school-of-physiotherapy-and-exercise-science-newsletter-dec-2016

School of Physiotherapy & Exercise Science NEWSLETTER Message from the Head of School This final newsletter for 2016 signals the end of a challenging but again highly successful year for the School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science at Curtin University I want to take this opportunity to thank all staff for their ongoing dedication to achieving strong outcomes for our students, across each of our undergraduate and post-graduate courses, and our higher degree by research courses CONTACT: Department: School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science Address: Building 408, Level Kent Street, Bentley, WA 6102 Postal address: GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845 Tel: +61 9266 4644 Fax: +61 9266 3699 Email: reception@physio.curtin.edu.au twitter.com/CurtinPhysio I also want to pay tribute the School’s Executive Committee, who ensure the multitude of activities undertaken by the School all occur in a timely and seamless manner The Executive Committee includes Peter Gardner (Deputy Head of School), Toni Johnson (School Business Manager), Trudi Fischer (Director of Entry Level Courses), Anne Furness (Director of Learning and Teaching), Kathy Briffa (Director of Research Training), Kevin Netto (Director of Research), Alan Reubenson (Director of Clinical Education), Peter Robinson (Director of International Programs), Rob Waller (Acting Director of Post-Graduate programs), Paul Davey (Staff Representative), Andrew Lavender (ESRS Course Coordinator) and Andrew Maiorana (ESRS CoDiscipline lead) In particular, Peter Gardner and Toni Johnson have provided lead roles in ensuring the School has met some increased requirements with respect to budgets, contracts and related changes in university procedures in the latter half of 2016 Also thanks to Janet Hutson for her excellent assistance to me as Head of School, and the School Executive throughout the year There have been many highlights and achievements achieved by staff and students throughout the year, and this Newsletter again features many of these achievements It is particularly pleasing to note the achievements and appreciation noted by some of our recent / past BSc Physiotherapy Honours students as they reach the culmination stage of their Honours work – presenting their work at a major conference This is a wonderful opportunity for these students/ past students, and excellent as a showcase of the quality of our Physiotherapy Honours program to the external world The School is also commencing a new Honours program in 2017 (one year add-on) to be run together with the School of Public Health Sarah Stearne and other members of the Exercise Sports and Rehabilitation Science course (and some Physiotherapy staff as well), and of course Anne Furness from the Learning and Teaching portfolio, have done an excellent job in the preliminary work in establishing this new course While it looks like there will be relatively small numbers of Exercise Science students in the first intake in 2017 (though larger than expected student numbers from Public Health), we are confident these numbers will quickly grow as the reputation of the new course becomes more evident I take this opportunity on behalf of the School to wish you all a happy and relaxing holiday period surrounded by friends, family and loved ones And take it easy on the New Year resolutions… Staff Promotions In October the Vice Chancellor announced the four School staff who were successful in gaining promotions from Level B (Lecturer) to level C (Senior Lecturer) Successful staff are:  Susan Morris  Penny Moss  Leo Ng  Vin Cavalheri de Oliveira This is an excellent recognition of the contributions by these staff to teaching and learning, research and service and leadership Well done to all four staff Penny, Leo, Vin and Sue ********** Dr Susan Morris The movement of light: How the autistic brain processes the world Dr Susan Morris is currently working on a research project with student Yi Huey Lim aiming to develop a better understanding of how autistic people experience the world The study focuses on the interpretation of optic flow and how this impacts balance and movement “Imagine walking around, sitting down or standing still, but being unsure if you, or the world around you, is moving.” Sue theorises that this may be the unsteadying experience of some people on the autism spectrum, who have sensory processing challenges This collaborative project featured in the November Faculty Newsletter and can be read in full on: The movement of light: how the autistic brain processes the world Dr Beatriz IR de Oliveira Deputy to Director International Beatriz De Oliveira was appointed Deputy to Director of International Programs Bea brings a wealth of knowledge to the role including experience being an international student herself and the challenges this brings We acknowledge the work Julie Bayliss has put into this important role over the last few years and thank her for her dedication to the role ********** Dr Lex de Jong Research Fellow Lex de Jong commenced with the School on Monday, 31 October as a Research Fellow Over the next two years, Lex will be working with Associate Professor Anne-Marie Hill on a number of falls prevention research projects Lex is a physiotherapist and physiotherapy lecturer having received his PhD from the University of Groningen, The Netherlands in 2014 In the past 18 months he was involved in research in the area of falls prevention and healthy ageing at Glasgow Caledonian University Having had enough of the dull and depressing Scottish weather he decided to apply for a position in sunny Perth Welcome to the sunshine Lex ********** Karen Richards Gold Medal Winner Karen Richards travelled to Hobart in October to represent WA over 40s at the Australian National Masters hockey championships WA were a well drilled side (and the most dedicated) after all the 5.45am weekend training sessions they had done in preparation Karen’s team were undefeated throughout the tournament, beating Queensland (2-1) in the final With two gold medals, two silver and two fourth places, WA were the best performing state at the championships Karen returned to work with a few bruises, sunburn and a sore ankle… as well as the gold medal Small price to pay really Congratulations ! STAFF PROFILE Liz Bell Scholarly Teaching Fellow In 25 words or less, tell us about the main elements of your current role I mainly teach third year students in the neuroscience stream, with some second year teaching I also clinical supervision What drives you / what motivates you to carry on? I love working with young people - as many of you know I'm not very mature myself at times!! I also care about the quality of Neuro physiotherapy in Perth, and whilst I may want to treat every stroke patient myself, teaching the students is probably a better use of time The money also helps!! What is currently in your inbox / what project you are currently working on? Teaching fills most of my time, but preparation for the third year simulated placement comes a close second Dipping my toe in the murky waters of research is looming on the horizon in the form of honours possibilities Your best / most memorable / most outstanding experience and why? If there is anyone who has somehow managed to escape my raving about how awesome Go Global in Shanghai was earlier this year, have you been at work since July? Even Keith was subject to full blown details The students The patients The learning experience Maybe I can work another ten years until retirement If you weren’t working in this role, what would you be doing? Family times My heart says travel I have a stack of unread books on my bedside table That will have to keep me occupied since my eyes say I can't be a pilot anymore! Trudi Fischer Director of Entry Level Courses In November the School Executive