Department of Physiotherapy, University of Melbourne in Carlton, Victoria, Australia | College & University

Department of Physiotherapy, University of Melbourne

Locality: Carlton, Victoria, Australia

Address: 161 Barry Street 3053 Carlton, VIC, Australia

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25.01.2022 Congratulations to Samantha Teo, PhD candidate with the Physiotherapy Dept and the Centre for Health, Exercise and Sports Medicine who recently successfully presented her PhD completion seminar. Samantha's PhD aimed to build on the current understanding of the quality of care provided by physiotherapists to people with hip and/or knee osteoarthritis, by developing quality indicators to evaluate such care and exploring the experiences of physiotherapists and patients delivering and receiving care for knee osteoarthritis in Australia. Well done Samantha and your supervision team - Prof Kim Bennell, Prof Rana Hinman, Dr Thorlene Egerton, Prof Krysia Dziedzic. Best wishes for the final stages of your PhD!

24.01.2022 Healthcare in Context is a two-subject program across second and third (final) year of the Doctor of Physiotherapy course. In this program small groups of students engage with local, national and international communities to undertake a health needs analysis that then informs a health promotion project for the community. In 2018 and 2019, four final year students worked alongside Hope Katolo Nursery School in Kisumo, Kenya as part of this program. Here is what Hope Katolo coo...rdinator Melanie Haley had to say about the impact of the students work: "At this time we can be very grateful for the work of the Melbourne University physiotherapy students who I was fortunate enough to mentor in 2018 and 2019. After conducting a gap analysis, they decided (they must have had a crystal ball) to create a video on handwashing for the staff and children. Below is a link to the video and cuteness alert++, below is another video of the baby class children of 2019 singing along to the video. Thank you Seyuri, Alina, Karen and Nico. I miss you! They are not students anymore - all qualified physiotherapists now and we are grateful that they have retained an interest in the nursery school." Handwashing video: https://drive.google.com//147eg2anjrQHqco9JOl4e0kduyL/view Baby class singing to the video: https://drive.google.com//1788bLUB5vyL9TcdVLr45zZWW0r/view You can find out more about the Hope Katolo Nursery School here: https://www.facebook.com/hopekatolo/

24.01.2022 Free Coulston, Physiotherapy Dept PhD student, is leading a study that aims to create a research-based circus program that health professionals can refer children to continue to work on their therapy goals. Part of this study is asking experts like physiotherapists and other health professionals to have a say in what they think is important for this program. If you are a health professional with recent experience (last 5 years) working with preschoolers (ages 3-5yo) with developmental delays and/or motor impairments, please consider taking part of this survey: https://redcap.mcri.edu.au/surveys/?s=8YWDCCATFC

23.01.2022 Since our last post, the world has vastly changed. In this challenging time, our staff and students have been rapidly discovering new ways of working and learning, while supporting the physiotherapy profession to respond to COVID-19. It has been a huge effort from all, including these examples: Prof Kim Bennell, Prof Rana Hinman and Dr Belinda Lawford are working hard to support the the Australian Physiotherapy Associations (APA) advocacy efforts to fund telehealth physiothe...rapy. The research of their teams on telehealth for knee osteoarthritis has been key in providing evidence to justify these efforts. A/Prof Catherine Granger and Dr Selina Parry are part of an international collaboration that rapidly produced and disseminated clinical practice recommendations for acute (cardiorespiratory) physiotherapy practice for patients with COVID-19 globally. This important and timely work was published in the Journal of Physiotherapy earlier this week and can be accessed here https://www.sciencedirect.com//arti/pii/S183695532030028X The Doctor of Physiotherapy teaching team, led by Dr Karen Donald and A/Prof Louisa Remedios have been working tirelessly to transition to all online teaching. Innovative ways of teaching (and meeting) have been discovered and our DPT students have shown great adaptability to new ways of learning. Dr Natalie Fini is supporting the neurological physiotherapy community by sharing countless resources and working with the APA to advocate for funding for neurological physiotherapy services. Natalie is also involved in the rapid creation of the Stroke Community of Practice and web repository of information to support researchers and clinicians as they transition to telehealth.

23.01.2022 Last month we held our first online Cardio Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT) Student Special Interest Group event (transitioned from face-to-face). Special thanks to guest speakers David Priddle (Senior trauma/ICU physio, Royal Melbourne Hospital) and Ellyse Plant (Senior ED physio/Advanced Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist, Austin Health) for presenting to the group; to Lily and Raff (DPT3) for hosting the event; and to the 50+ DPT2 and DPT3 students who joined us for the event. We are looking forward to the next one.

