thompson has worked in the field of pain management for most of her clinical career. Her roles have included occupational therapy, pain psychology, vocational management, and policy development. Bronwyn has completed a PhD developing a theory of living well with chronic pain. She also holds a MSc (1^st class hons) in Psychology from Canterbury University and a Diploma in Occupational Therapy from CIT. She teaches post-graduate papers in pain and pain management, with a particular focus on psychosocial factors, coping, and resilience. Her research skills include classical grounded theory, qualitative synthesis, single subject research design and analysis.