endorsed the nomination of Trudi Fischer to a second term as the School’s Director of Entry Level Courses We thank Trudi for her excellent work in this position over the past three years, and congratulate her on this successful re-nomination Dr Meg Harrold Deputy to Director Learning and Teaching Meg Harrold will be taking over the role of Deputy to the Director of Learning and Teaching from Leo Ng in January 2017, following a period of transition Meg brings a wealth of knowledge from the various forms of teaching / coordination that she has been involved in within the entry level physiotherapy courses and we look forward to her contributions in this new role Thanks to Leo for his contributions over the last 12 months in the role Clinical Community Thank You Event Engaging the millennial learner: challenges and opportunities On Thursday, 13 October the School held a Thank You event for our clinical partners The theme was : “Engaging the millennial learner: challenges and opportunities” The Millennial generation, those born between 1982 and sometime in the early 2000’s, has never known the world without the internet, where texting and social media by default dominate communication This environment, along with other experiences, has resulted in characteristics that impact on how they learn, think, communicate and work Anne Furness was the lead presenter and the presentation was followed by refreshments 2016 Australian Awards for University Teaching – Award for Programs that Enhance Learning 2017 Curtin Learning and Teaching Grants Scheme The National Physiotherapy Simulation Project team (led by Professor Tony Wright and Dr Penny Moss) received another major national recognition when they were presented with the: 2016 Australian Award for University Teaching – Award for Programs that Enhance Learning Two School Teaching teams were successful in this highly competitive round of Learning and Teaching applications: Tony and Penny coordinated this innovative clinical simulation project and received the prize on behalf of the 16 Universities around Australia who collaborated The presentation was made by David Learmonth, Deputy Secretary Higher Education, Research and International on behalf of the Hon Simon Birmingham, Minister for Education and Training at the National Awards Presentation Ceremony, which was hosted by the Department of Education and Training on Thursday, December Congratulations on this fantastic national recognition to Tony and Penny who led the overall project, to Dr Kate Watson and Stephen Rue who nationally coordinated quantitative and qualitative research, to Alan Reubenson and the Curtin team who implemented the Curtin component of the project and to the more than 200 staff on the other 15 University simulation teams Beatriz IR de Oliveira, Merv Travers, John Owens and Anne Furness were awarded a grant in this initiative for their project: “Optimising student assessment and feedback to drive the learning of Anatomy through an interactive automated system” Academics involved in the units of Functional Anatomy and Introduction to Clinical Anatomy and Physiotherapy Practice developed a system that combines the use of AppleTM iPads and the Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS) This assessment, feedback and learning strategy was successfully piloted in iCAPP in 2016 It involved a shift from paper based laboratory exams to students inputting answers via an iPad and into a test created on the Blackboard LMS This automated system allowed the teaching staff the capacity to execute multiple mock examinations and give students exposure to the examination format and instantaneous feedback on their performance In light of the above, our new project aims to roll-out the system to a larger cohort in Functional Anatomy and assess the effectiveness of the new automated system of assessment and feedback Leo Ng and Merv Travers also received an honourable mention for creating the automated system of assessment and feedback AND Peter Gardner, Anne Furness and several teaching teams within the School were awarded a grant for their project: “Using standard setting to ensure defensible credentialing of physiotherapy students” David Learmonth Tony Wright and Penny Moss The aim of this project is to redesign the end of course capstone assessment for physiotherapy students in the BSc (Physiotherapy) and GEM courses The project will utilise a standard setting process (Ebel process) to determine an appropriate level of complexity for the final examination as the minimum benchmark for graduating students They will compare scores from academics from a range of different universities to determine an appropriate minimum cut off score for the assessment Media Awards Faculty Research Awards Associate Professor Kevin Netto received the Curtin Public Relations Award for Best Collaboration with the Media Relations Team This award recognises the academic who has worked the closest with the Curtin Media Relations team to raise the profile of the University through the media by:  Providing expert commentary  Working collaboratively with the media team on written communications with the media  Completing and assisting with media training  Engaging with The Conversation Kevin and Andrew with their Awards Dr Andrew Lavender received an award for The Curtin Academic having achieved the highest readership of an article published in The Conversation This award was for his article “What is restless leg syndrome?” It has received 378,208 reads since being published on 29 March The article explains the symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatment of this syndrome In addition, Andrew has had another highly successful article in The Conversation - “What’s happening when our joints crack and is it bad?” That has also had extremely strong readership — so far 307,889 unique readers ********** The Faculty Research Awards, were presented on Wednesday, 30 November, and recognised current or past School staff, with two of the three research awards The Lifetime Research Award was presented to Professor Garry Allison Garry has had a strong research role within the School over many years, and more recently in his roles as Faculty Dean of Research, and now Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor Research Training, has continued to supervise HDR students, provide support and mentorship to early career researchers, and attract research project funding Professor Peter O’Sullivan was awarded the Researcher of the Year Award Peter has had an exceptional past several years in his 0.5 FTE research role in the School (he continues to work part time in clinical practice as well) Peter is internationally renowned for his research in low back pain Peter has an H index of 37 He is the ninth most published researcher in the field of back pain internationally in the last five years and is in the top 0.2% internationally He has published (or in press) 191 publications in international peer review journals, including 24 papers published in 2015 Peter has also been chief investigator on grants worth over $5,000,000 including a recent Centre of Research Excellence grant collaborating with The University of Melbourne These awards are excellent recognition of the high quality of research being conducted within the School and Faculty Congratulations Peter and Garry Karen Richards Raine Medical Research Foundation Prize At the Raine Study Annual Scientific Meeting in September, Karen Richards was awarded a Raine Medical Research Foundation prize for her presentation: “Neck posture surprisingly is not associated with neck pain in adolescents” Professor Lou Landau presented the awards for the two best presentations by early career researchers to Karen and Niamh Troy Congratulations Professor Landau, Karen and Niamh Hayley Miller Inaugural AFL Women’s National Draft The Fremantle Women’s team were selected in October with Hayley Miller, one