Contributors Panel

Aliyyah oversees a thriving community of specialist homes for patients of all ages with a range of neurological conditions. Through Askham Rehab, she also runs a team of experts specialising in intensive neurological rehabilitation, hands-on therapy, and robotic and sensor assisted rehabilitation technology.

Aliyyah is on the board of the Cambridgeshire Care Providers Association and holds a position on the Eastern Region Brain Injury Forum Steering Committee.

She is also a trustee for the Spinal Injuries Association.

Daniel qualified as a music therapist in 2002. His work focuses on children and families, especially supporting attachment, bonding and resilience.

Daniel has worked in prisons, mental health settings and in special and mainstream schools with children with a range of brain injuries and other conditions.

He certified in the APCI assessment in 2014, and as a Neurologic Music Therapist in 2017. He is also Managing Director of Chroma, one of the UK’s leading arts therapies groups.

Natalie Mackenzie has worked in the field of Neuro Rehabilitation for nearly 20 years. As a Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapist and Certified Brain Injury Trainer, she has worked with hundreds of families and clients as Founder and Director of BIS Services.

As specialist providers of Cognitive Rehabilitation Assistants, the company is committed to raising standards in the field to ensure those living with acquired brain injury have access to the best possible support to increase function and independence. Staff are trained to a high standard in the field of brain injury rehabilitation and related areas. Natalie studied Neuropsychology to Masters level, and is also an ADHD Coach and hypnotherapist. Also known as The Cognitive Rehab Coach, she provides international support to individuals, groups and families affected by brain injury, and is proud to be a Trustee of Headway SELNWK.

Penny Wosahlo is an Occupational Therapist, practicing since 2002. Her passion is rehabilitation and empowerment. She has worked in Trauma, Orthopaedics, Neurology, Cardiology, Respiratory, Oncology and Palliative Care, as well as working in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities over the last two decades. Penny has published papers on Rehabilitative Palliative Care when working in that speciality and spoke at the Hospice UK Conference on the same topic in 2015.

Penny is the Managing Director of Think Therapy 1st (TT1st) a Specialist Rehabilitation Occupational Therapy company that works with clients who have been severely and catastrophically injured, in addition to those experiencing both short and long-term illnesses. TT1st work collaboratively with clients to re-engage them with activities they want and need to do each day including self-care, productivity (work, education) and leisure. The aim is to make therapy fun and engaging with the client as the expert in their own recovery. Through activity, activity, activity, TT1st deliver excellent outcomes through their UK wide network of SROT's (Specialist Rehabilitation Occupational Therapists) who work locally with the client in their environments, building a multidisciplinary and multiagency team around them, bespoke to their needs and rehabilitation journey.

Professor/Yr Athro Nick Alderman BA (Hons) MAppSci PhD CPsychol CSci FBPsS, Clinical Director, Neurobehavioural Rehabilitation (NbR) Services at Elysium Neurological, part of Elysium Healthcare.

Professor Alderman is acknowledged internationally as one of the foremost experts in NbR, having over three decades experience in this field. 

Nick has combined successful careers in clinical and academic psychology and has a proven track record in treatment innovation, service development, leadership, research, publications and teaching. He is Honorary Professor at Swansea University and Visiting Professor at the University of the West of England. He previously held senior posts at St Andrew’s Healthcare Kemsley Unit and a number of other well established brain injury service providers.

In 2002, Nick was awarded a Fellowship of the British Psychological Society in recognition of his contribution to NbR. In 2014 he was a finalist in the LaingBuisson Independent Healthcare Awards ‘Outstanding Contribution’ category; joint winner of The Association for Psychological Therapies ‘Awards for Excellence in Risk Assessment and Management’ and recipient of the prestigious United Kingdom Acquired Brain Injury Forum ‘Stephen McAleese Award for Inspiration by an individual in the field of acquired brain injury’ in recognition of his work in successfully reducing restrictive interventions in Neurobehavioural Rehabilitation. In 2016, Nick was joint recipient of the Association for Psychological Therapies ‘Annual Award for Excellence in Working with Challenging Behaviour’ and most recently has this year achieved the ‘Award for Distinguished Contribution to Practice’ from the British Psychological Society. 

Outside of work Nick is a keen dog owner and prides himself on being an amateur musician of ‘questionable talent’.

Rachel has a long background working with Exemplar Health Care, progressing from Operations Manager, to Senior Director of Operations, and most recently Business Development Director.

This experience makes her the perfect person to lead our Business Development and Marketing Teams, and support our aim to be the specialist care provider of choice with funding organisations.

Her positivity and enthusiasm enables us to build trusting and lasting relationships with Clinical Commissioning Groups, local authorities and NHS Trusts, as well as brokerage companies. With over 60% of our residents coming to an Exemplar Health Care home following a failed placement, this ensures that people access the right care, the first time round, which reduces re-admissions to hospital and facilitates better outcomes.

Sabrina Lawlor is a Solicitor who has worked for a number of law firms in the UK, Ireland and Australia. Sabrina is currently a Principal Lawyer at Slater and Gordon Lawyers (UK) and her areas of specialism and interests include supporting individuals who have sustained traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries.

Sabrina has accomplished a postgraduate qualification in vocational and occupational rehabilitation which has enhanced her skills and knowledge in developing workplace strategies for health and wellbeing, and assessments and interventions for occupational and vocational rehabilitation and this knowledge can be very useful when supporting her clients return to work after a serious injury.

In December 2021 Sabrina joined the Board of Trustees of the Vocational Rehabilitation Association UK.  In 2022 Sabrina was invited to join the Board of Trustees of After Matters, a brain injury charity based in Greater Manchester supporting young people who are living with an acquired brain injury.

Sabrina is also a disability inclusion advocate and is currently the Chair of the Disability and Accessibility network at Slater and Gordon Lawyers. A strong supporter of the Valuable 500 global movement, Sabrina leads on the disability inclusion strategy at Slater and Gordon following the firm’s commitment in 2021 to place disability inclusion on the senior leadership agenda.

He is also the Founder and Executive Director of Swiss-based MotusAcademy and the
current incoming president of the International Industry Society of Advanced Rehabilitation
Technology (IISART).
Zen has more than 20 years of experience in providing leadership and management for
organisations that provide medical devices, healthcare solutions, and services for people
with disabilities and neuro rehabilitation.