International Association for the Scientific Study for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Health Issues Special Interest Research Group Conference:
Promoting the health and wellbeing of people with intellectual disabilities
University of Greenwich, London, United Kingdom
The International Association for the Scientific Study for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IASSIDD) Health Issues Special Interest Research Group (SIRG) is inviting you to submit conference presentation proposals for oral and poster presentations to the IASSIDD Health Issues SIRG conference, co-hosted with the Institute for Lifecourse Development, University of Greenwich. This internationally focused conference will take place at the historic University of Greenwich Maritime Campus from September 1-2, 2025. This campus is located at the Old Royal Naval College, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is centrally located in Southeast London, United Kingdom.
Conference Schedule now available:
Please click here for the PDF conference schedule.
Registration now open
Conference Registration fees:
- IASSIDD member: £395 for 2-day conference
- Non-IASSIDD member: £495 for 2-day conference
- One day registration (Sept. 1): £265 for one day (non-presenters)
- One day registration (Sept. 2): £265 for one day (non-presenters)
- Social Event (Sept.1 ): £32 per ticket
Attendees with lived experience with Intellectual Disabilities: please email the Chair of the Local Organizing Committee (email address below) for information
Any queries, please contact the Chair of the Local Organizing Committee, Dr. Genevieve Breau, at G.Breau@gre.ac.uk
Link to registration page: IASSIDD Health Issues SIRG Conference | University of Greenwich Online Store
Accommodation and Travel information:
Updated information about local accommodation: Ibis London Greenwich: link here 4 minute walk to University of Greenwich campus
Novotel London Greenwich: link here 9 minute walk to University of Greenwich campus Travelodge London Greenwich High Road: link here 11 minute walk to the University of Greenwich campus
Premier Inn London Greenwich hotel: link here 16 minute walk to University of Greenwich campus
The University of Greenwich Maritime Campus is a 10-15 walk from the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) Greenwich Station, which connects to the London Underground and London Overground networks. Click here for information
In addition, two National Rail Stations (Greenwich Station and Maze Hill Station) are within a 10-15 minute walk from campus. Click here for information
The nearest airport to the Maritime Campus is London City Centre Airport, which easily connects to the DLR network. Heathrow Airport is best connected via the Elizabeth Line and DLR (change from Elizabeth Line to DLR at the Canary Wharf Station).
IASSIDD Health Issues SIRG Conference 2025-Keynote Speaker
Keynote Speaker: Dr. William F. Sullivan, MD, PhD, CCFP, ABFM, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. Chair in Bioethics, Kennedy Institute of Ethics, Georgetown University, and Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Georgetown University School of Medicine, in Washington, D.C., USA.
His Keynote Lecture is entitled: Guidelines for Primary Care of Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD): Towards Implementing Comprehensive and Inclusive Healthcare Internationally.
Abstract: To make guidelines inclusive of adults with IDD, we propose to reframe them in three ways: First, by broadening the ‘evidence’ of EBM guidelines to include experiential and contextual knowledge. Second, by proposing such guidelines as ‘tools’ to assist primary care providers and others to decide prudently with adults with IDD regarding their primary health care. When considering possible options for promoting or protecting the health and wellbeing of adults with IDD, such tools can enable deciders to approach systematically and in a more comprehensive and dynamic manner their complex interrelated psychosomatic, ecological, social, societal, and moral systems. Third, by making these guidelines ‘international’, they can include the 80% of the world’s population of people with IDD excluded from current guidelines.
Biographical information: Dr. William F. Sullivan is the Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. Chair in Bioethics, Kennedy Institute of Ethics, Georgetown University. He is a family physician and Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, Georgetown University School of Medicine. He also has a doctorate in philosophy and teaches in the Dept. of Philosophy and Disabilities Studies Program, Georgetown University. He focuses on promoting the ethical primary and public health care of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). He is the lead author of, “Primary Care of Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Canadian Consensus Guidelines” (2007, 2011, 2018).
