About the IMH team
The Institute is comprised of more than 60 research and professional staff and students and a growing group of Sydney Local Health District musculoskeletal clinicians. Our researchers head a range of NHMRC-funded projects and partner with world-leading organisations in the area of musculoskeletal health, physical activity, and healthy ageing, with many recognised as world-leaders in their fields.
To find out more about joining our team, please contact us
Executive Committee
BAppSc(Phty), GradDipAppSc(ExSpSc), GradDipAppSc(ManipPhty), PhD, DMedSc, FACP, FAHMS
Director,
Institute for Musculoskeletal Health
Professor,
School of Public Health, University of Sydney
NHMRC Principal Research Fellow
Visiting Professor,
University of Oxford
Fellow, Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences
Physiotherapist
Chris’s research focuses on improving healthcare for low back pain and related musculoskeletal conditions. He co-leads the Institute’s Back Pain and Musculoskeletal Conditions stream and leads the Evidence and Equity research stream.
BAppSc (Phty), GradDipAppSc (Manip Phty), PhD, MAPA
Deputy Director,
Institute for Musculoskeletal Health
Professor,
School of Public Health,
University of Sydney
Visiting Professor,
University of Oxford
Physiotherapist
Jane’s research focuses on the diagnosis, management, and prevention of common musculoskeletal disorders, in particular, back pain. She is also working at the University and nationally to accelerate the careers of women in STEMM. She co-leads the Institute’s Back Pain and Musculoskeletal Conditions research stream and the Indigenous Health research theme.
M.B.B.S (Hons), MClin Epi, MSportsMed, FRACP, CCPU
Deputy Director,
Institute for Musculoskeletal Health
Rheumatology Head of Department, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Senior Lecturer, University of Sydney
Rheumatologist
Bethan’s research focuses on clinical epidemiology, inflammatory arthritis, musculoskeletal ultrasound,
pain management, soft tissue
injury, back pain,
low-value care, doctor
well-being, and medical
education.
BAppSc (Phty), MPH, PhD, FAHMS
Deputy Director,
Institute for Musculoskeletal Health
Professor,
School of Public Health,
University of Sydney
NHMRC Senior Research Fellow
Fellow, Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences
Physiotherapist
Cathie’s research focuses on physical activity interventions to prevent falls and enhance mobility in older people and people with physical disabilities. She leads the Institute’s Physical Activity, Ageing and Disability research stream.
MBBS, MMed(Clin Epi), PhD, FRACS(Orth), FAOrthA
Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, UNSW Sydney
Honorary Professor, University of Sydney
Ian is a practicing orthopaedic surgeon and academic in the field of clinical research (including clinical trials, systematic reviews, cohort studies, and registries) focusing on surgical outcomes. He leads the Institute’s Surgery research theme.
BSc (Human Movement), GradDipSc (Exercise Science), PhD
NHMRC Career Development Fellow
Exercise Physiologist
Anne’s research focuses on developing and evaluating physical activity-based approaches to the prevention of falls and promotion of healthy ageing. She leads the Institute’s Healthy Ageing Research Theme.
BPhty, PGDipHSc, PhD
NHMRC Career Development Fellow
Physiotherapist
Christine’s research focuses on finding simple, effective, and low-cost treatments for people with pain and musculoskeletal conditions. She leads the Institute’s Intervention Testing research theme.
BSc(Hons), BAppSc(Phty), PhD
Co-Lead, Centre for Pain, Health and Lifestyle
NHMRC Career Development Fellow
Physiotherapist
Steve’s research focuses on the impact of chronic pain on lifestyle and mental health, in children and adults. He leads the Institute’s Children and Adolescents research theme.
BAppSc(Phty), GradDipAppSc(ExSpSc), PhD
Co-Founder, Physiotherapy Research Database (PEDro)
Principal Research Fellow
Physiotherapist
Anne’s research focuses on evidence-based practice and the effects of rehabilitation interventions for people with neurotrauma or orthopaedic trauma. She leads the PEDro Partnership.