23.01.2022 Congratulations to our Physiotherapy Department Professor David Berlowitz and his teams on his recent outstanding Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grant success! Professor Berlowitz and his team were successful in winning $3.48M from MRFF for a multi-centre randomised controlled trial of polysomnographic titration of non-invasive ventilation in motor neurone disease. The Victorian Respiratory Support Service at Austin Health, FightMND and MNDAustralia are key collaborators on this grant. Well done David your team. We are very proud of you!

22.01.2022 In our continuing celebrations for #WorldPTDay, todays video recognises the roles our staff have played in supporting students and therapists to work with people across the lifespan during COVID-19. First, see how clinic models were flipped for paedatrics and gerontology physiotherapy students with Dr Hastings-Ison then hear from Prof Alicia Spittle on role of #telehealth in early detection and intervention for children at high-risk of neurodevelopmental issues.

21.01.2022 It was all smiles at our second Doctor of Physiotherapy Virtual Open Day webinar last night! Big thanks to Adam Hilton (todays photo) and Talia Clohessy (yesterdays post) for being contributing the voice of DPT students to each webinar. Were also grateful to our staff Dr Karen Donald (DPT Course Coordinator), Dr Fiona Dobson (Deputy Head of Department) and TJ Peco (DPT Academic Programs Officer) for representing the Physiotherapy Department at the Open Day webinars.

21.01.2022 Interested in doing graduate research? The School of Health Sciences Annual Graduate Research Student Colloquium is happening next Wednesday 4 Nov (AM) and Thursday 5 Nov (PM). The Colloquium committee invites the Department of Physiotherapy community to attend and learn about the diverse and exciting research being led by our graduate researchers, as well as hear from some brilliant keynote speakers. To find out more view the program here: https://drive.google.com//17sD7ZTTQyVBXR3qKz9Cfm7Jgrt/view and register: https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLSd7xcO04o-XY-xHlS/viewform

21.01.2022 This week is National Stroke Week! To bring awareness to this initiative we are going to highlight two members of the department who are advancing stroke recovery and rehabilitation - Dr Kate Hayward and Dr Natalie Fini. Dr Kate Hayward: Our arms and hands are key to what we do and how we do it. So imagine having a stroke and losing capacity to use the tool that defines you. A staggering 7 out of 10 stroke survivors have arm and hand difficulties early after stroke - of whic...h 3 have severe difficulties. It is this group of individuals, who currently represent a critically neglected group of stroke survivors, that are the focus of Dr Kate Haywards research. People with severe difficulties have the scope to make large changes during rehabilitation. However, we currently do not know how to optimally facilitate recovery. Kate is undertaking two main streams of research to fill this gap. Firstly, Kate is using measures of brain structure and function to help better understand who recovers, who does not recover, and why? Secondly, she developing novel rehabilitation approaches that can help stroke survivors to harness their full potential for recovery. Dr. Natalie Fini: Its so important for all of us to be physically active, but its even more important for stroke survivors. Why? Because they have an even greater risk of having another stroke or other cardiovascular problem like a heart attack. Not only does being physically active reduce a stroke survivors risk of further disease, it can also help with their recovery, improve weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, thinking and importantly it just makes you feel good! But being physically active can be challenging for stroke survivors. We need better interventions that empower stroke survivors to engage in & sustain regular physical activity. Natalie is working to develop personalised, engaging and targeted physical activity intervention programs for stroke survivors with the aim of preventing recurrent stroke and improving outcomes. Dr Fini also features in this episode of #TalkingPhysio, the APAs podcast, released for #Nationalstrokeweek, about the vital role of physical activity in #stroke rehabilitation: http://ow.ly/deOn50Bd43L

20.01.2022 The Department of Physio Career Roundtable event earlier this week was a great success. Department alumni shared their career stories and provided support to our final year Doctor of Physiotherapy students over zoom. Huge thanks to our alumni - Abiramy Thevarajah, Miranda Carty, Thomas Rollinson, Megan Hamilton and Dr Sonia Moore - we really appreciate your contributions!

19.01.2022 In our continuing celebrations for #WorldPTDay, today's video recognises the roles our staff have played in supporting students and therapists to work with people across the lifespan during COVID-19. First, see how clinic models were flipped for paedatrics and gerontology physiotherapy students with Dr Hastings-Ison then hear from Prof Alicia Spittle on role of #telehealth in early detection and intervention for children at high-risk of neurodevelopmental issues.

