Overview
Background
Professor Sean Tweedy leads the Para Sport and Adapted Physical Activity Research Group in the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, University of Queensland. Through his applied research program he aims to generate the knowledge required to empower people with disabilities to pursue self-directed goals through safe, effective engagement in sport and physical activity. Sean’s research addresses three main areas of need:
- People with disabilities are among the most inactive people in society and consequently have a disproportionately high incidence of preventable diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes mellitus. Sean’s research program aims to develop evaluate and translate evidence-based methods for increasing physically active behaviour among community dwelling adults with disabilities.
- Para athletes have impairments which adversely affect sports performance, but the extent to which performance is affected varies greatly with some athletes having impairments that cause severe disadvantage in sport and others that cause relatively minor disadvantage. To ensure that competition is fair and that athletes who succeed are not simply those that have less severe impairments, Para athletes compete in classes, each comprising athletes who have impairments that cause a similar amount of disadvantage in sport. Methods for allocating class are not well established and Sean is Principal Investigator for the International Paralympic Committee’s Classification Research and Development Centre (physical impairments) which aims to develop best practice and evidence-based methods for allocating athletes to classes;
- In Australia, the right of people with disability to participate in sport and recreation is protected but only if the accommodations they require - equipment and/or expertise - are deemed to be "reasonable”. Unfortunately people with severe disabilities and high support needs often require equipment and/or expertise which cannot reasonably be expected of community sport and recreation providers. Sean’s research program aims to develop, evaluate and translate methods for safe, effective engagement in physically demanding, competitive sport for people with severe disabilities and high support needs. ParaSTART is his flagship program in this area - https://habs.uq.edu.au/parastart
Availability
- Professor Sean Tweedy is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Human Movement Science, The University of Queensland
- Masters (Coursework), The University of Queensland
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Research impacts
Professor Tweedy developed the Adapted Physical Activity Program (APAP), a theory-driven physical activity promotion program for community dwelling people disabilities. A controlled clinical trial demonstrated its efficacy in people with acquired brain injury, providing impetus for its implementation into the Acquired Brain Injury-Transitional Rehabilitation Service, Queensland’s primary rehabilitation service for people with brain injury. APAP also runs on a cost recovery basis from UQ and each year more than 100 community dwelling adults with a wide range of disabilities are referred. To refer a client visit - https://hmns.uq.edu.au/apap/.
Our research group developed the Maximum Allowable Standing Height (MASH) rule for the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) which is the international standard used to ensure the prosthetics used by bilateral lower limb amputees are anatomically proportional. In 2019 Mr Blake Leeper (USA), a bilateral transtibial amputee and elite 400 m sprinter, applied to World Athletics (WA, Previously IAAF)to run at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games (i.e., against non-disabled runners). In support of his application Mr Leeper provided a scientific report which claimed to show that his prosthetics did not provide him with a competitive advantage. Our group were engaged by WA to evaluate the scientific merit of Mr Leeper's application. We assessed Mr Leepers report and a range of other scientific evidence and advised WA that, on the balance of probabilities, Mr Leepers prosthetics did confer an advantage his application should be rejected. Mr Leeper contested the decision but on 26.10.21 the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled in support of our assessment (CAS2020/A/6807). In December 2020 Mr Leeper challenged the CAS decision on the grounds that the scientific evidence provided by our group was racially discriminatory. However, on 11.6.21, CAS once again ruled in our favour and found our methods were not racially discriminatory (decision announced, grounds pending).