of our third year physiotherapy students, being named as their first draft pick Hayley discovered her love of football in high school and, after competing in a lightning carnival, was scouted and selected to play in an under 18 State team She has played for the Coastal Titans in the WAWFL and, after playing in a Melbourne team in the exhibition game held in August, she is looking forward to working under Coach Michelle Cowan again Hayley is also excited to be playing alongside Kara Donnellan and Ebony Antonio again Hayley will have her work cut out for herself juggling study, work and football, but it’s a challenge she is looking forward to, and being part of this historic time in sport Well done, congratulations Hayley The full article can be read on: http://www.fremantlefc.com.au/news/2016-1012/miller-is-freos-number-one Sports Medicine Australia Conference By Ashleigh Neil I was fortunate enough to attend the Sports Medicine Australia conference in Melbourne in October, thanks to the support of the School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science at Curtin Without a doubt, the highlight of the conference was presenting my honours project on a national stage It was a nice way to culminate two years of hard work During the conference period, I was also able to partake in a poster presentation session – standing in for one of my supervisors This was a great experience, as it really facilitated conversation between researchers with similar interests in the research field The networking opportunities provided by the conference were vast and, as a result, I met and talked to researchers from universities across Australia, Standford College in America, and even the Eagles physio himself! As a student, living on a student budget, special mention must also go to the food Not only was it plentiful, but it was also some of the best food I’ve eaten in a long time! Melbourne was a great experience, from hearing first-hand the latest evidence in an array of topics, to the people, the venue (MCG!!), and the city itself Left: Hayley with Coach, Michelle Cowan Alison Wade Wheelchair Challenge In October Alison Wade, an ESRS student, took part in The Wheelchair Challenge and spent a day in a wheelchair to promote awareness and raise funds for wheelchair sports One of the main aims of the challenge is to raise awareness of the challenging issues of accessibility encountered by people with a physical disability This experience provides their able bodied peers with the opportunity to have first-hand experience in a wheelchair Alison raised $489 well done and thanks to all who contributed Ashleigh Neil and Nathan Stephens Nathan Stephens Nathan Stephens presented a poster at the Sports Medicine Conference His attendance at the conference was supported by the School as winner of the best Honours presentation in his final year in 2015 with: ”The effects of taping on ankle and knee biomechanics during basketball specific tasks” Well done Ashleigh and Nathan Best Honours Presentation Conference Presentation By Phoebe Simpson Final Year Physiotherapy Honours Student In October, the 4th year Honours students presented the results of their projects in a research seminar and all presentations were of a very high standard I would like to thank the School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science for the opportunity to present my Honours paper titled: Is there a relationship between competence and enjoyment with physical activity in children? to the Sports Medicine Australia Conference in Melbourne My paper was shortlisted for the new researcher award and I met some fantastic, vibrant young international researchers at the pre-conference judging Being my first conference, I was nervously excited to present my work and was in awe of the amazing research being produced from physiotherapists, exercise scientists and public health researchers Although I did not win, the experience itself was amazing, as was the networking and relationships I was able to build over the course of the conference I intend to pursue a career in research upon graduation and the experience of attending the SMA conference solidified why I enjoy research so much and how important it is to both advocate for physiotherapy through research as well as inform clinicians of the latest evidence based findings to be used in clinical practice I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to the fantastic research team I worked with over the Honours program: Dr Leo Ng, Ashleigh Neil, Dr Sian Williams, Dr Sue Morris and Dr Erin Howie I would also like to thank Dr Robyn Fary for her support and guidance as Honours Unit Coordinator who managed to fit the Honours program seamlessly into the Physiotherapy course during the past two years I would also like to thank Professor Keith Hill for providing financial support from the School for my presentation Overall, the experience as an undergraduate was both daunting and rewarding and hopefully encourages other students to pursue research and put their work forward for future conferences Samantha Lee won the prize for best presentation as judged by Dr Lynn Jensen Samantha’s topic was: “Investigating factors influencing physiotherapy involvement in the treatment and management of people with severe and persistent mental illness” She was supervised by Dr Robyn Fary and Dr Kathy Briffa and Professor Flavie Waters (from Clinical Research Centre, NMHS MH, UWA) As winner, Sam will receive financial support to attend a conference where she will present her research Well done and congratulations Samantha (and Robyn, Kathy and Flavie—your hard work has paid off!) Robyn Fary, Samantha Lee and Kathy Briffa ********** Lee Conlon Congratulations to one of our Masters students - Lee Conlan - who won the "Best Poster" prize at the Continence Foundation Conference in November Her project entitled "Telehealth assessment and management of stress urinary incontinence amongst women in rural locations: six case reports" was supervised by Dr Judith Thompson and Dr Robyn Fary This is an excellent achievement, demonstrating the high quality research being conducted as part of the Masters of Clinical Physiotherapy, Continence and Women’s Health Major Congratulations to everyone involved Far Left: Leo Ng, Phoebe Simpson, Kevin Netto, and Nathan Stephens Left: Lee Conlon and Judith Thompson Lee Conlan with Judith Thompson with her winning poster Applied Prognostic Research Methods Course In the last week of September, 17 staff and PhD students from the School participated in a five day intensive course on Applied Prognostic Research Methods The focus of the course was a conceptual framework in which to stage research into prognostic associations, prediction model/rules, causation and the stratifying of treatment effects This framework allowed the identification of the research study designs, statistical techniques and inferences / conclusions that are appropriate to each of those stages of prognostic research The feedback about the course from the participants was very positive The course leaders from the School, Associate Professor Peter Kent and Dr Anne Smith are very grateful to Associate Professor Alice Kongsted who travelled from the University of Southern Denmark, to volunteer her time and co-lead the course Manual Concepts 2017 COMT Programme Manual Concepts will again run their COMT programme at the School in June next year and has kindly provided a complimentary place for one of our Nepalese colleagues Dr Ramesh Sada The School has been developing our relationship with the Nepal Orthopaedic Hospital over many years and the exchange programme provides our students with invaluable insights during their one month placement at the hospital, as well as helping them to deliver better musculoskeletal physiotherapy to their patients In recognition of this service to our students we have been able to arrange this complimentary