18.01.2022 Earlier this week Minister for Health Greg Hunt MP announced the latest round of Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grants. Headlining this announcement was the successful grant led by Physiotherapy Department Professor Alicia Spittle Tele-rehabilitation for early intervention to improve neurodevelopmental outcomes of infants born preterm and their patients wellbeing: a randomised controlled trial. Prof Spittle and a team of researchers from across the University of Melb...ourne, the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Monash University, La Trobe University will use the 1.8M grant to conduct the study across the Royal Womens Hospital, Monash Childrens Hospital, the Royal Childrens Hospital, the Northern and the Western Hospitals. Congratulations Alicia and team! For more information visit: https://healthsciences.unimelb.edu.au//congratulating-prof

18.01.2022 Doing things differently in 2020! Yesterday and today have been 'Virtual Open Days' for graduate courses at the University of Melbourne. We held out first webinar yesterday for our Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT) course. It was a great success with strong interest in the course. Another webinar will be held tonight at 7pm for any interested potential students. Special thanks to our current DPT student representatives for contributing to the webinars. Please visit https://study.unimelb.edu.au/opendays to log in to the Virtual Open Day system and search for 'physiotherapy' to register for tonight.

18.01.2022 Big congratulations to our staff who have recently won University of Melbourne / Faculty of Medicine Dentistry and Health Sciences Learning and Teaching Initiative grants. The excellence within physiotherapy was very well recognised in the number of grants our staff were awarded. These include: - Dr Mark Merolli (Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow) who will work with colleagues from across the university on the project "Telehealth education for entry to practice health pro...fessional students: A suite of core elements." - A/Prof Louisa Remedios (Director of Teaching and Learning) who will work with colleagues from across the Faculty including Indigenous academics on the project "Teaching and learning together: Co-developing online interprofessional cultural safety training for MDHS staff and students." - Dr Deb Virtue (Clinical education coordinator) who will work with colleagues from the School of Health Sciences on the project "Confidentiality Rights Responsibilities & Complexities" - Dr Karen Donald (DPT course coordinator) who will work with colleagues from the Faculty Interprofessional Education team on the seed project "Whose role is it anyway? Developing professional identity through interprofessional education and practice." - Aiden Smart (Associate lecturer) who will lead work with members of the DPT teaching team on the project "Doctor of Physiotherapy Practical Skills Library a digital teaching and learning tool to improve practical skill/class teaching. " See more

18.01.2022 Observing a babys early movements can help inform their future development. Our researchers are now recruiting families with 3-4 month old babies to learn how families can use simple instructions to film their babies movements at home. Physiotherapy Department researchers are inviting families living in Australia with babies who are, or will be 14-16 weeks old (approximately 3-4 months, from their due date of birth) before the 30th of September 2020 and have not been admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or Special Care Nursery to participate in this study. If you are interested please visit: https://www.crenewbornmedicine.org.au/our-news/news/

17.01.2022 Last month staff member Professor David Berlowitz presented a poster at the inaugural Respiratory Failure and Mechanical Ventilation Conference organised by the European Respiratory Society in Berlin. He presented a poster entitled "Pneumothorax in neuromuscular disease associated with lung volume recruitment and mechanical insufflation-exsufflation on behalf of lead author Luke McDonald. This work will help provide better and safer ventilation for people with neuromuscular disease. David is seen here presenting and enjoying the conference with his Austin Health physiotherapy colleague Caroline Chao. Well done David and team!

17.01.2022 There has been a boom in the number of people seeking regenerative cell-based therapies from high-profile elite athletes to those suffering debilitating chronic disorders like osteoarthritis. Researchers from @StemCellsUoM are interested in what Australian #Physiotherapists think about Stem Cells and NextGen Biological therapies. Please click on the link to take the survey: Link https://melbourneuni.au1.qualtrics.com//form/SV_0CUSniBkkn

16.01.2022 It is fitting that during #Nationalstrokeweek we can introduce you to one of our new PhD students - Edwina Sutherland. Edwina is a physiotherapist at Epworth Healthcare. She will be supervised by A/Prof Gavin Williams, Dr Fiona Dobson and Ms Bridget Hill for her thesis project entitled "A multi-site prospective audit of usual care for focal spasticity management." Edwinas PhD aims to document the usual care practices of Victorian speciality clinics treating people with focal... muscle spasticity (this population includes stroke survivors). Although spasticity management guidelines and consensus statements exist, there is limited evidence as to their value in clinical practice. She hopes to identify which recommendations are commonly used and which recommendations are associated with improved patient outcomes. Welcome and good luck to Edwina and her team!

