Healthy Workers, Productive Workforce Research Group
The work conducted by this group of researchers is based on the philosophy that the health and well-being of the working population is a shared responsibility between the individual employee and the employer. Our multi-disciplinary group investigates workplace-based interventions to maintain or improve employee physical and mental health and well-being to improve productivity by reducing absenteeism, presenteeism and burnout.
Meetings are held on the last Friday of every month from 12 - 1pm.
Team leaders
Associate Professor Venerina Johnston (Occupational Health Physiotherapist)
E: v.johnston@uq.edu.au
Associate Professor Asad Khan (Biostatistician)
E: a.khan@uq.edu.au
Media comment
ABC News - Simple exercises to reduce neck pain for office workers
The Age - Work a pain in the neck? Here's what science says helps - and it's not ergonomics
SBS - Checkup medical column for Dec 15 (2017)
WorkCover Queensland - Guidelines for the selection and use of sit to stand computer workstations
Webinars delivered
Associate Professor Venerina Johnston webinar: Which Workplace Interventions Really Work?
Associate Professor Venerina Johnston webinar: One size does not fit all: Musculoskeletal Disorders & Return To Work
Michael Donovan delivered the findings of his research to WorkSafe QLD: Early interventions for musculoskeletal disorders
International collaborators
Professor Gisela Sjøgaard: Professor, Institute of Sport Sciences and Clinical Biomechanics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense
Professor Markus Melloh, Director Centre for Health Sciences, Zurich University of Applied Science, Switzerland
Dr Susan Peters PhD, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, Boston MA, 02215 USA
Dr Deokhoon Jun, Department of Physical Therapy, Kyungsung University, South Korea
Dr Michelle Pereira, National Healthcare Group, Health Services and Outcomes Research, Singapore
Dr Beatriz Rodríguez-Romero, Academic, Faculty of Physiotherapy, University of A Coruña, Spain
Assocaite Professor Charlotte Wahlin, Karolinska Institut Sweden; Ergonomist, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Linköping University Hospital County Council of Östergötland, Linköping, Sweden
Dr Nathan Hutting, HAN University of Applied Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Professor Douglas Gross, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
Dr Yvoneen Heerkens, HAN University of Applied Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Dr Glykeria Skamagki, Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom
Dr Kjerstin Stigmar, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
National collaborators
Professor Leon Straker: NHMRC Senior Research Fellow, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, WA
Dr Brooke Coombes, School of Allied Health Sciences, Griffith University, Australia
Dr Dianne Sheppard, Monash Injury Research Institute, Building 70, Monash University, Clayton Campus, Melbourne, VIC
Dr Akram Khalil, Senior Staff Specialist in Gynecology, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia
The University of Queensland School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences collaborators
Dr Elise Gane
Dr Michelle Smith
Dr Shaun O’Leary
Dr Julia Treleaven
Dr Lucy Thomas
Inter-school/Faculty collaborators
Dr Kirsten Way, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Business and Organisational Psychology at UQ
Associate Professor Tracy Comans, Centre for Health Services Research
Associate Professor Nicolas Gilson, Senior Lecturer in Physical Activity and Health, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences
Associate Professor Margaret Cook, Coordinator Occupational Health and Safety Program, School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management, Faculty of Science
Associate Professor Genevieve Healy, NHMRC CDF Principal Research Fellow, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine
Dr Esther Smits, RECOVER Injury Research Centre
Dr Charlotte Brakenridge, RECOVER Injury Research Centre
Professor Michele Sterling, RECOVER Injury Research Centre
Current Higher Degree Research students
|
Candidate |
Degree |
Supervisor/s |
Project Title/Description |
|
Yousef Alyousef |
PhD |
Dr Michelle Smith, A/Prof Venerina Johnston |
Management on work-related outcomes in individuals with lower limb osteoarthritis |
|
Zohre Abedi |
PhD |
A/Prof Venerina Johnston, Dr Elise Gane |
Supporting Injured Persons Return to Work after Road Traffic Injuries |
|
Abby Adalja |
PhD |
A/Prof Venerina Johnston, Prof Michele Sterling |