place in a one month intensive post-graduate Musculoskeletal physiotherapy course run by Manual Concepts Mr Krishna Nepal (Head of Physiotherapy at Tribhuvan Teaching Hospital) attended this course last year and found it to be an invaluable experience, so we are very pleased to be able to extend this opportunity to Dr Sada Many thanks to Toby Hall, Kim Robinson and the team at Manual Concepts for their very generous contribution to developing our vital international relationships School 2016 placement at Nepal Orthopaedic Hospital—Evan Coopes (front left) and Ramesh (second from right) Australasian Simulation Congress 2016 Several staff from the Faculty of Health Sciences represented Curtin at the recent Simulation Australasia Conference, held in Melbourne in September As well as chairing sessions, learning about new and exciting innovations in the world of simulation, hosting interest group meetings, attending the Australian Society for Simulation in Healthcare members’ meeting, and the Simulation Australasia Annual General Meeting, the group presented on a diverse range of topics: Ms Jade Cartwright and Dr Janet Beilby – ‘Development and Use of a Digital Patient: A Virtual Resident with Dementia’ Dr Diane Dennis and Dr Penny Moss – ‘A Comparison Between Two Physiotherapy Clinical Placements Models Involving a Simulation Based Placement and a Traditional Placement: is There a Difference in Student Competence Outcomes?’ Congratulations Di, Penny, Jade and Janet STAFF PROFILE Toni Johnson School Business Manager In 25 words or less, tell us about the main elements of your current role People and money and everything in between What drives you / what motivates you to carry on? Challenge and opportunity Where there is one there is usually the other and I am driven by the opportunity to contribute to the growth and success of not only businesses and their practices but also the personal development of people What is currently in your inbox / what project you are currently working on? My inbox contains a wonderfully varied mix of projects and deadlines Apart from the day to day business of the School I’m looking forward to developing and implementing the School’s 2017 strategic plan ********** Raine Study Annual Scientific Meeting Her Excellency the Honourable Kerry Sanderson AC, Governor of Western Australia and Patron of the Raine Study opened the Raine Study Annual Scientific Meeting on Friday, 30 September Professor Leon Straker presented a decade of research on spinal pain in adolescence on behalf of a team including Professor Peter O’Sullivan, Associate Professor Anne Smith and Dr Darren Beales Dr Joanne McVeigh, presented on the School’s research on physical activity and sedentary behaviour in the Raine cohort from to 22 years of age Anu Bharadwaj presented on a Raine Study project examining work design, on which Professor Straker is an investigator At the Raine Study Annual Scientific Meeting, Karen Richards was awarded a Raine Medical Research Foundation prize for her presentation on “Neck posture surprisingly is not associated with neck pain in adolescents” Well done everyone Your best / most memorable/most outstanding experience and why? Moving from one side of the curtain to the other (Opera Singer to my first ‘proper job’ as Concerts Manager) Challenging myself to learn another side of the arts and business and enjoying the successes of hard work It was the lightbulb moment when I realised I wanted to work in a management role and positively change businesses and impact positively on people If you weren’t working in this role, what would you be doing? In the grand scheme of things I am fascinated by medicine so perhaps, if I had my life over again, I would have been a neurosurgeon Leon Straker, Joanne McVeigh and Hon Kerry Sanderson AC Internationalisation of the School In 2016, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings rated Curtin University as the 26th most international university in the world (and the second most international university in Australia, just behind the Australian National University) Rankings are based on an international outlook indicator, which considers each institution’s proportion of international staff, proportion of international students and proportion of research papers published with at least one co-author from another country This international indicator is one of five indicators that contribute to the overall university ranking, and is seen increasingly as a key indicator of the position of a university within a global society The School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science has placed a strong focus on international activities in recent years These include both out-bound and in-bound student placement opportunities, and identifying opportunities to promote our teaching and research outcomes, and our post-graduate programs internationally Some of the tangible indicators of international activity for the School include the proportion of our students who are engaged in international placement opportunities (approximately 25% of final year physiotherapy students), the substantial growth in international student enrolments from 2014 to 2016 (52% increase in undergraduate and 44% in post-graduate enrolments), and the growing number of international research collaborations and publications with international co-authors The following pages detail some of the recent international activities that are helping to further strengthen the School’s international profile Associate Professor Peter Kent Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital in Doha In the last week of October, Associate Professor Peter Kent gave an invited presentation on ‘How can wearable movement sensors help us understand and manage back pain?’ at the Aspetar Orthopaedic and the Sports Medicine Hospital in Doha, Qatar (aspetar.com) While there, he also spent three days working with the physiotherapy staff who are establishing a new spine centre under the guidance of Dr Kieran O’Sullivan (a Curtin physiotherapy Masters graduate) AND University of Southern Denmark, in Odense Afterwards, Peter travelled to Denmark to work on a protocol for a new collaborative PhD on outcome trajectories of back pain He also gave two invited presentations on research methods The first was on ‘Multiple single case series designs’ for the Clinical Biomechanics Research Unit, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark The second was on ‘From the study of regularity to the study of variability’ which was part of an inaugural Professorial Seminar at the Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, for three new adjunct professors (http://www.sdu.dk/ en/om_sdu/institutter_centre/ Above: University of Southern Denmark and Greg Kawchuk (Dept of Physical Therapy, University of Alberta) and David Cassidy (School of Public Health, University of Toronto) Left: Peter and one of the Spine Centre team in front of the Aspire Academy, which is a multi-sport skills development centre for young Qatari athletes 10 Professor Emerson Franchini and Dr Monica Takito University of Sao Paulo Associate Professor Celso Carvalho and Ms Rafaella Xavier, University of Sao Paulo By Dr Vin Cavalheri Thursday, October Dr Andrew Lavender and Dr Vin Cavalheri hosted Professor Franchini and Dr Takito, from the University of Sao Paulo, on a tour around building 408 and 400 Associate Professor Celso Carvalho and Ms Rafaella Xavier, from the University of Sao Paulo (USP), were in Perth for ten very productive days in November They were here as part of the ATN-FAPESP research grant that Associate Professor Kylie Hill and I were awarded in collaboration with Celso's group from USP Professor Franchini and Dr Takito were in Perth visiting relatives and a friend (Dr Welber Marinovic from the School of Psychology at Curtin) They discussed the potential for future research collaboration in the areas of exercise