Keynote Speaker: Professor Laurence Taggart, Professor of Implementation Science at Queen’s University Belfast
His Keynote Lecture is entitled: Embedding Evidence-Based Intellectual Disability Research into Healthcare Systems: The Role of Implementation Science Theories, Methods, and Frameworks
Abstract: Despite a growing body of evidence in intellectual disability research, a critical challenge persists: how can we effectively translate research findings into meaningful, sustainable changes across healthcare systems? Implementation science provides a systematic approach to addressing this gap, ensuring that evidence-based policies, interventions, and practices are not only disseminated but also successfully integrated into service delivery.
This keynote will examine the role of implementation science in facilitating the adoption, embedding, and sustainability of evidence-informed policies, interventions, and practices within healthcare services. By drawing on established theories, methodologies, and frameworks (such as Normalisation Process Theory, the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, and the Hexagon Model), we will explore how these approaches can enhance organisational readiness, promote stakeholder engagement, and address contextual barriers to change.
Through an applied lens, this session will highlight the importance of co-production, interdisciplinary collaboration, and implementation strategies to ensure that research findings lead to tangible improvements in healthcare and service provision. By embedding implementation science principles into intellectual disability research, we can move beyond simply generating evidence to ensuring it underpins equitable access to healthcare policies, interventions, and services: thereby transforming lives.
Biographical information: Laurence Taggart is a nurse and psychologist who recently joined Queens University Belfast as Professor of Implementation Science. Prior to this, he spent over 20 years at Ulster University, where he held the position of Professor of Intellectual Disability Research and led the Centre for Neurodevelopmental and Intellectual Disabilities. His research primarily focuses on the health inequalities and inequities faced by individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in accessing healthcare services. He also has a keen interest in the development, testing, and implementation of interventions within complex healthcare systems.
Currently, Professor Taggart is the Chief Investigator (CI) on a major UK-based NIHR-funded RCT on a structured Type 2 diabetes education programme for adults with intellectual disabilities. Additionally, Laurence is Co-PI on five other NIHR-funded RCTs, all aimed at improving the outcomes for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and their carers. Over the course of his career, Laurence has secured more than £20 million in research funding and has published over 200 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters.
Laurence has held prominent roles in professional bodies, including the Royal Society of Medicine and the Royal College of Nursing, and served as an Expert Advisor to NICE on the needs of older adults with intellectual disabilities. He is currently an Executive Committee Member, and the Liaison Officer to the WHO, for IASSIDD. Laurence serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities.
In recognition of his significant international contributions in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities research and practice, Laurence was awarded a distinguished Fellowship of IASSIDD.


Keynote Speakers: Dr Thomas Jun and Dr Satheesh Gangadharan
Their keynote lecture is entitled: Conducting AI Research with and for People with Intellectual Disabilities and Multiple Long-Term Conditions
Abstract: DECODE (https://decode-project.org/) is a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)-funded project (2022–2025) focused on applying artificial intelligence to identify patterns of multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs) in people with intellectual disabilities. The project aims to translate these complex data patterns into actionable insights for improving care and outcomes.
Led by a multidisciplinary team—including clinicians, epidemiologists, AI and data science experts, system scientists, human factors specialists, information designers, health informaticians, and ethicists—DECODE exemplifies collaborative, interdisciplinary research. A key strength of the project has been its inclusive and highly commended Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) work, led by a learning disability nurse and a speech and language therapist. Their leadership has ensured that the voices and experiences of adults with intellectual disabilities meaningfully shaped the research.
This keynote will share key findings from DECODE and, more importantly, reflect on how the project embedded inclusive approaches to PPIE throughout its lifecycle—offering lessons for future research and practice in complex health and care systems particularly for people with intellectual disabilities.
Biographical Information:
Dr Thomas Jun is a Professor of Sociotechnical System Design at the School of Design and Creative Arts, Loughborough University and a Chartered Ergonomist and Human Factors Specialist.