16.01.2022 While they've been with us for a little while, we'd officially like to welcome two new staff members to the Physiotherapy Department - Samantha Teo and Bridget Graham. Both Sam and Bridget will be working within the CHESM team. Sam switched from PhD student to staff as her thesis is almost ready to submit. Bridget returned to the department after a research elective with CHESM last year as a DPT student. Welcome!

16.01.2022 Last week the DPT Musculoskeletal Special Interest Group held a very successful webinar in partnership with the Centre for Health, Exercise and Sport and Medicine (CHESM) to showcase career opportunities in research and sports physiotherapy. Well done to the students who organised such an informative and well-attended event.

16.01.2022 We are very proud of staff member A/Prof Cathy Said who led the development of the www.safexerciseathome.org.au website which has recently been launched. Developed by collaboration of Australian clinicians and physiotherapy researchers from 10 universities, institutes and health services, the website shares simple functional exercises and gives ideas of safe ways for older people to increase activity levels while at home. Such a useful resource, especially at this time. Well done A/Prof Said and team.

15.01.2022 The Department of Physiotherapy is excited to invite our community to the upcoming webinar "Physiotherapy: Lessons from a pandemic" on Tues 20 October at 7.30pm. Hosted by Head Of Department, Physiotherapy, Associate Professor Jenny McGinley, the webinar will explore how staff and alumni from the Department of Physiotherapy have demonstrated excellence during the COVID-19 pandemic. From leadership in telehealth, resource development, keeping people active, and clinical care,... you will hear from five presenters as they talk about their work and achievements during these challenging times. We hope you will join us to learn more about the innovations and outcomes our profession can deliver now and into the future. Register here: https://mdhs.unimelb.edu.au//physiotherapy-lessons-from-a- PRESENTERS include: - Sarah Miller (DPT 2015) Team Leader & Senior ICU Physiotherapist, Kings College Hospital (London) in the first wave. She is currently supporting the COVID-19 surge at Alfred Health in our second wave. Outside COVID-19 she has led work in aged care, chronic pain and disease, mental health, disability and family violence. - Professor Rana Hinman (BPhysio(Hons) 1995, PhD 2003) NHMRC Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Health, Exercise and Sports Medicine, Department of Physiotherapy. - Professor Kim Bennell, Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor, NHMRC Leadership Fellow, Dame Kate Campbell Fellow, Centre for Health Exercise and Sports Medicine, Department of Physiotherapy, Melbourne School of Health Sciences. - Professor Alicia Spittle (MPhysio 2002, PhD 2008) NHMRC and Dame Kate Campbell Fellow, Department of Physiotherapy, Melbourne School of Health Sciences, Senior Paediatric Physiotherapist, Royal Women’s Hospital. - Associate Professor Cathy Said, Associate Professor of Physiotherapy Western Health, Department of Physiotherapy, Melbourne School of Health Sciences.

14.01.2022 May has been a busy month of new opportunities for the Physiotherapy Department. Earlier this month, Deputy Head of Department Dr Fiona Dobson spoke with Professor Shane Huntington, host of Einstein A Go-Go about the role of exercise in hip osteoarthritis, common misconception about hip OA and exercise and about the Phoenix Hip Study - a RCT comparing two different exercise programs on pain and physical function in people with hip OA. You can listen to Dr Dobsons interview here: https://www.rrr.org.au///11619-einstein-a-go-go-3-may-2020 Well done Fiona!

14.01.2022 The Physiotherapy Department welcomes Matt Wingfield who commenced his PhD part-time with us on 15 July 2020. He is supervised by Dr Kate Hayward, Professor Amy Brodtmann, Dr Natalie Fini and A/Professor Gavin Williams. Below is a brief bio from Matt. I am a Senior Clinical Physiotherapist at Epworth Healthcare and passionate about neuro rehab, particularly recovery of the arm and hand. Most of my work has been in the inpatient setting, where to maximise the gains that we can... make in the relatively little time available before discharge, it is so important to deliver the most beneficial treatment possible. To me, this starts with specificity. This has seen me start my PhD with a systematic review to explore the active ingredients of treatment to maximise recovery of the upper limb after stroke. I am also actively involved in the physio profession. I am on the Victorian Neuro Committee for the Australian Physiotherapy Association, where my main portfolio is coordinating and planning of professional development events for our members. I have also co-founded "A Neuro Physio Podcast" to showcase and learn from the passionate people within our industry and highlight the breadth of career pathways available. Welcome Matt, we are excited to learn from your work and be a part of your research journey.