training, combat sports (Judo, Karate, Jiu-jitsu) and women's health Welber Marinovic, Monica Takito, Vin Cavalheri, Emerson Francini and Andrew Lavender As part of the visit, Celso delivered talks at APA WA (for the Cardiorespiratory group), at the Community Physiotherapy Service (WASON building in the city) and at Fiona Stanley Hospital His talk at Fiona Stanley Hospital was video conferenced to nine other sites in WA and had massive participation of physios from these sites (including Bunbury, Midlands, Rockingham, SCGH, RPH, Hollywood Hospital, Fremantle Hospital and others) It was the first time the Physiotherapy Department at Fiona Stanley Hospital tried the videolink system and it worked really well Celso and Rafaella also had several research meetings during their stay in Perth and gave valuable feedback on the research conducted by students that Kylie and I are supervising Associate Professor Celia Cornwell, Dean International, kindly organised a Curtin/USP dinner in South Perth with the aim of strengthening the link between Curtin and USP Left: Dinner with members of Faculty of Health Sciences Middle: Lecture at Fiona Stanley Hospital Right: Rafaella Xavier, Vin Cavalheri, Ben Noteboom, Kylie Hill and Celso Carvalho 11 Professor Keith Hill Reducing Falls Risk for Older People in Singapore In November, Professor Keith Hill was invited by the Singapore Ministry of Health to provide an intensive series of presentations, workshops, meetings and site visits to review and provide advice on current approaches to reduce falls risk for older people in Singapore The visit was hosted by a new hospital (Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, KTPH), and Singapore General Hospital KTPH is one of a number of new hospitals being built to high quality design specifications, aiming to provide healthy and quality environments for patients, with a particular focus on the growing ageing population The visit provided a two way opportunity for sharing of best practice in both countries Special thanks to Wendy Lim, Rehabilitation Manager at KTPH, and Gary Cheok (SGH) for their excellent hospitality (and some wonderful culinary experiences!) While in Singapore, Keith also participated in a PostGraduate Allied Health Institute (PGAHI) Board meeting (he is a board member on this organisation supporting increased post graduate allied health training opportunities in Singapore), and also met with one of his current PhD students (Eyvonne Sim) and cosupervisors at Singapore General Hospital (Dr Dawn Tan and Dr Yong Hao Pua) to discuss progress in her project investigating patients with residual problems following management of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo Top: Keith and Wendy Lim with one of the many health promoting messages throughout KTPH Right: Enjoying the local cuisine Below: Keith presenting an interdisciplinary workshop 12 Visit by Danish Pain Researcher Dr Henrik Bjarke Vaegter Dr Henrik Bjarke Vaegter spent eight days working at the school in late November Henrik is a physiotherapist and researcher who works in the Odense University Hospital Pain Centre in Denmark He also runs a clinical pain registry that covers most of the geographic areas in Denmark While at the school Henrik worked closely with some of our researchers studying persistent pain and a number of collaborative projects were established These included: (i) two proj ects characterizing Danish patients with persistent pain and their treatment response (with Helen Slater, Anne Smith and Peter Kent), (ii) a proj ect investigating clinician - patient communication and understanding about MRI findings during clinical encounters with Danish people with low back pain (with Ivan Lin), (iii) a study of attentional bias in patients with persistent pain (with psychologists from Curtin University, Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia), (iv) an investigation of the effects of physical exercise on conditioned pain modulation (with Anne Smith), (v) discussions about the potential for a study of Cognitive Functional Therapy with patients at the Pain Centre (with Peter O’Sullivan) Above:: Standing - Leon Straker, Peter O’Sullivan, Rob Waller Front - Peter Kent, Amity Campbell, Karen Ridhards, Henrik Bjarke Vaegter and Anne Smith Below left: Henrik Bjarke Below right: Odense University Hospital Articles published since last newsletter by staff and Adjuncts Cui L, Astudillo GS, Allison GT A neuromotor device for reducing phantom limb pain in individuals with spinal cord injury In, MATEC Web of Conferences; 2016 Beales D, Mitchell T, Pole N, Weir J Brief biopsychosocially informed education can improve insurance workers' back pain beliefs: Implications for improving claims management behaviours Work (Reading, Mass) 2016, Edgar DW, Briffa NK, Wood FM Whole arm water displacement volumetry is a reliable and sensitive measure: A pilot to assess acute postburn volume change Journal of burn care & research : official publication of the American Burn Association 2016: 37 (6), e508-e514 Ackerman IN, Briggs AM, Ngian GS, Van Doornum S Closing the pregnancy-related information gap for women with rheumatoid arthritis Rheumatology (United Kingdom) 2016: 55(8), 1343-1344 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/kew024 Ngian GS, Briggs AM, Ackerman IN, Van Doornum S Safety of anti-rheumatic drugs for rheumatoid arthritis in pregnancy and lactation International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases 2016: 19(9), 834-843 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1756-185X.12860 Briggs AM, Jordan JE, Ackerman IN, Van Doornum S Establishing cross-discipline consensus on contraception, pregnancy and breast feeding-related educational messages and clinical practices to support women with rheumatoid arthritis: An Australian Delphi study BMJ open 2016: 6(9), http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-012139 Burton E, Farrier K, Lewin G, Pettigrew S, Hill A-M, Airey P, Bainbridge L, Hill KD Motivators and barriers for older people participating in resistance training: A systematic review Journal of aging and physical activity 2016, 1-41 Burton E, Hill K, Lewin G, Pettigrew S, Hill A-M, Marston K, Airey P, Bainbridge L, Farrier K Resistance training: Why some older people participate and others don't Journal of Aging and Physical Activity 2016: 24, S17-S18 Thogersen-Ntoumani C, Ntoumanis N, Burton E, Hill K, Cerin E, Biddle SJH The Residents in Action Trial (RIAT): Promoting walking, less sitting, and better mental health in residents in retirement villages Journal of Aging and Physical Activity 2016: 24, S51-S51 Caneiro JP, Smith A, O'Sullivan K, O'Keeffe M, Dankaerts W, Fersum K, Gibson W, Wand BM, O'Sullivan P "Low back pain misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis: Core principles" (Monie AP, Fazey PJ, Singer KP Manual Therapy 22 (2016) 68-71) Manual Therapy 2016, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.math.2016.09.006 Coenen P, Douwes M, van den Heuvel S, Bosch T Towards exposure limits for working postures and musculoskeletal symptoms - a prospective cohort study Ergonomics 2016: 59(9), 1182-1192 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2015.1130862 de Oliveira BIR, Howie EK, Dunlop SA, Galea MP, McManus A, Allison GT SCIPA Com: outcomes from the spinal cord injury and physical activity in the community intervention Spinal Cord 2016: 54(10), 855-860 Simpson S, Deeble M, Thompson J, Andrews A, Briffa K Should women with incontinence and prolapse abdominal curls? International Urogynecology Journal 2016: 27(10), 1507-1512 Fehr S, Wong K, Chin R, Williams S, De Klerk N, Forbes D, Krishnaraj R, Christodoulou J, Downs J, Leonard H Seizure variables and their relationship to genotype and functional abilities in the CDKL5 disorder Neurology 2016: 87(21), 2206-2213 http://dx.doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000003352 Leonard H, Foley