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Professor Bruce Abernethy

Affiliate of Centre for Extracellular Vesicle Nanomedicine
Centre for Extracellular Vesicle Nanomedicine
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Executive Director, UQ 2032 Games Engagement
Office of the Vice-Chancellor
Availability:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Professor Abernethy is a first class Honours graduate and university medallist from the University of Queensland, a PhD graduate from the University of Otago, an International Fellow of the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education, a Fellow of the Australian Sports Medicine Federation and a Fellow of Exercise and Sport Science Australia. He was the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences from 2014-2023 and is now Executive Director of UQ's Engagement with the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Professor Abernethy is a previous Deputy Executive Dean and Associate Dean (Research) within the Faculty of Health Sciences (2011 - 2013), Head of the School of Human Movement Studies (from 1991-2003) and from 2004 to mid-2011 was the Director and inaugural Chair Professor of the Institute of Human Performance at the University of Hong Kong.

His research interest is in the control and acquisition of skilled movement, with a particular focus upon understanding the processes underpinning the expert perception and production of patterns of human movement. The work is interdisciplinary and spans human movement and sport science, experimental psychology, neuroscience and medical and health sciences. Prof. Abernethy's research work has been supported by a range of agencies including those funding basic science, such as the Australian Research Council and the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, as well as those supporting more applied research, such as the Australian Sports Commission, the Australian Football League, the Australian Cricket Board, Worksafe Australia and the Motor Accident Insurance Commission.

Bruce Abernethy
Bruce Abernethy

Dr Urska Arnautovska

Senior Research Fellow
PA Southside Clinical Unit
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Urska Arnautovska is an early career clinical academic, working as a Research Fellow at the University of Queensland, Faculty of Medicine and as a general psychologist in private practice. Following her professional training in Slovenia, she focused her research on suicide which led her to receiving an appointment at the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention (AISRAP), a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Suicide Prevention and, since 2008, a National Centre of Excellence in Suicide Prevention. In addition to her research work, she acted as a research coordinator of the Life Promotion Clinic and was involved in the management and analysis of clinical data pertaining to the patients of the clinic, which presented with complex mental health problems and suicidal thoughts and behaviour. Her subsequent research remained focused on mental health, and in more recent years, become dedicated to improving health outcomes in people with severe mental illness. Her PhD, for which she received a competitive Griffith University International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (2012-2016), investigated the motivational processes underlying physical activity in older adults and was awarded the Australian Psychology Society (APS) Award for Excellent Higher Degree Thesis in Health Psychology. She has 48 peer-reviewed publications and has over $8.5 million in competitive research funding, with leading (CIA) roles on projects related to digital health interventions for people living with schizophrenia.

Urska Arnautovska
Urska Arnautovska

Dr Awais Babri

Lecturer
School of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision

I have been an academic with a deep passion for biomedical and health education for over two decades, teaching extensively across various disciplines, including medicine, nursing, paramedicine, rehabilitation science, and biomedical science. My primary teaching responsibilities have included delivering courses in physiology, anatomy, pathology, pharmacology, pathophysiology, clinical methodology, clinical bedside coaching, basic and advanced life skills, procedural skills, and virtual surgical skills to student cohorts ranging from 10 to 1,500. By integrating biomedical and clinical concepts, I have enhanced both learning outcomes and the overall student experience.

My significant contributions to health professionals' education have been recognized through numerous institutional awards and national teaching awards and nominations. Throughout my academic career, I have developed and implemented innovative teaching methodologies to enrich student understanding of basic and clinically applied sciences. These methodologies include eLearning, mLearning, VoPP, flipped classrooms, and patient- and simulation-based learning.

I take great pride in the diverse facets of my academic and professional roles, which have shaped my identity as a CBL tutor, course and module coordinator, lecturer, emerging researcher, and team leader. I am particularly humbled by the positive feedback from students, which continues to fuel my passion for fostering academic excellence and shaping the prosocial behaviors of future healthcare professionals.