Sean is first author on the IPC Position Stand – Background and Scientific Principles of Classification in disability sport which is among the most highly cited scientific papers in the field (263 citations) and which has also been incorporated verbatim into the IPC Handbook (Chapter 4.4), the common repository for all guiding documents for the Paralympic movement
Works
Search Professor Sean Tweedy’s works on UQ eSpace
2019
Journal Article
Fitness, function, and exercise training responses after limb salvage with a lower limb megaprosthesis: a systematic review
Wilson, Paula J., Steadman, Peter, Beckman, Emma M., Connick, Mark J., Carty, Christopher P. and Tweedy, Sean M. (2019). Fitness, function, and exercise training responses after limb salvage with a lower limb megaprosthesis: a systematic review. PM and R, 11 (5), 533-547. doi: 10.1002/pmrj.12045
2019
Journal Article
Classifying motor coordination impairment in Para swimmers with brain injury
Hogarth, Luke, Payton, Carl, Nicholson, Vaughan, Spathis, Jemima, Tweedy, Sean, Connick, Mark, Beckman, Emma, Van de Vliet, Peter and Burkett, Brendan (2019). Classifying motor coordination impairment in Para swimmers with brain injury. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 22 (5), 526-531. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2018.11.015
2019
Journal Article
Validity of the Apple Watch® for monitoring push counts in people using manual wheelchairs
Karinharju, Kati S., Boughey, Alexandra M., Tweedy, Sean M., Clanchy, Kelly M., Trost, Stewart G. and Gomersall, Sjaan R. (2019). Validity of the Apple Watch® for monitoring push counts in people using manual wheelchairs. Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 44 (2), 1-9. doi: 10.1080/10790268.2019.1576444
2019
Journal Article
Objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children with bronchiectasis: a cross-sectional study
Joschtel, Barbara, Gomersall, Sjaan R., Tweedy, Sean, Petsky, Helen, Chang, Anne B. and Trost, Stewart G. (2019). Objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children with bronchiectasis: a cross-sectional study. BMC Pulmonary Medicine, 19 (1) 7, 7. doi: 10.1186/s12890-018-0772-8
2018
Journal Article
Effects of exercise training on physical and psychosocial health in children with chronic respiratory disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Joschtel, Barbara, Gomersall, Sjaan R, Tweedy, Sean, Petsky, Helen, Chang, Anne B and Trost, Stewart G (2018). Effects of exercise training on physical and psychosocial health in children with chronic respiratory disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine, 4 (1) e000409, e000409. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000409
2018
Journal Article
A battery of strength tests for evidence-based classification in Para swimming
Hogarth, Luke, Nicholson, Vaughan, Spathis, Jemima, Tweedy, Sean, Beckman, Emma, Connick, Mark, van de Vliet, Peter, Payton, Carl and Burkett, Brendan (2018). A battery of strength tests for evidence-based classification in Para swimming. Journal of Sports Sciences, 37 (4), 1-10. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2018.1504606
2018
Journal Article
Establishing the reliability of a novel battery of range of motion tests to enable evidence-based classification in Para Swimming
Nicholson, Vaughan P., Spathis, Jemima G., Hogarth, Luke W., Connick, Mark J., Beckman, Emma M., Tweedy, Sean M., Payton, Carl J. and Burkett, Brendan J. (2018). Establishing the reliability of a novel battery of range of motion tests to enable evidence-based classification in Para Swimming. Physical Therapy in Sport, 32, 34-41. doi: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2018.04.021
2018
Journal Article
Applying scientific principles to enhance paralympic classification now and in the future: a research primer for rehabilitation specialists
Tweedy, Sean M., Connick, Mark J. and Beckman, Emma M. (2018). Applying scientific principles to enhance paralympic classification now and in the future: a research primer for rehabilitation specialists. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America, 29 (2), 313-332. doi: 10.1016/j.pmr.2018.01.010
2018
Journal Article
Correspondence re "evidence-based scientific exercise guidelines for adults with spinal cord injury: An update and new guideline"
Tweedy, Sean M., Beckman, Emma M., Connick, Mark J., Geraghty, Timothy J., Theisen, Daniel, Perret, Claudio, Thompson, Walter R. and Vanlandewijck, Yves C. (2018). Correspondence re "evidence-based scientific exercise guidelines for adults with spinal cord injury: An update and new guideline". Spinal Cord, 56 (4), 406-408. doi: 10.1038/s41393-017-0052-0
2018
Conference Publication
Using machine learning techniques and wearable inertial measurement units to predict front crawl elbow joint angle: a pilot study
Macaro, Angelo, Connick, Mark J., Beckman, Emma M. and Tweedy, Sean M. (2018). Using machine learning techniques and wearable inertial measurement units to predict front crawl elbow joint angle: a pilot study. 36th Conference of the International Society of Biomechanics in Sports, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand, 10-14 September 2018. International Society of Biomechanics in Sports.