14.01.2022 Are you a health professional working with infants who require assessment and treatment for developmental disabilities? Researchers from the Physiotherapy Department, the Centre of Research Excellence in Newborn Medicine at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, and Cerebral Palsy Alliance have developed the TEDI Training program. The TEDI Training program provides online training for clinicians on how telehealth can be used for early detection and intervention for infants with developmental disabilities, including videos and handouts for families. To access the program for FREE and participate in an evaluation as part of a study, please click here to find out more: https://is.gd/TEDIpre

14.01.2022 Doing things differently in 2020! Yesterday and today have been Virtual Open Days for graduate courses at the University of Melbourne. We held out first webinar yesterday for our Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT) course. It was a great success with strong interest in the course. Another webinar will be held tonight at 7pm for any interested potential students. Special thanks to our current DPT student representatives for contributing to the webinars. Please visit https://study.unimelb.edu.au/opendays to log in to the Virtual Open Day system and search for physiotherapy to register for tonight.

14.01.2022 A special message for current 3rd Year DPT Students: Give your career a kickstart an opportunity to meet and interact with Physio alumni! Register for the UoM Physio Career Roundtable, Tuesday 14 July at 4-5:30pm via Zoom here:... https://unimelb.zoom.us//tJUtde6orT0uG9HPY_A71q5zcPHUxONMT

13.01.2022 Results of a recent study led by Physiotherapy A/Prof Cathy Said (Western Health and UoM) suggests that health systems must support older people to keep physically active during the COVID-19 crisis. A/Prof Said recently spoke with ABC radio about the importance of supporting older adults to stay active, always, but in particular as we battle COVID-19. Thanks for sharing your important work Cathy. You can listen to the interview here: https://www.abc.net.au//importance-of-keeping-the/12535594

13.01.2022 Congratulations to two of our very own research superstars!! This week Prof Alicia Spittle named by the Field Leader in Paediatric Medicine by The Australian newspaper's Research magazine. This honour is given to researchers with the highest number of citations from papers published in the last five years in the 20 top journals in their field. Well done Alicia! Dr Selina Parry was also announced as a Churchill Fellow. These fellowships offer a life-changing opportunity to ...meet and work with leaders of influence around the world to gain and exchange knowledge as well as experience for the betterment of themselves, their industry and their communities. Selina was one of only 26 Victorian recipients - her fellowship was awarded to implement a rehabilitation pathway for Australians who have survived an intensive care admission. Selina will use this fellowship to connect with researchers from the US, Canada, Netherlands and UK. Congratulations Selina! See more

12.01.2022 Tomorrow is #WorldPTday! To celebrate, this week we will be sharing the roles Department of Physiotherapy staff have played in the COVID-19 response with a video post each day. First up today, Dept Head A/Prof Jenny McGinley gives an overview of the role #physios have played in the #covid19 response. Neurology lecturer Dr Natalie Fini then discusses her advocacy work with the APA as Neuro Group Chair to support neurological physiotherapists and their clients through #covid19.

10.01.2022 Physiotherapy Professors Kim Bennell and Rana Hinman are leading an important research study funded by the APA and the Physiotherapy Research Foundation surveying physios and their patients regarding use of videoconferencing for physiotherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of which will be used to support decision making around future telehealth funding. You can participate if you are: A physiotherapist registered to practice in Australia In private practice o...r a community health centre Delivering physiotherapy care via videoconference (individual and/or group classes) Please see further information in the image provided and register your interest here: https://redcap.healthinformatics.unimelb.edu.au/surveys/ NB: This study has ethics approval through the HREC committee at The University of Melbourne (ethics approval no: 2056784.1)

08.01.2022 Physiotherapists are playing a crucial role in helping patients in their recovery after COVID19. The pathway to recovery often begins for our sickest patients in the intensive care. Check out this article (https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au//the-crucial-role-of-physio) led by Dr Selina Parry, A/Professor Catherine Granger and Professor Linda Denehy raising awareness of the important role we have in supporting ICU patients in their recovery. The article features expert insight from the frontline from two of our clinical partners - The Royal Melbourne Hospital (Lisa Beach, Senior ICU Physiotherapist) and Austin Health (Thomas Rollinson, Senior ICU Physiotherapist). Well done everyone!