Awais Babri
Awais Babri

Dr Ben Barry

Affiliate of Queensland Digital Health Centre
Queensland Digital Health Centre
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Honorary Senior Lecturer
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision

Dr Ben Barry is an allied health professional working clinically in aged care with Wesley Mission Queensland.

Dr Barry has a research background in adaptations of the nervous system to exercise and ageing. His research interests have progressed to health professional education, spanning digital health, interprofessional education and workforce development. Dr Barry's clinical work as a physiotherapist and exercise physiologist with a focus on healthy ageing links nicely with his PhD thesis on "Resistance training and movement control in older adults".

Dr Barry has extensive experience teaching allied health (exercise physiology), medical science and medical students. This has included coordinating degree programs and courses, leading teaching teams and discipline-wide curriculum reviews, expanding and enhancing clinical placement programs and student clinics, and innovations in online teaching of health professionals.

Dr Barry completed postdoctoral training in the Neurophysiology of Movement Laboratory at the Department of Integrative Physiology, the University of Colorado - Boulder USA, and subsequently worked for a decade at the School of Medical Sciences, The University of New South Wales, as well as holding an honorary appointment at Neuroscience Research Australia, before returning to The University of Queensland in 2017. He has a track record of external research funding and postgraduate research supervision as well as several teaching awards.

Ben Barry
Ben Barry

Associate Professor Emma Beckman

Director of Teaching and Learning of School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences
School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Associate Professor
School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Dr Emma Beckman is a Teaching and Research academic at the University of Queensland. Emma is passionate about engaging in research to improve the lives of people with a disability through sports, physical activity, and exercise. Following a master’s degree in Adapted physical activity, Emma completed her PhD in strength assessment for classification in Para Sport. She is currently a co-investigator in the UQ IPC Classification Research Partnership, and an internationally accredited classifier in Para Athletics.

Through her Para Sport research, Dr Beckman has seen the power of collaborative care and is committed to research that uses collaborative care models to improve health outcomes. She has undertaken projects to evaluate the impact of interprofessional education and practice on students, educators and clients and has adapted this work for different populations, including people with disabilities and university students with mental health issues.

Emma Beckman
Emma Beckman

Dr Manuela Besomi Molina

Affiliate of Centre for Innovation in Pain and Health Research (CIPHeR)
Centre for Innovation in Pain and Health Research
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Dr of School of Biomedical Sciences
School of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Research Fellow
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision

Dr. Manuela Besomi is a Research Fellow within the Centre for Innovation in Pain and Health Research (CIPHeR) in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at The University of Queensland. She also holds an honorary position in the Physiotherapy Department at Universidad del Desarrollo (Chile), where she leads a clinical team focused on running injury management and prevention research. Manuela obtained her master's degree in Clinical Epidemiology from Universidad de La Frontera, Chile, in 2016, followed by a Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Sciences at The University of Queensland in 2021. As a passionate physiotherapist and early career researcher, she brings expertise in epidemiology, musculoskeletal rehabilitation, and sports science, particularly in the context of running. Her research spans fundamental and applied areas, from leveraging innovative technologies to investigate tissue mechanics to enhancing care management through implementation research.

Manuela is currently the Project Coordinator of an NIH-funded research project, the largest human project at UQ across 8 universities and 5 hospitals in 3 countries, examining the bio-psycho-social mechanisms underlying low back pain flares. She is also the Research Coordinator for the Consensus for Experimental Design in Electromyography (CEDE) project, supported and endorsed by the International Society of Electrophysiology and Kinesiology (ISEK). In recognition of her contributions, she was honoured with the prestigious 2022 Carlo J. DeLuca Award.

Beyond her research endeavours, Manuela is dedicated to translating knowledge into practice and actively engages with the community. She is a speaker and collaborator at The Running Clinic and a co-founder of the SeRUN® project (@serun.chile), both initiatives aimed at bridging the gap between research and clinical practice. She is passionate about promoting STEM for young girls—having collaborated in the evaluation of a nationwide program to boost girls' engagement in STEM, BRInC. Currently, she is part of the research team and mentor for the 2024 BRInC version. More information about BRInC can be found at https://www.canberra.edu.au/about-uc/faculties/health/brinc.