BAppSc(Phty), MHlthSc(Neuro Phty), PhD
Senior Research Fellow
Physiotherapist
Leanne’s research focuses on reducing the global epidemic of physical inactivity, focusing on people with disabilities from neurological health conditions. She leads the Institute’s Disability research theme.
Research Topic Leaders
BPharm, PhD
University of Sydney Early Career Development Fellow
Pharmacist
Christina’s research focuses on evaluating the quality use of medicines and non-pharmacological interventions across a range of conditions. She is the Medicines, Complementary & Alternative Therapies topic leader within the Institute’s Intervention Testing research theme.
BPhty, MHSc (Neurological Physiotherapy), PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
APA Titled Neurological Physiotherapist
Nicola’s research focuses on improving functional outcomes for older people. She is the Falls and Frailty Systematic Reviews topic leader within the Institute’s Mobility and Falls research theme.
BPhty (Hons), PhD
NHMRC Early Career Research Fellow
Physiotherapist
Gustavo’s research focuses on e-Health and translational research to test the effectiveness of interventions for back pain. He is the Emergency Department and e-health topic leader within the Institute’s Improving Clinical Care research theme.
BAppSc(Hons)Bt, MChiro, PhD
NHMRC Early Career Research Fellow
Clinician Researcher
Stephanie’s research focuses on addressing the overuse of medicine in chronic pain and back pain. She is the Reducing Overuse of Medicines topic leader within the Institute’s Preventing Overdiagnosis research theme.
BSc Physiotherapy, PhD
European Commission Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow
Physiotherapist
Mary’s research focuses on nudging to improve healthcare delivery, the media’s reporting on health tests and treatments, the labelling of musculoskeletal conditions, and science communication. She is the Consumer Information topic leader within the Institute’s Improving Clinical Care research theme.
BPhty (Hons), MPhty, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Physiotherapist
Juliana’s research focuses on clinical trials for optimising musculoskeletal health and physical activity. Juliana has a leading role in coordinating two NHMRC trials within healthy ageing and intervention testing research themes.
BAppSc (Phty)(Hons I), PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Physiotherapist
Josh’s research focuses on replacing low-value physiotherapy with high-value physiotherapy to reduce healthcare waste and improve patient outcomes. He is the Allied Health topic leader within the Institute’s Preventing Overdiagnosis research theme.
BSc (Hons I), MPhty, PhD
NHMRC Early Career Research Fellow
Physiotherapist
Adrian’s research focuses on strategies to reduce unnecessary tests for people with musculoskeletal conditions. He is the Overdiagnosis topic leader within the Institute’s Preventing Overdiagnosis research theme.
BPhty (Hons), MSc, PhD
NHMRC Early Career Research Fellow
Physiotherapist
Marina’s research focuses on investigating the cost-effectiveness of physical activity programs and implementing solutions to improve physical activity promotion by health professionals within routine care. She is the Cost Effectiveness topic leader within the Institute’s Mobility and Falls research theme.
Our current students and their projects
BAppSc (OT)
Occupational Therapist
Angela’s research focuses on dosage of arm rehabilitation and outcomes after stroke.
BSc, MChiro, MPhil
Chiropractor
Aron’s research focuses on recovery from spinal pain and the accuracy of screening tools for detection of pathology for people with back pain.
BAppSc (Phty), MHM
Physiotherapist
Daniel’s research focuses on measuring and increasing physical activity in the rehabilitation setting.
MAppSc(Physio), FACP
Head of Physiotherapy – The Children’s Hospital at Westmead
Kerry’s research focuses on increasing participation in sport and physical activity for children with physical disabilities.
BAppSc(Phty)
Physiotherapist
Geraldine’s research focuses on promotion of physical activity in middle age to promote independence in older age.
BPhty, MSc
Physiotherapist
Giovanni’s research focuses on prevention and management of low back pain across different health settings, and how to improve low back pain care in middle-income countries.
BAppSc(Phty), MPH
Physiotherapist
Siobhan’s research focuses on implementation of physical activity in rehabilitation.
BSc, GradDipSc, MPH, MSc
Health Promotion Officer
Amanda’s research focuses on reducing falls in older adults.
BPH, MA, MPH
PhD Student – Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney
Sweekriti’s research focuses on reducing over-diagnosis and over-treatment of low back pain.