07.01.2022 Today our Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT) students returned from an extended Easter break to our virtual campus and their all online studies. Department staff and students have rapidly adapted to new learning environments. Subjects now offer a mix of independent online tasks, live Zoom webinars and pre-recorded videos lectures and practical sessions. Thank you everyone for taking up these changes with excitement. Check out students across all three years of the DPT program engaged in Zoom webinars while we are a virtual campus.

06.01.2022 The Physiotherapy Department and Melbourne School of Health Sciences is excited to invite you to the webinar: "Return to Play" on Tues 25 Aug at 7.30pm. Join us as we explore how the future of sport might look once restrictions ease, and the unique implications for health practitioners. Returning to play in both community and performance sport requires evidence informed, defensible, athlete-centered decisions. This webinar is presented by a panel of experienced Sports Medicin...e clinicians to capture the interprofessional, biopsychosocial nature of these decisions, and explain how the evidence can be applied to practice. Topics and presenters include: Returning to Play in Real Time - Dr Sonya Moore, Clinical reasoning and decisions - Kylie Turton Returning to play after ACL injury - Nino La Scala Chronic ankle instability and research - Dr Kade Paterson Athlete wellbeing and psychological readiness - Jacqui Louder For more information and to register visit: http://alumni.online.unimelb.edu.au/s/1182/match/wide.aspx

06.01.2022 Today is #worldphysiotherapyday2020! We celebrate with our second video showcasing the work of staff and students in the Physiotherapy Department in response to COVID-19. First, A/Prof Cathy Said discusses https://safeexerciseathome.org.au, a website to support older adults stay active at home. Then Dr Rachel Toovey + some of our second year DPT students show how we have helped keep the Faculty of MDHS active during lockdown.

06.01.2022 This week is #NAIDOC2020. While usually held in July, this year it was postponed to this week. The 2020 theme is #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe recognising that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years. The Physiotherapy Department celebrates that we have the oldest continuing cultures in the world and the rich contributions of First Nations communities to health and well-being. We recognise that sovereignty was never ceded. Did you know?! NAIDOC originally stood for ‘National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee’. This committee was once responsible for organising national activities during NAIDOC Week and its acronym has since become the name of the week itself.

04.01.2022 Welcome to the Department Dr Abbey Sawyer! Abbey is joining us as a Clinical Research Fellow. She will be working with Prof. David Berlowitz, initially on the MRFF motor neurone disease program of research as well as investigating the effects of acute intermittent hypoxia in people with spinal cord injury. Prior to commencing this role, Abbey worked as a physiotherapist at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth (2014 to 2020). Her most recent clinical positions have included ...co-running the pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation programs. Abbey recently completed her PhD through Curtin University (supported by the Institute for Respiratory Health, Conquer Cystic Fibrosis, Cystic Fibrosis Australia and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital). Her PhD explored approaches to exercise testing and training in people with chronic respiratory conditions, in particular cystic fibrosis. In her spare time, Abbey loves to read, keep fit and learn Spanish! Bienvenida Dr Sawyer! We hope to meet you in person sooner rather than later.

04.01.2022 Today we celebrate our nursing and midwifery colleagues as part of WHOs World Health Day, and the recent launch of the MDHS Mentoring Program. This years World Health Day theme "Support nurses and midwives" could not be more important than at this time where nurses are at the forefront of the response to COVID-19. We are proud to be part of the Melbourne School of Health Sciences alongside the Department of Nursing, and as physiotherapists we value working with nurses and ...midwifes as key members of the healthcare team. We are also excited to announce that the MDHS Mentoring Program is now underway with 50 final year physiotherapy students being matched with some of our amazing alumni experts across all areas of the discipline. The one-to-one mentoring structure fosters relationships between experienced practitioners and students and offers the opportunity to discuss career aspirations and concerns whilst gaining advice and guidance to help prepare students for the transition from university to the workplace. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, the mentoring program is being run online this semester with web chat sessions and video meet ups. Thanks to everyone is involved, we look forward to hearing what the students learn from our industry experts! Applications for the 2021 program open in January 2021.