Dr. Besomi remains committed to advancing knowledge and making a positive impact in the fields of physiotherapy, rehabilitation and sports science.

Manuela Besomi Molina
Manuela Besomi Molina

Dr Matthew Bourke

Research Fellow
School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Dr Matthew Bourke is a Research Fellow working on the Health Research Accelerator 360-Kids Community Network program. His research uses several contemporary techniques including Ecological Momentary Assessment and compositional data analysis to better understand the antecedents and outcomes of 24-hour movement behaviours in children and youth, and especially how engaging in different combinations of movement behaviours can help support optimal development in young people. Matthew's research also aims to develop and evaluate interventions that target multiple levels of influence to improve the composition of young people's 24-hour movement behaviours and support healthy development.

Matthew Bourke
Matthew Bourke

Dr Charlotte Brakenridge

Honorary Fellow
School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision
Charlotte Brakenridge
Charlotte Brakenridge

Professor Sandy Brauer

Deputy Executive Dean
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Centre Director of Centre for Neurorehabilitation, Ageing and Balance Research
Centre for Neurorehabilitation, Ageing and Balance Research
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Research to improve balance and gait in older adults and those with Neurological Disorders.

Impaired postural control, or poor balance, can have devastating effects on the lives of individuals, resulting in falls, dependence, and reduced quality of life. Prof Brauer leads a number of studies to better understand the underlying motor control mechanisms contributing to altered postural control, particularly in populations with neurological disorders or advanced age, and use this information to better develop physiotherapy assessment techniques and rehabilitation strategies. This research has subsequently developed to encompass prevention strategies and the investigation of the cost-effectiveness of intervention, to better facilitate the translation of research evidence into clinical practice.

Current research themes include:

Improving physical activity after stroke

Training dual tasking when walking in people with Parkinson’s Disease.

Community mobility in older adults, particularly in people with Parkinson’s Disease and stroke.

Retraining reaching following stroke, using the SMART Arm device.

The prevention of falls, particularly in hospitals.

Sandy Brauer
Sandy Brauer

Professor Robin Burgess-Limerick

Professorial Research Fellow
Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre
Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
Availability:
Available for supervision

Experienced human factors and ergonomics researcher and consultant across a range of industries particularly mining. Currently seconded to the BHP Think and Act Differently team with support from the Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer and the Commonwealth Government through the Trailblazer Universities Program to undertake a Human Systems Integration project.

Robin Burgess-Limerick is Professorial Research Fellow in the Human Factors within the Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre. He has been a member of academic staff since 1995, and prior to that has held research positions in a number of organisations including the Division of Workplace Health & Safety, and the Medical Research Council Applied Psychology Unit (UK). Prof Burgess-Limerick completed his Bachelor of Human Movement Studies, and Hons degrees at The University of Queensland, and returned to the University to undertake his PhD in the area of manual lifting coordination. He is a Certified Professional member, past-president, and elected Fellow, of the Ergonomics Society of Australia Inc.

Research Interests

Prof Burgess-Limerick has eclectic research interests ranging across the broad scope of human factors and ergonomics from visual perception and movement control, through workplace interventions to prevent injuries due to manual tasks, and the design of mining equipment to reduce injury risks. His research has been funded by grants from the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission, ARC, NHMRC, Workcover Queensland (QComp), the Coal Services Health and Safety Trust (NSW), and the Australian Coal Association Research Program.

Robin Burgess-Limerick
Robin Burgess-Limerick

Professor John Cairney

Head of School
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Affiliate of Health and Wellbeing Centre for Research Innovation
Health and Wellbeing Centre for Research Innovation
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision

Professor John Cairney is the Head of School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences. He is an academic leader in the field of paediatric exercise medicine and child health research and is particularly well-known for his work on developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and its impact on the health and well-being of children. Prof John Cairney started at UQ in January 2020.