Dr Satheesh Gangadharan is a Consultant Psychiatrist specialised in Intellectual Disabilities in Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust and one of the editors of the latest edition of the Firth Prescribing Guidelines for People with Intellectual Disability.
Keynote Speaker: Thessa Hilgenkamp, PhD
Her keynote lecture is entitled: Cardiovascular Health in Adults with Intellectual Disabilities: Unique Risks, Unique Needs?
Abstract: Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the general population and accounts for a significant portion of healthcare costs and public health efforts. In individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID), cardiovascular risk is even higher. Rates of stroke and heart failure are increased, while myocardial infarction appears less common. These differences raise important questions about underlying physiological mechanisms and clinical presentation.
In this keynote, we will explore how cardiovascular health and disease progression may differ in people with ID, including those with genetic conditions such as Down syndrome. We will examine whether early signs of cardiovascular decline, such as hypertension, arterial stiffness, glucose metabolism, and atherosclerosis, carry the same predictive value in this population as in the general population.
We will also review lifestyle-related risk factors, including smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, poor fitness, and sleep disturbances, and how these may uniquely affect cardiovascular health in people with ID. These risk factors are often influenced by additional challenges in access to care, communication, and long-term management.
Finally, we will address the clinical implications: What is currently being done to detect, prevent, and manage cardiovascular risk in individuals with ID? Are these strategies effective and sufficient? And what adaptations may be needed to ensure more equitable, tailored, and proactive cardiovascular care?
Biographical information
Dr. Thessa Hilgenkamp is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she leads the Cardiovascular Research and Exercise Laboratory (CARE-Lab). With nearly 20 years of experience in physical activity and exercise research in individuals with intellectual disabilities, her work focuses on understanding the physiological barriers to physical activity, particularly in individuals with intellectual disabilities and Down syndrome.
Trained as an exercise physiologist with strong background in epidemiology, Dr. Hilgenkamp bridges population-level and clinical research to investigate how cardiovascular and autonomic dysfunction contribute to fatigue and exercise intolerance. Her goal is to translate these findings into more effective physical activity and exercise interventions that support healthy, active lifestyles for this underserved population.
Dr. Hilgenkamp has authored 94 peer-reviewed publications and delivered over 90 presentations at national and international conferences. She serves as Treasurer of the Trisomy 21 Research Society and Chair of the Lifestyle and Weight Management Team within the Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group-USA. In addition, she maintains strong community ties through her work with DS Connections, GiGi’s Playhouse, and Special Olympics.
The IASSIDD Health Issues Special Interest Research Group held an Annual General Meeting on July 8, 2021.
Here are the slides from the presentation at the meeting: Health SIRG Meet and Greet (1)
EVENTS
IASSIDD Health SIRG Webinars
The IASSIDD Health SIRG held an online webinar on Sept. 15, 2022 entitled “Health inequities during COVID-19 and beyond.”
The link to the programme is available here.
The IASSIDD Health SIRG held an online webinar on December 4, 2023 entitled “International perspectives on healthcare for people with intellectual disabilities”.
The link to the slides is available here.
The link to the webinar recording is available on the following webpage here.
The International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, in association with the International Association for Scientific Studies in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IASSIDD) Health, Challenging Behaviour and Mental Health, Ethics and IDD Special Interest Research Groups (SIRGs); the Developmental Disabilities Primary Care Program, Surrey Place Centre, Toronto; and Continuing Professional Development, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, conducted a series of three webinars for clinicians and researchers on COVID-19 and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Recordings and materials from the webinars are available through the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine Continuing Professional Education website.