04.01.2022 Like many physiotherapists across the world, alumni Sarah Miller (DPT15) has been working at the frontline with COVID-19 patients in the Critical Care Unit at Kings College Hospital in London, UK. Sarah shared her experience, and some pictures, of her important work with us. "The mainstay of my work is to support physical recovery, which is particularly important for COVID-19 patients who can spend around a month on a life support machine. Rehabilitation starts in critical ...care, so for both breathing and deconditioning, even if a patient is on the life support machine, we get patients moving (which means we end up very sweaty in these polar bear suits). As patients improve and move out of critical care and into a ward environment, there may be a number of issues that impact recovery, and thus we work with various members of the team to support return to normal life. Another big part of my role in the management of COVID-19 has been to support not only the physiotherapy department, but also our wider hospital team. During a time of extreme need in our workforce, where numerous workers have been redeployed, my day has involved acting as a Clinical Educator, as well as assisting various operational and workforce tasks. Overall, the experience has been incredibly rewarding, but in some ways no different to our regular day-jobs in healthcare. Here at Kings College Hospital we have reached almost 2000 discharges for our COVID-19 survivors (in April 2020), we are making up a third of the participants in an international research trial to try and end this pandemic, but for me, the most important marker has been the spirit amongst our team." Thanks for sharing your story Sarah. Wed love to hear about any interesting work all our physiotherapy alumni have been doing (both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 related) - please feel free to get in touch via private message.

04.01.2022 Physiotherapy students and alumni - this live webinar on Thursday 22 October from 6-7pm may be of interest to you! A career in health has never been more exciting, more cutting edge, or more integral to the future of our country! Join this event to hear from some of our Faculty’s most inspiring health alum working on the frontline in the fight against COVID-19 and leading the way for future health graduates. From researching and developing COVID-19 treatments to advising gove...rnments on Melbourne’s Roadmap to Recovery, mobilising teams to support the states response to the pandemic and treating and advocating for those suffering with their mental health, you won’t want to miss the advice and insights these experts have into the changing world of health practice, policy, research and beyond. Featuring medical alum Associate Professor Steven Tong from the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, nursing alum Jac Mathieson, Chief Nursing Officer at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, psychiatry alum Dr Killian Ashe, Consultant Psychiatrist at the RMH, and public health alum Nicole Brady, Deputy Public Health Commander at DHHS. Register here: http://alumni.online.unimelb.edu.au/s/1182/match/wide.aspx

04.01.2022 In our final post for the week celebrating #WorldPTday, we hear from A/Prof Catherine Granger who discusses her work translating evidence into practice regarding the role of physiotherapy in the acute hospital management of people w #COVID19. Dr Camille Short also talks about her work with Leukaemia Australia to examinie the impact of #COVID19 on cancer patients and found a reduction in access to #physiotherapy. Thanks to you all for celebrating #WorldPTday with us this week, thanks to all our contributing staff and students and special thanks to Dept member Dr Kate Hayward for putting all the videos together!

03.01.2022 Our very own Sports Medicine program coordinator Dr Sonya Moore has been featured in the media not once but twice in the last few days discussing the benefits of stretching, especially in long periods of inactivity (i.e. working or studying from home!). Read more in this piece in The Age: https://www.smh.com.au//feeling-sluggish-these-simple-stre Dr Moore also spoke on 3AW Radio Afternoons on Monday: https://www.3aw.com.au/show/afternoons-with-dee-dee/... Well done Sonja and keep up stretching everyone!

02.01.2022 Physiotherapists have an important role helping patients with their rehabilitation and recovery from COVID-19. This weekend, A/Prof Catherine Granger, from our department, spoke with ABC Weekend Breakfast about our role. Well done Catherine! https://www.msn.com//physiotherapists-helping-/vp-BB16SQLX

02.01.2022 A team of researchers from the Department of Physiotherapy, Centre for Health, Exercise and Sports Medicine and the Centre for Digital Transformation of Health have a question for you: Are you an Australian Physiotherapist who treats musculoskeletal conditions? Digital Physiotherapy practice has never been more important than it is now.... Research survey: We are inviting you to help shape the digital future of our profession by sharing your thoughts about the role of various digital health technologies in supporting patient management. Please take a few minutes to fill out this important survey: http://go.unimelb.edu.au/rg9r. Eligibility criteria apply. Participants can choose to go into the draw to win a $50 Coles Myer voucher.

02.01.2022 Our DPT Year 3 students are thinking outside of the box! The photos in this post show some of our Year 3 students undertaking the Marshmallow challenge as part of the teamwork module of the Leadership and Management subject. The teams are given 20 pieces of spaghetti, a metre of tape, a metre of string, a marshmallow and just 18 minutes to create a structure with the Marshmallow on the top. The team with the tallest standing structure wins. The marshmallow challenge builds o...n the skills they have been learning about including teamwork, collaboration and negotiation. This will hold them in good stead as they enter the workforce next year! Meanwhile our DPT Year 1 students were involved in the first interprofessional symposia within the MDHS Faculty on Ways of Knowing in Healthcare. It was an extraordinary day with over 650 students engaging across optometry, nursing, physiotherapy and medicine!