Until the end of 2019, he was the Director of Graduate Studies in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto and Director of the Infant and Child Health (INCH) Research Laboratory at both the University of Toronto and McMaster University. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the Departments of Public Health Sciences and Psychiatry at the University of Toronto and Department of Family Medicine at McMaster University and a core scientist with the Offord Centre for Child Studies, CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research at McMaster University, and the independent Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences.

Professor Cairney completed his PhD studies at the University of Western Ontario and has held academic appointments at Brock University, the University of Toronto and McMaster University before his current UQ role. He has held, among other research leadership positions, a Canada Research Chair in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, and a Professorship in Child Health, and subsequently a Research Chair, in the Department of Family Medicine at McMaster University.

Professor Cairney has been the recipient of ~$A17 million in research grants as a principal investigator and has some 310 published works with a Scopus h index of 51 (Aug 2022).

Professor Cairney is a former President of the North American Society of Pediatric Exercise Medicine.

John Cairney
John Cairney

Professor Timothy Carroll

Centre Director of Centre for Sensorimotor Performance
Centre for Sensorimotor Performance
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Professor and Deputy Head of School
School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision

Dr Carroll completed his doctorate in Neuroscience at the University of Queensland in 2001. He was awarded an Isaac Walton Killam Memorial Scholarship to pursue postdoctoral studies at the University of Alberta in 2002, before accepting a position as a Lecturer in Human Motor Control at the University of New South Wales in 2003. He joined the School of Human Movement Studies as a Senior Lecturer in July 2007.

Dr Carroll’s research interests lie in the broad field of integrative human physiology. His work spans the fields of exercise science and integrative neuroscience, with a focus on determining how the central nervous system is reorganised as a consequence of motor learning and exercise. He has a specific interest in the area of strength training. Dr Carroll’s research involves the application of electro-physiological techniques such as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), peripheral nerve stimulation, and electromyography (EMG) in experiments involving human subjects. The ultimate purpose of his work is to generate basic knowledge that will lead to the development of exercise protocols that yield maximal benefits for rehabilitation and injury prevention. His work has been funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) since 2004.

Timothy Carroll
Timothy Carroll

Dr Andrew Claus

Honorary Senior Lecturer
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision
Media expert

From 2020 Andrew has led research development at the Tess Cramond Pain and Research Centre (Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital). Topics including clinical outcome measures, service evaluation and strategic planning, clinical trials employing pain education, opioid management, quantitative sensory testing and medical procedures. Current and recent projects include:

  • Initiating the Pelvic Exenteration Pain Management Research Collaboration in 2024: A multidisciplinary community of clinicians and researchers at the Tess Cramond Pain and Research Centre, the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, and the STARS Hospital, to study how the quality of life can be improved for people who have pelvic organs and tissues removed to manage cancer.
  • Collaboration with the Institute of Urban Indigenous Health, to embed multidisciplinary research and quality improvement in the co-design and implementation of collaborative care between the TCPRC- IUIH, at the Moreton Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service in Caboolture through 2023-2024.
  • Contributing to the non-surgical pain management stream for the NHMRC-NIHR Collaborative Research Grant, for a multicentre RCT on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of lumbar fusion surgery for patients with persistent, severe low back pain: Short: FusiOn veRsus bEst coNServatIve Care (the FORENSIC trial)
  • The LIDOPAIN RCT in 2023: Lidocaine Infusion Dose Optimisation for Pain After Injury to Nerves, was a double-blind placebo-controlled pilot feasibility study for lidocaine infusions, with comprehensive pre-post evaluation of patient questionnaires and sensory testing profiles, to identify which patients do and to not respond to this infusion. https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=382966&isReview=true
  • Advisor for Phoebe Ng, oral thesis defense 2024: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: Insights into health profile and paraspinal muscle activation.
  • Advisor for Fraser Labrom, thesis awarded 2023: Three dimensional analysis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis during growth.
  • Collaboration with UQ RECOVER Injury Research Centre have
    • Currently completing a project funded by the RBWH Foundation, to examine small nerve fibre expression acutely and subacutely after motor vehicle accident, as a marker associated with the transition from acute to chronic pain.
    • Developed a chatbot for providing pain education for children and for adults,
    • Investigated the validity of phone apps for measuring the 6-minute walk test in people with persistent pain.
  • Locally at the Tess Cramond Pain and Research Centre I co-lead annual projects for
    • quality improvement: UQ PHRM4071 student placement and Pain Medicine Trainee projects.
    • audit: ePPOC annual data reporting.
    • systematic reviews: UQ HRSS7801 group physiotherapy student project.

