Meet our Feature Speakers for the January and February sessions! For their full bios and other speaker information go to the USIV Event

January 28, 2026:

• Mary Rybicki, MS, RDN, LDN Mary is a dietitian with diverse clinical and management experience in post-acute care settings. Mary has an MS in Dietetics from MGH Institute of Health Professions and a MMHS, Master of Management of Human Services, from Brandeis University.
• Karen Sheffler, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S Karen is a medical speech-language pathologist specializing in dysphagia for 30 years, with a master's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1995.
• Rene Kanadet, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, Moderator Rene has been practicing as a speech pathologist since 2010 and has been board certified in swallowing disorders since 2019. She received her BS from the University of Illinois and her MS from Rush University.

February 25, 2026:

• Carly Edwards MS, RD, LDN Carly is a registered dietitian with over 10 years of experience in acute care, long term care, food service management, sales and group purchasing. She graduated in 2014 with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Pittsburgh. 
• Rob Melchionna, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S Rob is an SLP/Clinical Specialist at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, MA, where he works primarily with adults with swallowing disorders in an inpatient setting, and serves as a clinical resource for other SLPs in the hospital system.  Rob has been a Board Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders (BCS-S) since 2017.
• Carolyn “Carrie” Wade, MS, CCC-SLP, Moderator Carrie is a Clinical Assistant Professor, Medical Externship Coordinator, and Speech-Language Clinic Director at Indiana University-Bloomington. She specializes in adult dysphagia management with a focus on neurodegenerative populations and also teaches her university’s dysphagia course.

For more information on Agendas, Program Details and Session Summaries, go to the US IDDSI Virtual Event page here: USIV Event

Please direct any questions or concerns pertaining to this event to usevents@iddsi.net.

Webinars and IDDSI Learning

Webinar: IDDSI Implementation and Culinary Q&A

Date: Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Time: 10:00am PT / 1:00pm ET

Summary: Your questions answered LIVE! This is a practical session focused on answering your questions on IDDSI implementation with a particular focus on culinary. The Canadian IDDSI Reference Group’s Culinary and LTC Working Group has assembled a panel of experts to provide an hour to answer your questions.

To register and for more information please go to: this link

HOLD THE DATE!

UK IDDSI Festival 2026 "Quality at Every Level"

Tuesday, September 15th, 2026

9:30 AM – 4:30 PM

Venue: Reach Conference Centre, Riverside Court, Pride Park,

Derby DE24 8HY

The only festival organised by the IDDSI UK Reference Group is back for

 one day only!

Cost:

• £65 Earlybird rate until 1st May (includes box lunch)
• £80 Regular rate thereafter (includes box lunch)

Topics include:

• Thickened drinks – rationale, methods, alternative approaches, where are we at?
• The reality of achieving correct textures – ready-made products tips and practical training
• Innovations and implementation success case studies
• Inspirational products and recipes
• NACC Care Chef of the Year Ilona Tomaz
• Supporting older adults, and those with learning difficulties to eat and drink safely
• Regulatory updates – how do regulators see IDDSI and how is it used within inspections
• Suppliers showcase demonstrating inspirational innovations and solutions.
• ………..AND MORE

Delegates of any background are welcome; this event will be of particular interest to carers, clinicians, caterers and everyone who supports individuals with dysphagia. 

More details will be available on the IDDSI website soon!