K-R, Pikora T, Bourke J, Wong K, McPherson L, Lennox N, Downs J Transition to adulthood for young people with intellectual disability: the experiences of their families European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 2016: 25(12), 1369-1381 Downs J, Torode I, Wong K, Ellaway C, Elliott EJ, Izatt MT, Askin GN, McPhee BI, Cundy P, Leonard H Rett Syndrome Spinal Fusion G Surgical fusion of early onset severe scoliosis increases survival in Rett syndrome: a cohort study Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 2016: 58(6), 632-638 13 Anthony DR, Gucciardi DF, Gordon S A meta-study of qualitative research on mental toughness development International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology 2016: 9(1), 160-190 Foong RE, Ramsey K, Harper A, Rosenow T, Turkovic L, Skoric B, King L, Davis M, Clem C, Zajakovski N, Stick SM, Davis SD, Ranganathan S, Hall G The ability of the multiple breath washout test to monitor the progression of early lung disease in children with cystic fibrosis Pediatric Pulmonology 2016: 51, 270-270 Hall G, Foong RE, Ramsey K, Skoric B, Harper A, Clem C, Davis M, Turkovic L, Stick SM, Davis SD, Ranganathan S Lung clearance index worsens in the presence of respiratory symptoms in young children with cystic fibrosis Pediatric Pulmonology 2016: 51, 358-358 Hill K Early goal-directed mobilisation in the intensive care unit is feasible and safe, and increases both the level and duration of activity synopsis Journal of physiotherapy 2016: 62(4), 225-225 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jphys.2016.07.005 Lea E, Andrews S, Haines T, Nitz J, Haralambous B, Moore K, Hill K, Robinson A Developing networks between residential aged care facilities as a result of engagement in a falls prevention project: an action research study Contemporary Nurse 2016: 52(2-3), 163-175 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10376178.2015.1129911 Sales M, Polman R, Hill KD, Pazit L Active ageing: A novel dynamic exercise initiative for older people to improve health and well-being Journal of Aging and Physical Activity 2016: 24, S111-S111 Tait JL, Duckham RL, Brownell SM, Rantalainen T, Nowson CA, Taaffe DR, Sanders K, Hill KD, Daly RM Strategies and challenges associated with recruiting retirement communities and residents into an exercise intervention trial Journal of Aging and Physical Activity 2016: 24, S106-S107 Ahmad BS, O'Brien TJ, Gorelik A, Hill KD, Wark JD Bone Mineral Changes in Epilepsy Patients During Initial Years of Antiepileptic Drug Therapy Journal of Clinical Densitometry 2016: 19(4), 450-456 Graven C, Brock K, Hill KD, Cotton S, Joubert L First year after stroke an integrated approach focusing on participation goals aiming to reduce depressive symptoms Stroke 2016: 47(11), 2820-2827 http://dx.doi.org/10.1161/strokeaha.116.013081 Howie EK, Campbell AC, Abbott RA, Straker LM Understanding why an active video game intervention did not improve motor skill and physical activity in children with developmental coordination disorder: A quantity or quality issue? Research in developmental disabilities 2016: 60, 1-12 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2016.10.013 Howie EK, McVeigh JA, Straker LM Comparison of Compliance and Intervention Outcomes between Hip- and Wrist-Worn Accelerometers during a Randomized Crossover Trial of an Active Video Games Intervention in Children Journal of physical activity & health 2016: 13(9), 964-969 Laird RA, Kent P, Keating JL How consistent are lordosis, range of movement and lumbo-pelvic rhythm in people with and without back pain? BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2016: 17(1), 1-14 http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12891-016-1250-1 Kent P, Hancock MJ Interpretation of dichotomous outcomes: sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios, and pre -test and posttest probability Journal of physiotherapy 2016: 62(4), 231-233 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jphys.2016.08.008 Liew BXW, Morris S, Netto K The effects of load carriage on joint work at different running velocities mechanics 2016: 49(14), 3275-3280 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2016.08.012 Journal of Bio- Liew BXW, Morris S, Keogh JWL, Appleby B, Netto K Effects of two neuromuscular training programs on running biomechanics with load carriage: a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2016: 17(1), 1-10 http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12891-016-1271-9 Maiorana A, Levinger I, Davison K, Smart N, Coombes J, Accredited Exercise Physiologists E, Sports Science A Exercise prescription is not just for medical doctors: the benefits of shared care by physicians and exercise professionals British journal of sports medicine 2016, http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-096994 14 Panizzolo FA, Maiorana AJ, Naylor LH, Dembo LG, Lloyd DG, Green DJ, Rubenson J Muscle size explains low passive skeletal muscle force in heart failure patients Peerj 2016: 4, http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2447 McVeigh JA, Winkler EAH, Healy GN, Slater J, Eastwood PR, Straker LM Validity of an automated algorithm to identify waking and in-bed wear time in hip-worn accelerometer data collected with a 24 h wear protocol in young adults Physiological measurement 2016: 37(10), 1636-1652 http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0967-3334/37/10/1636 O'Sullivan P, Caneiro JP, O'Keeffe M, O'Sullivan K Unraveling the complexity of low back pain Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy 2016: 46(11), 932-937 http://dx.doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2016.0609 Lye J, Parkinson S, Diamond N, Downs J, Morris S Propulsion strategy in the gait of primary school children; the effect of age and speed Human movement science 2016: 50, 54-61 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2016.10.007 Wand BM, Catley MJ, Rabey MI, O'Sullivan PB, O'Connell NE, Smith AJ Disrupted self-perception in people with chronic low back pain Further evaluation of the Fremantle Back Awareness Questionnaire Journal of Pain 2016: 17(9), 1001-1012 Rabey M, Smith A, Beales D, Slater H, O'Sullivan P Differing psychologically derived clusters in people with chronic low back pain are associated with different multidimensional profiles The Clinical journal of pain 2016: 32(12), 1015-1027 Richards KV, Beales DJ, Smith AJ, O'Sullivan PB, Straker LM Neck posture clusters and their association with biopsychosocial factors and neck pain in Australian Adolescents Physical Therapy 2016: 96(10), 1576-1587 Atkinson M, Rosalie S, Netto K Physical demand of seven closed agility drills Sports Biomechanics 2016: 15(4), 473-480 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14763141.2016.1179781 Brakenridge CL, Fjeldsoe BS, Young DC, Winkler EAH, Dunstan DW, Straker LM, Brakenridge CJ, Healy GN Organizationallevel strategies with or without an activity tracker to reduce office workers' sitting time: Rationale and study design of a pilot cluster-randomized trial Jmir Research Protocols 2016: 5(2), http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/resprot.5438 Mountain JA, Nyaradi A, Oddy WH, Glauert RA, De Klerk NH, Straker LM, Stanley FJ Data linkage in an established longitudinal cohort: The Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study Public Health Research and Practice 2016: 26(3), http://dx.doi.org/10.17061/phrp2631636 Straker LM, Fenner AA, Howie EK, Feltz DL, Gray CM, Lu AS, Mueller FF, Simons M, Barnett LM Efficient and effective change principles in active videogames Games for Health Journal 2015: 4(1), 43-52 http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2014.0077 Brakenridge CL, Fjeldsoe BS, Young DC, Winkler EAH, Dunstan DW, Straker LM, Healy GN Evaluating the effectiveness of organisational-level strategies with or without an activity tracker to reduce office