From 2004-2019 Andrew's PhD and postgraduate supervision as a lecturer in physiotherapy, focussed on how the brain controls posture and movement. This included studies of sitting, standing, stepping, squatting, pushing and postural control with low back pain and with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Extending understanding of postural control continues with colleagues at QUT Biomechanics and Spine Research Group (Prof Peter Pivonka, Maree Izatt and Assoc Prof Paige Little), the UQ Schools of ITEE (Dr Pauline Pounds) and SBMS Motor Control and Pain laboratory (Assoc Prof Kylie Tucker), and with Curtin University / UWA Raine cohort study (Prof Leon Straker).

Andrew Claus
Andrew Claus

Dr Samuele Contemori

Affiliate of Centre for Sensorimotor Performance
Centre for Sensorimotor Performance
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Not available for supervision

A well-presented, self-motivated and professional MSc graduate in sport sciences with a strong passion for human sensorimotor control and kinesiology of musculoskeletal system. Samuele conducted research about neurological impairments of upper limb sensorimotor control, together with investigations of sport/rehab exercise biomechanics. His current research is focusing on context-dependent modulation of rapid visuomotor responses of plausible subcortical origin. His research has showed that there are meaningful subcortical contributions to human reaching behavior.

Samuele Contemori
Samuele Contemori

Associate Professor Louise Conwell

Head, CHQ Clinical Unit (Second)
Medical School (Greater Brisbane Clinical School)
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision

Louise Conwell, MBBS(HonsI) PGCert MEd (Dundee) FRACP PhD, is a Senior Staff Specialist (Eminent) in Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes at the Queensland Children’s Hospital, Children’s Health Queensland. Louise’s work as a Paediatric Endocrinologist involves working in a multi-disciplinary team to care for neonates, children and adolescents with a wide spectrum of endocrinologist disorders.

Louise commenced as Head of the Children's Health Queensland Clinical Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Queensland in June 2018. She is also the Acting Head of the Mayne Academy of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland.

Louise is a graduate of the University of Queensland and trained in paediatrics at the Mater Children’s Hospital, Brisbane. She then trained in paediatric endocrinology and diabetes at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Brisbane while completing a PhD at the University of Queensland. Louise undertook a post-specialty Clinical Fellowship at the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Hospital for Sick Children, Uinversity of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Louise has a particular interest in Congenital Hyperinsulinism and other beta-cell disorders including Type 1 and Monogenic Diabetes. Her other clinical interest areas include Disorders of Sexual Differentiation and endocrine oncology. Louise currently works in the endocrine oncology clinic connected with the After Cancer Therapy Service at the Queensland Children's Hospital, Brisbane.

Louise's PhD was in the field of insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk in obese children and adolescents. Louise remains active in clinical research with grant attainment, particularly in the field of beta-cell disorders.

Louise is a member of national and international professional bodies. She is the current President (past Secretary) of the Australasian Paediatric Endocrine Group, serving on Council since November 2017. She also has past or present committee memberships including the Scientific Organising Committee, Clinical Fellows School Committee, Diabetes Committee, the Disorders of Sexual Differentiation Committee, Registry Committee, Research Grant Committee, Thyroid Working Group and the Cancer Survivorship Working Group).