BAppSc (Physiotherapy)
Physiotherapist
Danielle’s research focuses on improving the management and quality of life of people with low back pain.
BPH, MPH
Public Health
Priti’s research focuses on replacing low-value care with high-value care in physiotherapy.
BHSc (Nutr & Diet)
Dietitian
Karen’s research focuses on exploring opportunities to improve the capacity of lay summaries as a communication tool as a means to involve consumers in health research.
PhD Student – Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney
Mamata’s research focuses on different diagnostic labels of low back pain and to understand its impact on care.
Pharmacist, PhD student
The theme of Martina’s PhD is to reduce the inappropriate use of opioid analgesics and promote opioid stewardship in Sydney Local Health District (SLHD) hospitals.
BChiroSc, MChiroprac, MRes
Chiropractor
Laura’s research focuses on gaining a greater understanding of musculoskeletal pain in children and adolescents and the development of appropriate pain education resources.
Professional Staff
BAppSci (Phty), MSciMed (Pain Management)
PEDro Research Officer
Alla maintains and updates the PEDro database and website, and assists with research projects regarding PEDro.
BSc (Hons) Sports Science, Phys Ed; BSc Physiotherapy
Research Physiotherapist and Health Coach
Betty delivers physiotherapy and health coaching interventions in research trials of physical activity, ageing and disability.
BAppSci (Phty), Grad Dip Sports Physiotherapy
Research Physiotherapist and Health Coach
Catherine delivers physiotherapy and health coaching interventions in research trials of physical activity, ageing and disability.
BAppSci (Phty), MHSM
Network Manager
Charlotte provides leadership and support to internal and external stakeholders to ensure that the strategic objectives of the IMH are achieved.
BSc (Health), MHC
Research Assistant
Courtney provides assistance to the research teams of the IMH to support current projects and ensure that they run smoothly and to a high standard.
B.Pharm, Dip.Hosp.Pharm
Manager, Research Operations
Hanan provides leadership and guidance in the development and application of strategy, policy and operational plans to ensure the effective operation of the Institute and its alignment and compliance with relevant institutional and regulatory requirements.
DipBiomedSc, PhD (Med Sci)
Research Coordinator
Harbeer facilitates and coordinates daily administrative and clinical trial related activities.
BApp Sci (Phyt) MMgt UTS
Research Coordinator
Kate manages activities related to the PROPOSE Study- Professional Referral to Physical Activity, Sport and Exercise.
BSc (Clin Sci), MPH
Research Support Assistant
Melanie supports the design and conduct of research being undertaken in the OPAL study, as well as supports other musculoskeletal studies as required.
B.Pharm
Research Coordinator
Melissa provides technical and operational support to research teams to actively contribute to the running of clinical trials within the IMH.
B Med Sc (Hons)
Senior Research Officer
Sandra coordinates the day-to-day running of clinical projects in the physical activity, ageing and disability group. She is responsible for trial management, database management, ethics submissions and reporting, and trial registrations.
Office Assistant
Claire provides support and assistance to IMH staff to assist with the day-to-day running of the Institute.
Advisory board
Our advisory board, drawing on their extensive experience in musculoskeletal health and research, provides strategic guidance in the establishment and the long term direction of the Institute.
Professor Andrew McLachlan – Chair of Advisory Board and Head of School and Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sydney
Dr Teresa Anderson – Chief Executive, Sydney Local Health District
Associate Professor Vicki Taylor – Executive Director, Sydney Research
Professor Joel Negin – Head, School of Public Health, University of Sydney
Ms Ornella Clavisi – General Manager Consumer Services, Musculoskeletal Australia
Professor Rachelle Buchbinder – Chair, Australia & New Zealand Musculoskeletal Clinical Trials Network
Professor Maureen Ashe – Canada Research Chair, Community Mobility
Professor Bart Koes – Research Director, Department of General Practice, Erasmus MC
Professor Sallie Lamb – Co-Director, Clinical Trials Research Unit, The University of Oxford
Professor Joshua Burns – Associate Dean Research, Faculty of Health Sciences