workers' sitting time: A cluster-randomised trial International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2016: 13(1), http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12966-016-0441-3 Demmer DL, Beilin LJ, Hands B, Burrows S, Cox KL, Straker LM, Mori TA Effects of muscle strength and endurance on blood pressure and related cardiometabolic risk factors from childhood to adolescence Journal of hypertension 2016:34(12), 2365-2375 Rising trends in surgery for rotator cuff disease in Western Thorpe A, Hurworth M, O'Sullivan P, Mitchell T, Smith A Australia ANZ Journal of Surgery 2016: 86(10), 801-804 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ans.13691 Wood J, Hill K, Mulrennan S, Morey S, Cecins N, Jenkins S Telehealth increases clinic attendance and has high satisfaction amongst adults with cystic fibrosis living in rural and remote Western Australia Pediatric Pulmonology 2016: 51, 397-397 15 Associate Professor Daniel Gucciardi Defence Research Grant RESEARCHER IN PROFILE Dr Robyn Fary Congratulations to a team led by Daniel Gucciardi, on being awarded a Defence Research Grant Daniel is working in collaboration with Dr Kagan Ducker and researchers in the School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Nikos Ntoumanis, Cecilie Thøgersen-Ntoumani and Eleanor Quested, as well as colleagues from UWA and Macquarie University The project, “A dynamic and temporal perspective to optimise to team resilience” is being funded through DST Group Human Performance Research Network (HPRnet) grants for $416,949 and will involve two PhD scholarships This is an important and growing area of research interest and activity Congratulations to all involved In 25 words or less, tell us about your research In recent times I have worked with the musculoskeletal translational team in the area of rheumatoid arthritis Now I cover a wide range of areas from physical activity in the older adult to telehealth and mental health What drove you to this / what motivates you to carry on? Interest and students I love the detective work associated with research, and the people with whom I work I like my research to have real world application What is currently in your inbox / a project you are working on? A collaborative project with Susan Hunter in Canada looking at how physiotherapists use tools to assess balance and falls risk Your best/most memorable/most outstanding publication and why? The RCT from my PhD in Arthritis and Rheumatism Memorable because it marked the end of that part of my research journey and the beginning of the next If you weren’t researching, what would you be doing? It’s a toss-up Deciding which of the many iconic walks to around the world, or gardening Perhaps both! 16 NHMRC Grants Associate Professor Andrew Maiorana National Health Foundation Vanguard Grant Associate Professor Andrew Maiorana was successful in receiving a National Heart Foundation (NHF) Vanguard Grant of $75,000 for: A randomised, controlled trial of water-based exercise training in people with stable coronary heart disease Synopsis: The study will investigate the effects of exercising in the water for people with heart disease Participants will be randomised to 12 weeks of matched moderate intensity water-based or gym-based exercise, or a control group where they maintain their usual activities The effects on blood vessel health and function, brain blood flow, fitness, strength, body composition and blood test parameters will be compared before and after the intervention period It is anticipated this study will provide health care professionals with important information about the effects of water-based exercise in people with heart disease, providing an evidence-based option to increase their engagement with regular exercise Anna Scheer, PhD candidate in the School, is an Associate Investigator on the project Congratulations to Andrew and Anna on this grant Several of our School staff have had success as Chief Investigators or Associate Investigators on NHMRC grants announced in December: Professor Peter O’Sullivan and Associate Professor Anne Smith are Chief Investigators, and Associate Professors Andrew Briggs and Peter Kent are Associate Investigators on a NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Total Joint Replacement Optimising Outcomes, Equity, Cost Effectiveness and Patient Selection (CRE OPUS) The CRE is led by Professor Choong, with the grant auspiced by The University of Melbourne, and runs from 2017 to 2022 Funding - $2,500,000 Professor Leon Straker is a Chief Investigator on a NHMRC Project grant led by Professor Danny Green, auspiced by UWA Title: “Developmental Origins of Adult Cardiovascular Disease: Vascular Health in the Raine Cohort” Funding - $1,087,427 Professor Leon Straker is an Associate Investigator on a NHMRC Project grant led by Professor David McKay, auspiced by UWA Title: “Young adult myopia: genetic and environmental associations.” Funding - $809,271 Associate Professor Andrew Briggs is a Chief Investigator on an NHMRC Project grant, auspiced by the University of Sydney - Hunter D, Bennell K, Hinman R, Zwar N, Pirotta M, Briggs AM, Schofield D, Forbes A, Bunker S, French S (2016-2018): Title “Optimising primary care management of knee osteoarthritis: the PARTNER project” Funding - $ 1,155,444 Dr Meg Harrold is an Associate Investigator on a successful NHMRC project grant, led by Carol Hodgson and auspiced by Monash University, Title: “Treatment of invasively ventilated adults with Early Activity and Mobilisation” Funding - $1,467,137 Associate Professor Graham Hall is one of the Chief Investigators on a NHMRC Project grant - Biomarkers to define the treatment end-point for pulmonary exacerbations in cystic fibrosis The other Chief Investigators are S Stick, S Ranganathan, R Trengrove, H Tiddens, L Turkovic, T Rosenow Auspice UWA Funding - $1,000,000 17 Associate Professor Kevin Netto NSW Breakers Radio Adelaide (The Wire), interview with Steven Riggall on Friday, October Kevin was interviewed for the report on the NSW's Breakers which will now be Australia's first female domestic team to go fully professional in the cricket world, which is a huge breakthrough for women athletes looking for pay equality This comes after Netball Australia has announced they would double players' wages last month and earlier in the year, the AFL has announced they will now have a professional women's league More information is on: Radio Adelaide More children are being treated for trampoline related incidents than ever before Channel 7, Today Tonight report on Wednesday, 16 November Kevin discussed the increase in trampoline related incidents in children – overtaking football, with nearly 2000 presentation to PMH Emergency Department each year You can watch the report on: Channel Perth Dr Andrew Lavender Cracking Knuckles—Bad Habit or Not? 6PR Mornings, interview with Gary Adshead on Monday, October Andrew advised that early research indicated that the gases in the synovial fluid pop when you crack knuckle joints The synovial fluid is the 'lubricant' in the joints that reduces the rubbing of the bones when moving the joint As long as there is no pain from cracking bones, then there is no problem The interview can be listened to on: 6PR Perth Do YOUR joints creak and crack? Expert reveals exactly what’s behind the noises and if it can lead to arthritis Singapore News and Health Medicine Network articles on Wednesday, October Andrew provided more information about those noises—likely due to movement of the tendon over bone and the shift in position may cause a “pop” sound as it snaps back to its usual place Loud or soft, often or not, it is quite normal There are many causes of arthritis and osteoarthritis, however there doesn't appear to be any convincing evidence there is a link with that cracking sound The articles can be read in full on: Singapore News, Health Medicine Network Health Check: Why we get