Louise also has engagement with stakeholder groups, particularly Congenital Hyperinsulinism International. She is co-chair of the Congenital Hyperinsulinism International Collaborative Research Network - Care Guidelines and Centres of Excellence.

Louise represents the Australasian Paediatric Endocrine Group on the International Consortium of Pediatric Endocrinology (ICPE) and is co-chair of ICPE's subcommittee, the Intersociety Clinical Guidelines Committee (ICGC).

Louise has an interest in Evidence-Based Medicine, with authorship in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. She is co-Chair of the International Clinical Guidelines Committee of the International Consortium of Paediatric Endocrinology.

A further interest area includes medical ecucation, completing a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education (University of Dundee, Scotland) in 2017. She has facilitated and contributed to a wide range of educational activities for a variety of student, professional and community stakeholder groups in a range of contexts. Louise is a supervisor of basic and advanced paediatric trainees of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. Other roles include Supervisor, Reader and Examiner for Postgraduate Higher Degree Research students of the University of Queensland and other academic institutions in Australia.

Louise Conwell
Louise Conwell

Professor Jeff Coombes

Affiliate of Centre for Research on Exercise, Physical Activity and Health
Centre for Research on Exercise, Physical Activity and Health
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Professor
School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Jeff Coombes is a Professor in the School of Human Movement Studies. He completed undergraduate degrees in applied science and education and a research Masters at the University of Tasmania before gaining a PhD from the University of Florida. After completing his PhD he returned to Australia to spend two years in an academic position at the University of Tasmania before moving to the University of Queensland in 2000.

Jeff's research interests focus on determining the optimal exercise prescription for improving health. With theoretical backgrounds in biochemistry and physiology he conducts human studies and basic science projects. His findings have emphasised the importance of cardiorespiratory fitness for health benefits and many of his current projects are using high intensity interval to improve fitness and investigate outcomes. The basic science projects are identifying the mechanisms that explain the health benefits of exercise and include work in the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems at cellular and molecular levels. He is also a passionate advocate on the importance of fitness for health and delivers many presentations to impact on public health. His research group comprises doctors, postdoctoral fellows and PhD students and uses the extensive resources of the exercise physiology and exercise biochemistry laboratories in the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences.

Current research projects of the group include;

  • High intensity interval training in patients with chronic kidney disease
  • High intensity interval training in patients with metabolic syndrome
  • High intensity interval training in overweight and obese children and adolescents
  • Cardiorespiratory fitness and outcome in patients receiving a liver transplant
  • Multi-disciplinary lifestyle intervention in patients with chronic kidney disease
  • Exercise training in patients with diabetic cardiac autonomic neuropathy
  • Oxidative stress and antioxidant biomarkers to predict the cardiorespiratory fitness response to exercise
  • Molecular mechanisms of exercise cardioprotection: relations with oxidative stress
  • Activation of NRF2 by nutritional supplementation in patients with type 2 diabetes
  • Exercise-training and skeletal muscle O-glycnacylation
  • Antioxidant supplementation in health and disease
Jeff Coombes
Jeff Coombes

Professor Andrew Cresswell

Affiliate of Centre for Sensorimotor Performance
Centre for Sensorimotor Performance
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Professor
School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Prof. Cresswell’s research interest is in the integration of neurophysiology and biomechanics (neuromechanics) to investigate the control of human movement.

Particular research interests lie within the areas of: Motoneurone, reflex and cortical excitability during lengthening and shortening muscle actions; Neuromuscular fatigue; Reflex and voluntary activation of the abdominal musculature during controlled postural tasks.

Background

Prof Cresswell completed his medical doctorate in Neuroscience from the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, in 1993. He remained at the Karolinska Institute and University College of Physical Education and Sports until 2005 when he joined the academic staff at the University of Queensland with joint appointments in the Schools of Human Movement Studies and Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.

Prof Cresswell was the Head of the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences (2014-2019).