COVID-19 and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Health Research and Practice: https://www.cpd.utoronto.ca/covid19-resource/covid-19-and-idd-health-research-and-practice/
COVID-19 and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Mental Health Research and Practice: https://www.cpd.utoronto.ca/covid19-resource/covid-19-and-idd-challenging-behaviour-and-mental-health/
COVID-19 and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Ethics: https://www.cpd.utoronto.ca/covid19-resource/covid-19-and-intellectual-and-developmental-disabilities-ethics/
2019 Glasgow, Scotland – IASSIDD World Congress
2018 Athens, Greece – IASSIDD European Congress
2017 Belfast, Northern Ireland – Bridging the gap: from evidence to improved health for persons with IDD
2016 Melbourne – IASSIDD World Congress
2015 Los Angeles, USA – General meeting held at joint AADMD and Special Olympics Conference
2014 Vienna, Austria – IASSIDD European Congress
2013 Nijmegen, The Netherlands – Health Inequity: From Evidence to Action
2012 Halifax, Canada – IASSID World Congress
- 2011 Bethesda, NY, USA – General meeting held at joint US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health Service, US Department of Health & Human Services and the Association of University Centers of Disabilities Conference
2010 Prato, Italy – Combined Roundtable of the IASSID Health Issues and Ageing SIRGs
2009 Kingston, Canada – International Collaboration to Improve the Health of Individuals with ID
2008 Cape Town, South Africa – IASSID World Congress
2007 Prato, Italy – Health SIRG Roundtable
2006 Maastricht, The Netherlands – IASSID European Congress
2005 Melbourne, Australia – Combined Roundtable of the IASSID Health Issues and Mental Health SIRGs
2004 Montpellier, France – IASSID World Congress
2003 Westchester, NY, USA
2002 Dublin, Ireland – IASSID European Congress
2001 Gothenburg, Sweden
2000 Seattle, USA – IASSID World Congress
1999 Manchester, England
1998 Leiden, The Netherlands
Documents and Newsletters
Newsletters
Archives
VISUAL IMPAIRMENT (Word Document, 67 Ko)
HEARING IMPAIRMENT (Word Document, 58 Ko)
2024/2025 Executive Members
Lisa O’Leary, PhD—Chair
Lecturer, School of Health and Social Care
Edinburgh Napier University,
Edinburgh, UK
Email: l.oleary@napier.ac.uk
Tim Pelle, PhD—Co-Chair
Researcher, Dept. of Primary and Community Care – Intellectual Disabilities & Health, Radboud University Medical Centre
Academic Collaborative “Intellectual Disability & Health”
Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Email: Tim.Pelle@radboudumc.nl
Genevieve Breau, PhD, FHEA –Secretary-Treasurer
Lecturer in Public Health,
School of Human Sciences, University of Greenwich
London, UK
Email: G.Breau@gre.ac.uk
Reece Adams, B.OT Hon – Member at Large
Senior Clinical Lead – Therapy,
Scope (Aust) Ltd,
Hawthorne, Australia
Thessa Hilgenkamp, PhD – Member at Large
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Physical Therapy, University of Nevada
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Emily Lauer, MPH – Member at Large
Director, Center for Developmental Disabilities Evaluation and Research (CDDER)
Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Worcester, MA, USA
Christine Linehan, MPH, PhD -Member at Large
Director, UCD Centre for Disability Studies, UCD School of Psychology
University College Dublin
Dublin, Ireland
Ashlyn Smith – Member at Large
Special Olympics International,
Washington, DC, USA
Bill Sullivan, MD, PhD – Member at Large
Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. Chair in Bioethics, Senior Research Scholar
Kennedy Institute of Ethics
Georgetown University
Washington, DC, USA
Laurence Taggart, RNID, PhD, FIASSIDD – Member at Large
Professor of Implementation Science
Queen’s University Belfast
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Henrietta Trip, RN, PhD – Member at Large
Senior Lecturer,
Te Tari Tapuhi – Department of Nursing
University of Otago
Christchurch, New Zealand
Maria Truesdale, PhD – Member at Large
Senior Lecturer in Intellectual Disabilities
School of Health and Well-being
University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Eva Flygare Wallen, PhD – Member at Large
Researcher at the Department for Disability Support
Health and Social Care Administration, Municipality of Östersund, Sweden
Division of Family Medicine and Primary Health Care, Karolinska Institute
Stockholm, Sweden