a stitch and how can we stop it? Articles in The Conversation and the Kenya Star on Tuesday, November and interview on 2UE Dr Elissa Burton Study to Monitor SwanCare Residents wearing Fitbits Community News article on Friday, 30 September Dr Elissa Burton spoke about the opportunity for seniors to gain confidence and strength using new technology—Fitbits—in a two week study Read the article in full on: Community News 18 Andrew was interviewed for an article on stitches, also know as “exercise-related transient abdominal pains” and how we can stop getting them Andrew suggests not eating a large meal in the two hours prior to exercise, avoid sugary drinks like soft drinks and juice and stay well hydrated during your exercise session (with water) The articles can be read / heard in full on: The Conversation, Kenya Star 2UE Sydney Dr Leo Ng Ideal Running Style: should your foot hit the ground heel or toes first? Article in The Age, by Sarah Berry, Saturday, 26 November Dr Leo Ng is the lead author of a study on the running styles of 26 participants Impact and load were measured using sound and 3D motion technology The load on joints changes when using a rear-foot and forefoot strike technique, which can pre-dispose the runner to certain types of injuries Does changing your footwear reduce the risk of injury? What is your running style—are you risking long term damage? Read the article in full on: The Age Karen Richards Posture may not be to blame for neck pain Reported in various articles and interviews in December These reports refer to the Raine study that examines the link between neck posture and neck pain in adolescents Turns out poor posture and slouching over your computer wont necessarily put you at risk of neck pain and headaches The study involves more than 2800 participants who are asked to sit in varying positions - slumped thorax intermediate, upright and forward head and “none of these, however, were found to be associated with persistent neck pain, neck pain in a sitting position, or headaches in 17-year-olds," said lead author Ms Karen Richards The research did find that bio-psychosocial factors, such as exercise frequency, depression and Body Mass Index (BMI), did have an association with headache and neck pain Read the article in full on: World News Australia 9News.com.au News.com.au Herald Sun Perth Now The West Australian The Advertiser Brisbane CourierMail Daily Telegraph Australia 19 Professor Peter O’Sullivan Back Pain 720 ABC Breakfast interview with Peter Bell In November Professor Peter O'Sullivan was interviewed about back pain Population studies show that many people who have back pain can carry on with their life, while a small group become disabled Back pain often means that your structure is sensitive, which may be because you are tired, under pressure and hadn't been as active as you should More information is on: 720 ABC Perth Associate Professor Andrew Briggs Keeping Bones Strong The West Australian article by Susan de Ruyter , Wednesday, November What you know about Osteoporosis? Susan de Ruyter writes about a recent fall, resulting in the need for a bone density scan She spoke to Associate Professor Andrew Briggs on World Osteoporosis Day “We are increasing attention on optimising how the health system works to support people who have minimal trauma fractures,” he said and says Osteoporosis does not have to be an inevitable part of ageing Read the article in full on: The West Australian (Health Section) Professor Leon Straker Staying Well 2UE, Sydney interview with David Prior on Wednesday, 26 October The interview highlights the importance of being active and refers to the recent study made by Curtin University and Safe Work Australia Sedentary jobs are creating a growing range of health risks Professor Leon Straker refers to the amount and jobs that now require people to sit for long periods of time More information is on: 2UE Sydney (Staying Well) CPDANZ Meeting The School hosted the Council of Physiotherapy Deans, Australia and New Zealand (CPDANZ) meeting on and October This meeting, held every six months, involves a representative of each of the 22 universities that run Physiotherapy courses These meeting provide a broader perspective on issues that might be affecting physiotherapy courses in other parts of the country, as well as strategic issues that may be affecting the physiotherapy profession and impact on our curriculum For example the meetings always involve a session with each of the Australian Physiotherapy Association, the Australian Physiotherapy Council and the Physiotherapy Board of Australia (they are actually three separate bodies who have different responsibilities) in which the last couple of meetings issues such as Accreditation Standards for Entry Level Courses, Prescribing Rights for Physiotherapists and the future of Postgraduate Titling and Specialisation are discussed Staff Development Day and End of Year Function On Friday, December more than 60 staff attended the annual staff development and end of year function at the Zoo This year had a slightly different format starting with the Tycoon Challenge (zipping around the Zoo to answer the questionnaire), followed by an informal Staff Meeting and ending with a Trivia Quiz A number of underhand tactics were employed by a few unscrupulous staff to be the first in with their questionnaires to gain bonus points The overall winners of this very competitive challenge was “The Cheetahs” and the clue to their success could well be in the name! Begrudging congratulations to Daniel, Julie, Lex, Paul, Kylie, Leo, Alan and Lauren The informal staff meeting was a good opportunity for staff to sit down after the mornings activities and raise (and discuss) issues regarding School processes and how these can be improved Richard and Tracy plumbed the depths of our trivia knowledge and provided a fun way to end the formal part of the day Top marks to Meg, Kerry, AnneMarie, Kevin, JohnO, Angela and Rob who proved no-one matches their bank of trivial information! Above: Meeting in progress Below: Peter Gardner and Keith Hill (far right) with the CPDANZ members Winners (above) and Losers (below) of the Trivia Quiz 20 Dr Ronald I Shorr MD, MS Guest Lecture Dr Shorr directs the Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) at the North Florida / South Georgia Veterans Health System and is also a Research Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Florida, USA While in Melbourne for the Falls Prevention Conference, Dr Shorr was persuaded to take a detour to Perth and presented a lecture at the School, in conjunction with AAG (WA) on: “Preventing Hospital Falls: Balancing vigilance, autonomy, cost and gravity.” Healthy Competition Staff V Students Beach Volleyball The students are challenged staff again in another sport, Beach Volleyball Leo Ng rallied nine staff to make up a team to take on the students on Friday, October Newer staff got to meet colleagues that they don’t normally work with and the students got to see another side to their lecturers Everyone won a few and everyone lost a few, and then Tim and Tara paired up to show everyone how the game should be played Over 50 people from private practice and the public health service across the metropolitan areas came to hear him speak, with a large number staying on for refreshments to network afterwards The visit was coordinated by Associate Professor AnneMarie Hill, who collaborates with Dr Shorr Anne-Marie organised a number of meetings and related activities for Dr Shorr during his visit Leo Ng, Tim Mitchell, Vin Cavalheri, Kagan Ducker, Tara West, Bea De Oliveira and Lauren Shelley 21 3rd Year ESRS Graduation Dinner was held on Saturday, December at Crown Casino, Studio 3rd Year Physiotherapy Annual Dinner was held on Friday 11 November at the Perth Zoo The 4th Year Physiotherapy Graduation Dinner was held on Saturday, 19 November at the Pan Pacific Hotel 22 23