Andrew Cresswell
Andrew Cresswell

Associate Professor Taylor Dick

Affiliate of Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research
Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Affiliate of Centre for Innovation in Pain and Health Research (CIPHeR)
Centre for Innovation in Pain and Health Research
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Affiliate of Centre for Sensorimotor Performance
Centre for Sensorimotor Performance
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Associate Professor
School of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision

Taylor Dick is an Associate Professor in The School of Biomedical Sciences and Director of the Neuromuscular Biomechanics Laboratory within the School of Biomedical Sciences. She leads a highly interdisciplinary research program at the nexus of biomechanics, bio-inspired assistive devices, and neuromuscular physiology. Using a combination of experimental and modelling tools, her research answers fundamental questions about how movement underpins evolution, health, and disease.

Upon completing her PhD in 2016 (Simon Fraser University, Canada), in collaboration with Harvard’s Concord Field Station, she undertook post-doctoral training in biomedical engineering (University of North Carolina, 2016-17) where she combined her expertise in biomechanics and muscle physiology to discover how bio-robotic devices influence locomotor energetics and the neuromechanical mechanisms that enable stability during unexpected perturbations. This has since provided inspiration for the optimization of bio-robotic assistive devices, in response to the behaviour of their physiological targets. In 2017, she was appointed a research and teaching academic at the University of Queensland (UQ) where she has developed a uniquely integrative and multi-disciplinary approach to studying locomotion and neuromuscular function with applications across discovery and translation. Her research program integrates musculoskeletal anatomy, neural control, and biomechanics to understand the diverse movements of humans and animals. By combining high-resolution and innovative experimental paradigms with modelling and simulation techniques, her team, a rich blend of biomechanists, physiologists, mathematicians, engineers, and computer scientists, investigates the complex interactions between biological systems that enable the remarkable diversity in human and animal movement.

Taylor has established herself internationally as an emerging leader in biomechanics research. This reputation is supported by prestigious awards, invited talks and review papers, and media attention. Her research has been funded through competitive grant schemes and industry partnerships, with total research support exceeding $3.6 million. Her contributions to research and mentorship have been recognized with a 2024 Queensland Tall Poppy Award, 2024 International Union of Physiologists Junior Faculty Award; 2024 International Society of Electrophysiology and Kinesiology Kevin P. Granata Award, and the 2021 International Society of Biomechanics Jaquelin Perry Emerging Scientist Award. Taylor has been nominated (2020 and 2021) for the Faculty of Medicine Rising Star of the Year Award. Taylor is an elected Executive Council member of the International Society of Biomechanics (ISB) and the elected Chairperson of the Comparative Neuromuscular Biomechanics Technical group. She is a passionate promotor of STEM for young girls—having co-developed the led a government-funded nationwide program to boost girls’ engagement in STEM, BRInC https://www.canberra.edu.au/about-uc/faculties/health/brinc

She currently advises 12 PhD candidates, 1 Master’s student, and 5 Honours students. She has successfully advised 5 PhD, 2 Master’s and 9 Honours students to completion since commencing her faculty position at UQ in 2017.

For more information about her program of research, visit her lab website: https://biomedical-sciences.uq.edu.au/research/groups/neuromuscular-biomechanics

Taylor Dick
Taylor Dick

Dr Stephanie Duncombe

Lecturer
School of Public Health
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Research Fellow
School of Public Health
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Dr Stephanie Duncombe is a Research Fellow at the School of Public Health, University of Queensland. Her research intersects understanding inequalities in physical activity through epidemiological methods and tailored interventions to reduce these inequalities using health promotion frameworks. Stephanie has specific interests in gender inequalities and paediatrics. Stephanie completed her PhD on high-intensity interval training within schools and led an intervention study titled Making a HIIT. She has a multidisciplinary background, including epidemiology, exercise physiology, and health promotion. Stephanie is also a Lecturer at the School of Public Health and coordinates courses related to work-integrated learning and health promotion.

Stephanie Duncombe
Stephanie Duncombe

Ms Gail Durbridge

NIF Fellow - Low field MRI
Herston Imaging Research Facility
Availability:
Available for supervision
Media expert
Gail Durbridge