Laura Bentley

Australian Cerebral Palsy Musculoskeletal Health Network (MRFF) - PhD

We invite applications for an exciting PhD opportunity with a team of Musculoskeletal Health and Early Neurorehabilitation experts. We aim to collaboratively unravel the early biomarkers associated with the development and progression of the hip, spine, and skeletal fragility complications of CP. Data will be collected from a large multicentre prospective cohort study, "AusCP MSK: Australian Cerebral Palsy Musculoskeletal Health Network".

We aim to forge new frontiers in Musculoskeletal Health and Early Neurorehabilitation, fostering a brighter future for those affected by Cerebral Palsy. To this aim, the proposed PhD project will:

1. Uncover early biomarkers of musculoskeletal complications in children with CP, including hip dysplasia, scoliosis and low bone mineral density.

2. Investigate the interplay between hip, spine, and bone health, and functional outcomes, in the development and progression of musculoskeletal complications.

If you're interested in this opportunity please email laura.bentley@uq.edu.au or auscp.msk@uq.edu.au

Vision, Falls, and Fractures in Children with Cerebral Palsy - Honours or PhD Project

This research opportunity aims at exploring the associated between vision, falls, and fractures in ambulant children with cerebral palsy (CP). Children with CP are at high risk of falls with 65-80% experiencing monthly falls and have fall frequency 2-3 fold higher than the general older adult population. Factors that have been previously reported to predict falls risk in children with CP include younger age, behavioural problems, history of previous falls, and inability to stand, walk, or run. Interestingly, specific gait patterns (e.g. excessive internal hip rotation, excessive intoeing, or stiff knee gait) have not been shown to be significant predictors of falls risk in children with CP when matched on age and GMFCS classification. One factor that has not been previously investigated in relation to falls risk in children with CP is vision impairment, which has been shown to be related to falls risk in other populations (e.g. older adults). This is important as children with CP have been shown to have relatively high levels of vision impairment including refractive errors and strabismus. There is currently no empirical evidence exploring the potential relationship between vision impairment, falls risk, and fracture rate in children with CP.

If you're interested in this opportunity please email laura.bentley@uq.edu.au