October 2012.pdf - Health Sciences - Curtin University

11RESEARCHResearch Grant SuccessesDr Andrew Maiorana is leadinvestigator on a successfulSHRAC Research TranslationProject entitled; Reducing costand enhancing access todisease management programsafter an acute coronary event.The project will evaluatewhether a new program thatuses existing hospital andcommunitycardiacrehabilitation services increasesthe proportion of eligiblepatients, reduces medicalinterventions, mortality andhospital re-admissions andassociated costs.Professor Keith Hill is a chiefinvestigator on a largeCanadian grant (funded throughthe Canadian Institutes ofHealth Research), led byCanadian Researcher Dr LoraGiangregorio, an AssociateProfessor at University ofWaterloo, Department ofKinesiology, Canada. The grantis titled Build Better Bones withExercise. The long-term goal ofthe research team is to conducta large multicentre study toevaluate whether tailored homeexercise can prevent fractures inhigh-risk individuals. Thecurrent proposal will addressthe feasibility of such a trial,but will also evaluate the effectof exercise on quality of life,posture and many otheroutcomes important toindividuals with vertebralfractures.Dr Andrew Briggs andAssociate Professor KathyBriffa are collaborating with ateam led by Clinical ProfessorCharles Inderjeeth, includingAssociate Professor DavidMountain and Dr DavidOldham from Sir CharlesGairdner Hospital, ProfessorElizabeth Geelhoed fromUniversity of Western Australiaand Ms Jean McQuade fromArthritis and OsteoporosisWestern Australia on a projecttitled: Osteoporotic fractureliaison service – closing theevidence-practice gap to preventminimal-trauma fractures. Thisresearch translational projecthas been funded by the StateHealth Research AdvisoryCouncil (SHRAC).Dr Anne Andrews is a principalinvestigator with a PrincessMargaret Hospital project thatwill be studying the use of apostgraduate training scheme toimprovepaediatricphysiotherapy continenceworkforce capacity andthroughput of the PMHphysiotherapy children’scontinence service. The project’sChief Investigator, Noula Gibson,successfully applied for a grantfrom the State Health ResearchAdvisory Council (SHRAC) tosupport development of anAssessment and UrotherapyClinic led by students in theContinence and Women’s HealthMajor of the PostgraduateMaster of Clinical Physiotherapycourse. The clinic will targetchildren in the lower triagecategories of 2 and 3 who aremost likely to respond tostandard urotherapy. It isanticipated the project willimprove continence outcomes forPMH clients but also improve thepaediatriccontinencephysiotherapy workforcecapacity in the Australian andoverseas cities and regionalcentres that are home to thephysiotherapists enrolled in theCurtin CWH ClinicalPhysiotherapy Master’s course.Call for honour studentsresearch projectscommencing 2013In November this year, we will beoffering our new honoursstudents different researchprojects which are conducted overa two year period. We are veryinterested in collaborating withhospitals and other agencies infacilitating ongoing research inthese areas.We would welcome theopportunity to share ourknowledge and resources inpartnership with you and yourinstitutions.If you have an idea, a project, orfacilities that might be alignedwith research;CONTACT:DI HOPPERTel: 9266 3631Email: D.hopper@curtin.edu.auMake tomorrow better.11Physiotherapy.curtin.edu.au© Curtin University, School of Physiotherapy Quarterly Newsletter October Edition 2012