2018
Conference Publication
Effects of a therapeutic exercise program in children with non-cf bronchiectasis: a randomised controlled trial
Joschtel, Barbara E., Gomersall, Sjaan R., Tweedy, Sean, Petsky, Helen L., Chang, Anne B. and Trost, Stewart G. (2018). Effects of a therapeutic exercise program in children with non-cf bronchiectasis: a randomised controlled trial. Annual Meeting of the American-College-of-Sports-Medicine (ACSM), Minneapolis, MN, United States, 31 May 2018. Philadelphia, PA, United States: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
2018
Book Chapter
Evolution and development of best practice in paralympic classification
Connick, Mark J., Beckman, Emma and Tweedy, Sean M. (2018). Evolution and development of best practice in paralympic classification. The Palgrave handbook of paralympic studies. (pp. 389-416) edited by Ian Brittain and Aaron Beacom. London, United Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1057/978-1-137-47901-3_18
2018
Conference Publication
Automated detection of wheelchair propulsion using a single wrist accelerometer
Ahmadi, Matthew N., Karinharju, Kati, Gomersall, Sjaan, Clancy, Kelly, Tweedy, Sean and Trost, Stewart G. (2018). Automated detection of wheelchair propulsion using a single wrist accelerometer. Annual Meeting of the American-College-of-Sports-Medicine (ACSM), Minneapolis, MN, United States, 31 May 2018. Philadelphia, PA, United States: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
2017
Other Outputs
Maximal and sub-maximal movement times for a reciprocal tapping task, and associated Fitts' law data.
Deuble, Rebecca, Connick, Mark , Beckman, Emma and Tweedy, Sean M. (2017). Maximal and sub-maximal movement times for a reciprocal tapping task, and associated Fitts' law data.. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.14264/uql.2017.778
2016
Journal Article
Kinematic analyses of seated throwing activities with and without an assistive pole
Burkett, Brendan, Connick, Mark, Sayers, Mark, Hogarth, Luke, Stevens, Tom, Hurkx, Mike and Tweedy, Sean (2016). Kinematic analyses of seated throwing activities with and without an assistive pole. Sports Engineering, 20 (2), 1-8. doi: 10.1007/s12283-016-0221-y
2016
Journal Article
The impact of an assistive pole, seat configuration and strength in Paralympic seated throwing
Hyde, Alysha, Hogarth, Luke, Sayers, Mark, Beckman, Emma, Connick, Mark J., Tweedy, Sean and Burkett, Brendan (2016). The impact of an assistive pole, seat configuration and strength in Paralympic seated throwing. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 12 (7), 977-983. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2016-0340
2016
Journal Article
The 2016 Paralympic Games: a classification primer
Beckman, E. M., Connick, M. J. and Tweedy, S. M. (2016). The 2016 Paralympic Games: a classification primer. Palaestra, 30 (3), 16-20.
2016
Journal Article
Evaluation of a physical activity intervention for adults with brain impairment: a controlled clinical trial
Clanchy, Kelly M., Tweedy, Sean M. and Trost, Stewart G. (2016). Evaluation of a physical activity intervention for adults with brain impairment: a controlled clinical trial. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 30 (9), 854-865. doi: 10.1177/1545968316632059
2016
Journal Article
Experiences of adults with high-care needs and their family members with housing and support pathways in Australia
McIntyre, Deborah, Fleming, Jennifer, Foster, Michele and Tweedy, Sean (2016). Experiences of adults with high-care needs and their family members with housing and support pathways in Australia. Disability and Rehabilitation, 39 (18), 1-11. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2016.1212108
2016
Journal Article
It’s not easy keeping the Paralympics a level playing field, but the current system is the best there is
Connick, Mark, Beckman, Emma and Tweedy, Sean (2016, 09 09). It’s not easy keeping the Paralympics a level playing field, but the current system is the best there is
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Sean Tweedy is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Available projects
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Does a high-volume, performance-focused swimming program elicit meaningful, therapeutic change in people with cerebral palsy? A proof-of-concept study
In the general population, the dose-response relationship between exercise volume and relative disease-risk is curvilinear with an inflection at 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week: below this volume (i.e., lower frequency, intensity and/or duration) relative disease-risk increases rapidly; and above this volume, disease-risk continues to decrease, but less rapidly. Importantly, there is no obvious upper threshold. This dose-response relationship is believed to apply to people with cerebral palsy (CP), although research in this population to date has focused almost exclusively on low-volume exercise. The benefits of high-volume exercise have not been investigated and anecdotal evidence indicates that high-volume exercise, such as is undertaken by Paralympic swimmers, elicits clinical outcomes that significantly exceed those conferred by lower volumes. This proof-of-concept study will apply Talent Identification/Talent Development methods from elite sport to identify untrained, people with CP with moderate-to-severe impairments, but with physical and psychological attributes known to be advantageous in competitive swimming. Half of the sample will complete a 12-week, high-volume, performance-focused swimming program. The effect of this exercise dose on participants’ health, fitness and functioning will be compared with the effects of a 12-week intervention aimed at assisting a control-group to accrue 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Physical and Psychosocial Responses of Adolescents with Moderateto- Severe Cerebral Palsy to a Performance-Focused Frame Running Program
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Emma Beckman
-
Doctor Philosophy