02.01.2022 Last week was Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDG) Awareness Week for 2020! The 17 United Nations SDGs, are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. They recognise that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests. The Melbourne U...niversity Physiotherapy Student Society (MUPSS) supported the Universitas 21 (U21) Health Sciences group to promote the week by releasing five infographics: 1. Geopolitical Tensions 2. Climate Crisis 3. GlobalMistrust 4. Dark Side of Technology 5. Partnerships for the Goals Take a look at the infographics attached to increase your awareness of this important initiative. Well done MUPSS and U21 Health Sciences group! See more

02.01.2022 Registrations are still open for The Department of Physiotherapy webinar "Physiotherapy: Lessons from a pandemic" tonight at 7.30pm. Hosted by Head Of Department, Physiotherapy, A/Prof Jenny McGinley, the webinar will explore how staff and alumni from the Department of Physiotherapy have demonstrated excellence during the COVID-19 pandemic. From leadership in telehealth, resource development, keeping people active, and clinical care, you will hear from five presenters as the...y talk about their work and achievements during these challenging times. Presenters include Sarah Miller (DPT 2015), Profs Rana Hinman, Kim Bennell and Alicia Spittle and A/Prof Cathy Said. We hope you will join us to learn more about the innovations and outcomes our profession can deliver now and into the future. Register here: https://mdhs.unimelb.edu.au//physiotherapy-lessons-from-a- See more

02.01.2022 We continue to celebrate the roles our staff have played in the COVID-19 response through our #WorldPTday campaign this week. Todays video highlights the incredible work of the team at the Centre for Health Exercise and Sports Medicine (CHESM). CHESM have worked with the APA to create telehealth guidelines and created the #PEAK (Physiotherapy Exercise and physical Activity for Knee osteoarthritis) online education program that has been shared with physiotherapists & students across the globe.

02.01.2022 Today marks the start of National Reconciliation Week (27 May - 3 June). The Physiotherapy Department is committed to our reconciliation journey and playing our part to build relationships and communities that value First Nations peoples, histories, knowledges and cultures. We acknowledge, and pay our respects, to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples including physiotherapists. The action of several of our students in leading the organisation of a webinar this Friday 29 May with the Australian Physiotherapy Association to mark National Reconciliation Week reflects this years theme #Inthistogether . For more information on the webinar visit - https://australian.physio/pd/pd-product?id=7494. The event is free for all physiotherapy students!

01.01.2022 The great work of our alumni, staff and students in response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Dr Natalie Fini, Lecturer in Neurological Physiotherapy and Chair of the Australian Physiotherapy Association National Neurology Group recently featured in the COVID-19 special of "A Neuro Physio Podcast." Visit http://aneurophysio.com/covid19apa/ to listen, and subscribe to the podcast. This podcast was created by Melbourne neurological physiotherapists Erin Bicknell (DPT09) an...d Matthew Wingfield. Dr Kimberley Haines (PhD16) and Senior ICU physiotherapist and Physiotherapy Research Lead at Western Health recently featured in an article in The Age newspaper about ICU physiotherapists leading an important treatment in the critical care of patients with COVID-19 - prone "swimmers pose" positioning. Dr Haines also co-authored a recent editorial in the Journal of Physiotherapy about the role of physiotherapists in COVID-19 with A/Prof Sue Berney, Physiotherapy Manager at our clinical partner Austin Health and Honorary Physiotherapy Researcher. View The Age article here: https://www.theage.com.au//hospital-teams-coached-in-life- View the Journal of Physiotherapy editorial here: https://www.sciencedirect.com//artic/pii/S1836955320300291#!

01.01.2022 The DPT Neuro Physiotherapy Special Interest Group had a zoom "Careers in Neuro Physiotherapy" event for 2nd & 3rd year DPT students this weel. It was a great success with lots of ideas shared - the passion for neuro physio with evident in the (zoom) room! Big thanks to our guest speakers: Chiara Tewierik, Matt Wingfield, Dr. Gavin Williams, Katie Davies & James Morley and to our student organisers Ansley Landsman & Jon Miller for making the event possible.