Prospective PhD and Master of Research students are encouraged to explore the project areas below and contact the relevant supervisor with a short summary of their research interests, background and preferred project area.
A/Prof Bruno Saragiotto
Bruno supervises research on digital health, telehealth, artificial intelligence in healthcare, implementation science and rehabilitation for chronic musculoskeletal pain. His projects often suit students who are interested in testing new models of care, improving access to evidence-based physiotherapy, or studying how research can be translated into routine health services.
Current and possible project areas include:
- telehealth and telerehabilitation for chronic pain conditions
- digital health interventions for musculoskeletal rehabilitation
- artificial intelligence in healthcare and physiotherapy education
- implementation of evidence-based care in health systems
- exercise, education and self-management for low back pain, neck pain and osteoarthritis
- research priority setting, Delphi studies and consensus methods
- Cochrane reviews, living reviews and evidence synthesis in physiotherapy
Read more about Dr Bruno Saragiotto.
Dr Joshua Pate
Josh supervises research on children’s pain, pain science education, pain assessment, public pain messaging, clinician communication and artificial intelligence in health. His projects are a good fit for students who want to connect pain science with real-world education in schools, clinics, families, communities and digital settings.
Current and possible project areas include:
- children’s concepts of pain and pain science education
- use, adaptation and evaluation of the Concept of Pain Inventory
- pain education in schools and community settings
- clinician communication with children and families experiencing pain
- public-facing pain messages, including media and online health information
- generative AI in pain education, allied health and clinical communication
- collaborative paediatric pain projects, including PainSmart, TrainPain and PETAL
Read more about Dr Joshua Pate.
Dr Peter Stubbs
Peter supervises research on neurorehabilitation, research literacy, emerging rehabilitation technologies and the quality of health research evidence. His projects suit students interested in improving physiotherapy practice for people with neurological conditions, as well as students keen to study how research is reported, interpreted and used.
Current and possible project areas include:
- neurorehabilitation, especially acquired brain injury
- stroke and traumatic brain injury rehabilitation
- virtual reality, robotics, blood flow restriction and other emerging rehabilitation technologies
- physiotherapy student knowledge, beliefs and research literacy
- research databases and their role in improving patient outcomes
- meta-research, including trial registration, abstract spin and reporting quality
- neck pain and work-related musculoskeletal conditions
Read more about Dr Peter Stubbs.
Dr Anthony Nasser
Tony supervises research on hip, buttock and hamstring pain, tendinopathy and sports physiotherapy. His projects suit students interested in clinically relevant musculoskeletal research, especially assessment and management questions that matter to athletes, active people and physiotherapists working in sport or private practice.
Current and possible project areas include:
- gluteal tendinopathy
- proximal hamstring tendinopathy
- hip and buttock pain
- femoroacetabular impingement
- ischiofemoral impingement
- assessment and management of musculoskeletal pain and injury
- sports physiotherapy and return to activity
Read more about Anthony Nasser.
Dr Poonam Mehta
Poonam supervises research on pain, physical function, rehabilitation and wellbeing across the lifespan, with a strong background in paediatric physiotherapy, neuropathic pain and ageing research. Her projects suit students interested in measurement, clinical research and practical ways to improve assessment and care in community and rehabilitation settings.
Current and possible project areas include:
- pain, physical function and wellbeing across ageing
- neuropathic pain and outcome measurement
- rehabilitation in community and outpatient settings
- prevention and rehabilitation across the lifespan
- systematic reviews and evidence synthesis
- clinical studies, observational studies and longitudinal research
- qualitative research exploring patient and clinician experiences
Read more about Dr Poonam Mehta.
Elise Robinson
Elise supervises Master of Research projects on patient behaviour, physical activity, functional capacity and rehabilitation experiences. Her projects suit students interested in how people understand, respond to and recover from injury or illness, especially where pain, confidence, resilience and return to meaningful activity are involved.
Current and possible project areas include:
- movement-evoked pain
- resilience and return to functional activity
- patient behaviour and physical activity
- patient experiences of rehabilitation
- functional capacity and performance
- patient-reported outcome and experience measures
- acute rehabilitation and recovery after injury or illness
Read more about Elise Robinson.
A/Prof Rafael Zambelli de Almeida Pinto
Rafael supervises research on musculoskeletal conditions, chronic pain, physiotherapy and evidence-based care. His projects suit students interested in improving outcomes for adults and older people, especially through rigorous clinical research, evidence synthesis, meta-research and practical questions about how physiotherapy care is delivered.
Current and possible project areas include:
- chronic musculoskeletal conditions
- low back pain, neck pain and osteoarthritis
- chronic pain management in adults and older people
- physiotherapy interventions and clinical outcomes
- evidence-based practice in musculoskeletal care
- systematic reviews, clinical trials and meta-research
- research quality, reporting and journal practices
Read more about Rafael Zambelli de Almeida Pinto.
Dr Mark Overton
Mark supervises research on pain, knee osteoarthritis, low back pain and musculoskeletal rehabilitation. His projects suit students interested in how pain changes day to day, how sensory, psychosocial and lifestyle factors influence recovery, and how clinicians can better support self-management and rehabilitation.
Current and possible project areas include:
- knee osteoarthritis pain
- low back pain and musculoskeletal rehabilitation
- quantitative sensory testing
- smartphone-based daily symptom tracking and ecological momentary assessment
- psychosocial and lifestyle factors in pain experiences
- physical activity, exercise and education interventions
- supported self-management and interprofessional rehabilitation
- occupational health and pain management
Read more about Mark Overton.
Lucy Robertson
Lucy supervises Master of Research projects in physiotherapy, proprioception, outcome measurement and rehabilitation practice. Her projects suit students interested in how sensory, movement and clinical assessment factors can inform better physiotherapy care, particularly in neurological, hospital or rehabilitation settings.
Current and possible project areas include:
- proprioception and movement assessment
- neurological rehabilitation
- outcome measurement in physiotherapy
- acute and hospital-based physiotherapy practice
- recovery after illness or injury
- clinical reasoning and rehabilitation planning
- physiotherapy education and student learning
Read more about Lucy Robertson.
Jack Reeves
Jack supervises Master of Research projects in cardiorespiratory physiotherapy, pulmonary rehabilitation, telerehabilitation, prehabilitation and acute care. His projects suit students interested in respiratory recovery, hospital-based physiotherapy, cancer care, postoperative complications and ways to improve access to rehabilitation.
Current and possible project areas include:
- pulmonary telerehabilitation
- persistent respiratory problems after COVID-19
- cardiorespiratory physiotherapy
- acute care physiotherapy
- prehabilitation before major surgery
- prevention of postoperative pulmonary complications
- respiratory rehabilitation in cancer and surgical populations
Read more about Jack Reeves.