Developing intervention to enhance the utilisation of the “Clinical Framework for Delivery of Health Services” to promote optimal healthcare and return to work. |
|
Ameer Al-Husuny |
PhD |
A/Prof Venerina Johnston, Dr Margaret Cook; Dr Akram Khalil |
Neck/Shoulder and Vision Problems in Surgical Team Performing Minimally Invasive Surgeries |
|
Carolin Bontrup |
PhD |
A/Prof Venerina Johnston, Dr Shaun O’Leary, Dr Remko Soer |
Ageing Productively |
|
Monica Ding |
PhD |
A/Prof Venerina Johnston, Dr Elise Gane |
Development and validation of a tool assessing readiness to work after a diagnosis of colorectal cancer |
|
Michael Donovan |
PhD |
A/Prof Venerina Johnston, A/Prof Asad Khan |
Addressing work related musculoskeletal disorders – experience from a poultry meat processing plant |
|
Alyssa Welch |
PhD |
A/Prof Genevieve Healy and A/Prof Venerina Johnston |
Organisational and individual factors influencing participation in workplace-based health promotion initiatives |
|
Yanfei Xie |
PhD |
A/Professor Venerina Johnston, Dr Brooke Coombes, Dr Lucy Thomas |
Characterization of sensory, motor and psychological features among sonographers with neck/shoulder symptoms |
|
Haroun Zerguine |
PhD |
A/Prof Venerina Johnston, A/Prof Genevieve Healy, Dr Ana Goode, Alison Abbott |
Uptake and use of sit-stand workstations in Australian workplaces – development and evaluation of an e-learning module |
Research Higher Degree graduates
|
Candidate |
Degree |
Supervisor/s |
Project Title/Description |
|
Michelle Pereira |
PhD |
A/Prof Venerina Johnston, A/Prof Tracy Comans |
Workplace intervention for productivity enhancement of office workers
PhD Degree conferred December 2019 |
|
Deokhoon Hun |
PhD |
Dr Shaun O’Leary, A/Prof Venerina Johnston Prof Steven McPhail |
A longitudinal study of risk factors for non-specific neck pain in office workers
PhD Degree conferred December 2017 |
|
Xiaoqi Chen |
PhD |
A/Prof Venerina Johnston, Dr Shaun O’Leary, |
Prevention and reduction of neck pain in office workers: characteristics, contributing factors, and impact of a workplace-based exercise and ergonomic intervention
PhD Degree conferred December 2017 |
|
Susan Peters |
PhD |
A/Prof Venerina Johnston, Prof Michel Coppieters, Dr Mark Ross, Prof Ellen MacEachen |
Factors influencing return-to-work following upper extremity surgery
PhD Degree conferred July 2016 |
|
Hiro Takasaki |
PhD |
Prof Gwen Jull Dr Julia Treleaven Dr Venerina Johnston |
Driving Difficulty and Performance in People with Chronic Whiplash |
|
Maryann Long |
PhD |
A/Prof Fiona Bogossian, School of Nursing & Midwifery UQ; Dr Venerina Johnston |
‘She goes home all aches and pains’: an investigation of neck, shoulder and upper back musculoskeletal symptoms in Australian midwives |
|
Rob Orr |
PhD |
Dr Venerina Johnston, Dr Rod Pope Prof Julia Coyle |
Soldier Load Carriage: A Risk Management Approach |
|
Yaheli Bet-or |
PhD |
Dr Venerina Johnston Dr Shaun O’Leary Prof Gwen Jull |
Characteristics of scapula-thoracic kinematics in a healthy population and those with chronic non-specific neck pain. |
Funded research projects
|
Project Title |
Funding |
Investigators |
Contact |
|
A workplace-based exercise intervention to prevent and reduce the economic and personal burden of non-specific neck pain in the office personnel |
NHMRC project grant |
Johnston V, Straker L, Comans T, Sjogaard G, O’Leary S, Melloh M. |
Completed |
|
‘Fast-Track Recovery’: an App to facilitate recovery from non-catastrophic motor vehicle accident injury |
Motor Accidents Authority Of NSW Injury Management Grant – Research Translation |
Prof Ian Cameron, Dr Dianne Shephard D, A/Prof Venerina Johnston |
Completed |
|
Mediating the negative impact of standing for the office worker transitioning to a sit-stand workstation |
UQ HABS Faculty Research Collaboration Seeding Grant |
Johnston V, Gilson N, Smith M, Brown W, Vicenzino B. |
Completed |
|
Promoting successful return to work for workers with Musculoskeletal absences through supervisor training |
Institute of Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research |
A/Prof Venerina Johnston, Dr Mary Wyatt, Dr William Shaw, Dr Kirsten Way |
Completed |
|
A longitudinal study of risk factors for neck pain in office workers |
Office Ergonomic Research Committee |
Mr Deokhoon Jun, A/Prof Venerina Johnston, Dr Shaun O’Leary. |
Completed |
|
Is there a difference in scapular kinematics between healthy controls and people with chronic neck pain? |
Physiotherapy Research Foundation seeding grant |
Mr Yaheli Bet-or, A/Prof Venerina Johnston, Dr Shaun O’Leary |
Completed |