Team 1 - foxstudy

Our Experts

Pernille Thomsen, PT

Pernille Thomsen, PT

In her private practice in Denmark, Pernille uses “Seahorse Training” to help children with various diagnoses improve their mental health. Since 2009, she has focused on the neurophysiology of an overloaded nervous system from a physical therapy perspective. Through evidence-based research, she has studied the effects of anxiety, stress, depression, ADHD, and autism—with a particular focus on children and adolescents. In addition to her work, Pernille volunteers as a coach for people with developmental disabilities and the women’s national team of Special Olympics Denmark. Through movement, fun, and social connections, she lays the foundation for health and well-being.

Franziska Spreitler, MSc, PT

Franziska is the Director of Therapies and a member of the clinic’s management team at Kinder-Reha Schweiz at the University Children’s Hospital of Zurich. She earned a Master of Science in Neurorehabilitation Research from Danube University in Krems and holds a Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Leadership and Management as well as a CAS in Business Administration in Social and Health Care. For years, she has managed the goal-setting process in the context of rehabilitation within the clinic and has given numerous presentations on SMART goal setting.

Thomas Schick, MSc., PT

Thomas Schick is a physical therapist with a Master of Science in Neurorehabilitation, and he teaches Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) at several universities and continuing education institutions. Thomas also heads the STIWELL division at MED-EL in Innsbruck and is now your instructor at foxstudy.

Janne Säkkinen, PT

Janne Säkkinen, PT

Janne Säkkinen is a passionate physical therapist. His focus is on promoting physical performance and functional well-being—particularly in the workplace. Since 2010, he has been actively involved in occupational physical therapy and musculoskeletal rehabilitation. He currently works at Terveystalo in both traditional and digital occupational health services. His core expertise lies in orthopedic manual therapy (OMT), ergonomics, and evidence-based physical therapy. Over the years, he has specialized in treating complex musculoskeletal problems and helping people achieve sustainable physical performance in their daily lives and careers. Whether it’s dentists with chronic neck pain or office workers with stiffness in the lower back—he is driven by the challenge of finding practical and tailored solutions.

Myrtha Nussbaumer, MSc. PT

Myrtha Nussbaumer, MSc. PT

Myrtha Nussbaumer is a physical therapist with an MSc in Sports Physical Therapy and a coach specializing in vestibular vertigo therapy, neuro-centered training, and concussion management. She combines neuroscientific principles with practical, everyday rehabilitation and loves helping people reduce pain, build resilience, and better manage their daily lives. In addition to her work in youth competitive sports, she is committed to sharing her knowledge and providing individualized coaching for complex rehabilitation processes.

Sue Santschi

Sue Santschi

Sue Santschi is a certified orthoptist. After completing her orthoptics training at the Lucerne Eye Clinic and the German-Swiss School of Orthoptics in St. Gallen, she worked at several ophthalmology practices in Central Switzerland; she has been with Pilatus Ophthalmologists in Lucerne since 2019. In 2008, she completed a training program to become a specialized orthoptist in low vision.

Kevin Wingeier, Ph.D.

Kevin Wingeier, Ph.D.

Dr. phil. Kevin Wingeier is a clinical neuropsychologist who works at the University Children’s Hospital of Zurich and in a private practice in Zürichberg. He is an expert in neuropsychological therapies for cognitive impairments, learning coaching, and support and therapy for specific learning disabilities (reading, spelling, and math). He also regularly gives lectures to professionals and parents. In the course “Executive Functions,” he explains what to consider in therapy and the current state of scientific knowledge.

Nora Kern, MSc. PT

Nora Kern, MSc. PT

For more than 20 years, Nora’s goal has been to integrate existing knowledge and established tests and techniques from neurodynamics into neurorehabilitation. Peripheral nerves are structures that should be assessed alongside muscles, joints, and scars and treated as needed, with different areas of focus depending on the professional group: they, too, are part of the nervous system! Peripheral nerve dysfunction can severely impair rehabilitation.

Reinald Brunner, Prof. Dr. med.

Reinald Brunner, Prof. Dr. med.

Prof. Dr. med. Reinald Brunner headed the Neuroorthopedics Department at the University Children’s Hospital in Basel and its associated gait laboratory. He considers it essential to understand normal walking and muscular control. Only with this knowledge can one understand the processes that occur in gait disorders. In his course “Normal Gait,” when describing normal walking, he relied not on the electromyogram—that is, muscle activity—but on muscle strength. This allows for a better assessment of the nature of muscle activity and its significance.

Beat Knecht, M.D.

Beat Knecht, M.D.

From 1984 to 2010, Beat served as chief medical officer of what is now known as Kinder-Reha Schweiz, and during that time he played a key role in shaping and influencing pediatric rehabilitation. He participated with particular enthusiasm in the development, introduction, and implementation of the ICF for children and adolescents. For him, the ICF serves as a foundation and a guide for our current understanding of rehabilitation.

Judith Graser, Ph.D., PT

Judith Graser, Ph.D., PT

Judith works as a physical therapist in her own pediatric physical therapy practice and is a sought-after speaker and president of the Association of Swiss Pediatric Physical Therapists (physiopaed.ch). She devoted both her Master of Science degree and her doctoral dissertation to the topic of motor learning.

The foxstudy Team

Jan Lieber, M.Sc.

Chief Visionary Officer

Jan Lieber, M.Sc.

Chief Visionary Officer

Jan has been working as an occupational therapist at Kinder-Reha Schweiz at the University Children’s Hospital of Zurich since 2011, and he has been a member of the research group since 2015. He earned a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Danube University in Krems and regularly taught occupational therapy students in the field of neuropediatrics at the Medical Academy in Freiburg. He himself has attended over 25 multi-day continuing education and professional development courses, which required him to use up numerous weekends and vacation days—not to mention the hotel and travel expenses. “There has to be an easier way!” That’s why he founded foxstudy with Petra and Rob—to make continuing education in evidence-based treatment methods and tests across a wide range of therapeutic and medical fields not only easier but also more affordable.

Petra Marsico, Ph.D., PT

Chief Therapy Officer

Petra Marsico, Ph.D., PT

Chief Therapy Officer

Petra completed her training as a physical therapist in Basel and successfully earned her Master of Science degree in Bern. In 2024, she earned her Ph.D. in Health, Activity, and Rehabilitation Research from Queen Margaret University. She works as a postdoctoral researcher and physical therapist at Kinder-Reha Schweiz. In her research, which is supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, she focuses on gaining a better understanding of body perception in children and adolescents with neurological impairments. The goal is to develop innovative treatment approaches. Knowledge transfer is particularly close to her heart: She teaches in the Master of Advanced Studies in Developmental Neurological Therapy at the University of Basel, in the Master of Health Science program at the University of Lucerne, and in various Bobath courses in Germany. Together with Rob and Jan, she is working with foxstudy to take knowledge transfer to a new level.

Rob Labruyère, Assistant Professor, Ph.D.

Chief Knowledge Officer

Rob Labruyère, Assistant Professor, Ph.D.

Chief Knowledge Officer

Rob studied biology at the University of Zurich and movement sciences at ETH Zurich. In 2011, the Dutch-born researcher earned his Ph.D. in neuroscience at ETH Zurich and worked in the research department at Kinder-Reha Schweiz until 2024. In 2021, he earned his habilitation at the University of Zurich’s medical school. His research focuses on improving therapeutic interventions, particularly in the areas of robot-assisted gait therapy and sensor-based activity tracking. He always played card games during boring lectures, which is why he worked with Jan and Petra to develop practical alternatives.