Development and Evaluation of Medical Screening and Management Procedures for People with Disabilities and High Support Needs Commencing Competitive Sport
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Emma Beckman, Dr Jessica Hill
-
Doctor Philosophy
an evaluation of the impact of performance focused sports training on clinical outcomes in individuals with high support needs
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Emma Beckman
-
Doctor Philosophy
Prospective analysis of para swimming- investigating talent identification, talent development and the impact on impairment and performance.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Emma Beckman
-
Doctor Philosophy
Neurophysiological measurements in Paralympic Sport Classification
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Timothy Carroll, Associate Professor Emma Beckman
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Doctor Philosophy
Developing a Motor Assessment Tool that is Feasible for Autistic Children with High Support Needs
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Emma Beckman, Professor John Cairney
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Doctor Philosophy
Understanding and influencing sedentary time in workers with a disability
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Ana Goode, Dr Jessica Hill, Professor Genevieve Healy
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Doctor Philosophy
Human Posture Recognition Applied to Physical Activity
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Xin Yu
-
Doctor Philosophy
Examining the Efficacy of Attentional Focus Instruction on Typically and Atypically Developing Young Learners Performing a Postural Control Task
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Gregore Iven Mielke, Professor John Cairney
-
Doctor Philosophy
Implementation and scale-up of ParaSTART, a performance focused sports training and applied research program for people with high support needs disabilities.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Emma Beckman
-
Doctor Philosophy
Para Sport coach development- a prospective longitudinal study
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Steven Rynne, Associate Professor Emma Beckman
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Doctor Philosophy
Human-Centered Independent Living for People with Paraplegia
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Dhaval Vyas
-
Doctor Philosophy
Enduring policy conundrums in the education of young people with disabilities: The case of Health, Sport and Physical Education
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Leigh Sperka
Completed supervision
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Promoting Physical Activity for Community-Dwelling Manual Wheelchair Users with Spinal Cord Injury
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Stewart Trost, Associate Professor Sjaan Gomersall
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Para runners with brain impairment: Biomechanical characteristics and evidence based methods for classification
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Emma Beckman
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Para sport classification and exercise training responses in people with neuromusculoskeletal impairment
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Emma Beckman
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
The effect of performance-focused swimming training on clinical outcomes in young people with cerebral palsy who have high support needs
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Emma Beckman
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Methods for selecting and optimising competitive freestyle swimming technique for people with cerebral palsy who have high support needs
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Emma Beckman
-
2016
Doctor Philosophy
Development and evaluation of a battery of reciprocal tapping tasks for detecting Intentional Misrepresentation of Abilities in Paralympic Classification
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Emma Beckman
-
2015
Doctor Philosophy
Towards Evidence-Based Classification for Paralympic Running and Throwing Events
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Emma Beckman
-
2014
Doctor Philosophy
Promotion of Physical Activity Among Adults with an Acquired Brain Injury
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Stewart Trost
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2011
Doctor Philosophy
Development and Evaluation of Assessment Methods to Permit Evidence-based Classification in Paralympic Athletics
Principal Advisor
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Developing and Evaluating Measures for Detecting Intentional Misrepresentation during Assessments of Isometric Strength
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Emma Beckman
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Physiological and psychological effects of an exercise program on children with chronic pulmonary disease
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Sjaan Gomersall, Professor Stewart Trost
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2014
Doctor Philosophy
Pathways and Choices Related to Housing and Support for Younger People with High Care Needs.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jennifer Fleming
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2006
Master Philosophy
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN CHILDREN WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES: FACTORS INFLUENCING PARTICIPATION AND FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES OF PARTICIPATION
Associate Advisor
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Sean Tweedy directly for media enquiries about:
- Careers - exercise science
- Disability and health
- Disability and sport
- Exercise science
- Health and disability
- Human movement studies
- Paralympics
- Physical activity
- Physical activity and disability
- Sport and disability
- Wheelchair sports
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