Research is integral to the UTS Graduate School of Health Physiotherapy team.
Physiotherapy research
Health research is a key strength of UTS’s research strategy. The strategy is underpinned by a significant five-year investment and has a focus on collaborative and interdisciplinary research; innovative technological approaches; commitment to researcher development and strengthening the relationship between research and teaching and learning.
UTS Physiotherapy has a research-intensive culture with internationally renowned researchers in physiotherapy practice, clinical collaborations, and research students.
At UTS Physiotherapy, our research vision is to "Reduce the burden of (neuro)musculoskeletal disorders in society (RoBUST)".
Reduce the burden of (neuro)musculoskeletal disorders in society (RoBUST)
Our research strengths are in the areas of neurological rehabilitation, musculoskeletal injuries, and meta-research. We have three dedicated teams of researchers: NeuroRoBUST (led by Dr Camila Quel de Oliveira), MuskRoBUST team (led by Dr Bruno Saragiotto) and a MetaRoBUST team (led by Dr Peter Stubbs) working on research that helps the lives of people with these conditions using a range of study designs and methods.
UTS Physiotherapy has developed a practice-based research network, called the Collaborative Australian Physiotherapy Research Initiative (CAPRI). Clinicians can become part of a large database that links with patients for future research projects.
Supervisors
The following supervisors are open to receiving expressions of interest:
| Camila Quel de Oliveira | Rehabilitation, physiotherapy, recovery, spinal cord injuries, neurological conditions. |
| Poonam Mehta | Pain, physical functions, ageing, clinometric properties, systematic review |
| Joshua Pate | Dr Pate researches pain science education, particularly conceptual change in children in clinical and school settings. He has created and tested several novel questionnaires. |
| Peter Stubbs | Stroke, TBI, emerging technologies, meta-research, database research |
| Dr Anthony Nasser | Buttocks, hip, hamstring, femoroacetabular impingement, tendinopathy |
| Bruno Saragiotto | The overarching focus of Dr Saragiotto's research is on telehealth for chronic pain conditions, innovation in rehabilitation, and implementation science. |
| Luke Jenkins | Low back pain, neurobiology, nervous system, proteomics, prediction, causal inference.
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Current student research projects
Our current research students are working on the following projects:
- Max Hopes: Establishing inclusion criteria for proximal hamstring tendinopathy research
- Laura Stendell: Living with a Spinal Cord Injury in the Community: Are people meeting the recommended clinical guidelines for physical activity?
- Melani Boyce: Balance and Fall in People with Cervical Dystonia
- Moges Gashaw Getnet: Promoting self-management support for people with chronic low back pain
- Tamer Sabet: The Development of a Core Outcome Set (COS) for Neck Pain for Routine Use in Clinical Trials and Clinical Practice
- Rebecca Fechner: Bridging the Gap with Paediatric Chronic Pain in Schools
- Nusrat Hamdani: Promoting Active Aging: Understanding Physical Activity Management in Older Population
- Jennifer Norton: Upskilling and training non-technical skills of community clinicians working with children challenged by chronic pain
Prospective student research projects
If you are interested in completing an MRes or PhD at UTS, you can use these links to find out more:
Doctor of Philosophy (C02099)
Master of Physiotherapy (Research) (C03059)
Scholarships
The Graduate School of Health offers a range of competitive scholarships to support outstanding research students who are seeking to undertake a PhD.
Work with us
We welcome expressions of interest from enthusiastic researchers at all career stages.
Email gsh.future@uts.edu.au to make a confidential enquiry.
