Summer research projects
Applications for the 2024 Summer Research Program Open have now closed.
General information on the program, including how to apply, is available from the UQ Student Employability Centre’s program website.
The School of Nursing Midwifery and Social Work accepts Summer Research Scholars from multiple schools - please see the available projects below, and apply through the Careers and Employability website.
Explore 2024 summer research projects:
The OT role in concussion/mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Supervisor: Dr Caitlin Hamilton (Caitlin.hamilton@uq.edu.au)
Duration: 6 weeks
Concussion/mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) is a traumatically induced physiological disruption of brain function that manifests any period of loss of consciousness, any loss of memory for events immediately before or after the accident, any alteration in mental state at the time of the accident, or focal neurological deficits that may or may not be transient but where the severity of the injury does not exceed a loss of consciousness of approximately 30 minutes or less, after 30 minutes, an initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of 13-15, and post traumatic amnesia (PTA) is not great than 24 hours. Symptoms of concussion may be physical, cognitive and/or behavioural. While most people recover from a concussion after a short period of rest and gradual return to everyday activities, some people continue to experience symptoms of which the extent may not become apparent until they attempt to return to their usual activities.
Prolonged and continued symptoms, known as Persisting Post-Concussion Symptoms (PPCS) may last for months or years and can have a significant impact on a person’s ability to perform their everyday activities, or occupations including household management, work, driving. Occupational therapists are well-suited to provide therapy to people following concussion as they enable people to perform and engage in their everyday activities. However, occupational therapist are not always core team members of concussion clinics.
The research project involves exploring the OT role in concussion management using qualitative and/or mixed methods research methods. The significance of this research is to inform healthcare services and ultimately ensure the provision of high-quality services to people with concussion.
Redesigning the speech pathology curriculum to fulfil the professional standards and address the current needs in speech pathology care
Supervisor: Dr Felipe Retamal Walter (f.retamalwalter@uq.edu.au) and Dr Adriana Penman (a.penman@uq.edu.au)
Duration: 6 weeks
Over the last decade, speech pathology has continuously evolved aiming to improve service delivery to people with communication and swallowing difficulties and their families. In response to this change in service delivery, Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) published the SPA Professional Standards for Speech Pathologists in Australia (SPA, 2020). This document outlines the minimum standard of knowledge, skills, and attributes that practising speech pathologists and graduating speech pathology students should demonstrate within their role across various contexts (SPA, 2020). To meet these standards, the speech pathology discipline at The University of Queensland has developed a new curriculum for both undergraduate and graduate entry masters programs which has adopted varied pedagogical approaches to teaching and learning. This study aims to understand the experiences and perceptions of academics leading the curriculum revision in speech pathology. This qualitative study involves conducting interviews/focus groups with academics from the curriculum review working groups (i.e., Consultation, Pedagogy, and Content), and assisting researchers in the transcription and analysis of the generated data.
Sports Priorities and Objectives for Research and Translation in Youth with childhood onset disability (The SPORTY project)
Supervisor: Dr Georgina Clutterbuck (g.clutterbuck@uq.edu.au)
Duration: 6 weeks
Children with disabilities participate in less physical activity than their typically developing peers. Recent research has investigated the effectiveness of interventions aiming to improve physical activity levels in specific populations (e.g. improving sports participation in children with cerebral palsy), however this research has been directed by researchers, rather than people with lived experience of childhood-onset disability who receive the interventions, or the clinicians providing that intervention. The establishment of research and translation priorities from the perspective of end-users is essential to ensure that interventions researched are meaningful, feasible and efficient for their target audience, and that uptake and upscale processes are timely and sustainable in practice.
The Summer Scholar will participate in phase II of the SPORTY project, which includes the development, facilitation and/or analysis of interviews and focus groups of people with lived experience of childhood-onset disability and professionals in the health and sports sectors to identify their experiences in sports-focused interventions, and their priorities for future research.
They will also participate in a systematic review of interventions aiming to improve physical activity participation for children and youth with disability.
Understanding the influence of daily routines for people with disability participating or wanting to participate in sport and exercise: An exploratory study
Supervisor: Dr Jess Hill (jessica.hill@uq.edu.au) and Dr Sjaan Gomersall
Duration: 6 Weeks
Background: Disability has been suggested to occur when the interaction between an individual’s health condition and environmental factors impacts their ability to fully engage within their daily occupations (World Health Organisation, n.d.). Approximately 4.4 million Australians live with a disability. Recent data have shown that individuals living with disability are more likely to report experiencing poorer mental and physical health when compared to those not living with disability, with inactivity and weight related concerns most frequently rated as a health risk factors (Australia Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020). There is clear evidence to support the benefits of regular participation in physical activity including reduced risk of chronic health conditions, improved cognitive ability, and improved physical (including weight management) and mental health and wellbeing (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020; Bodde & Seo, 2009).
People with disability have high levels of inactivity, with 72% of Australians living with disability not reporting sufficient levels of physical activity for health benefits according to Australian physical activity guidelines (Australia Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020). Physical inactivity has the potential to negatively impact on people with disability’s independence, social interactions, and employment (Obrusnikova et al., 2021).
Two ways in which individuals could engage in physical activity is through exercise and sporting activities. Over the past two decades there has been increasing interest in the potential benefits of sport and exercise on the overall health, well-being, and quality of life of people with disability (Martin, Ginis & Smith, 2018). This has been observed through the increased development of exercise programs specific to people with disability, as well as the inclusion of twenty-eight sports within the Paralympic games (Martin Ginis & Smith, 2018). With the increased research and interest in supporting people with disability to participate in sport and exercise, one could question why there continues to be such low levels of participation.
Several internal and external factors have been identified to either support or hinder people with disability to participate in sport and exercise. Internal barriers include a lack of understanding of the importance of sport and exercise, lack of awareness of the options available, and lack of self-esteem and self-confidence (Bodde & Seo, 2009; Bossink et al., 2017; Cocks et al., 2017; Ives et al., 2021; Taliaferro & Hammond, 2016). External barriers include a lack of social support, lack of appropriate program options, lack of access to appropriate facilities, and lack of training and education of fitness staff (Bodde & Seo, 2009; Bossink et al., 2017; Cocks et al., 2017; Ives et al., 202; Jaarsma et al., 2014; Taliaferro & Hammond, 2016). Conversely, factors supporting sport and exercise participation for people with a disability include having adequate social support from family, friends, and fitness staff, and when exercise was viewed as fun and enjoyable (Bodde & Seo, 2009; Bossink et al., 2017)
In 2013, with the aim of supporting the health needs of people with disability the Australian Government released the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) (National Disability Insurance Agency, 2020). The introduction of this funding has meant that individuals are able to financially access services such as sporting and exercise facilities. After gaining access to the NDIS, participants are characterised as requiring either Level 1 (standard supports), Level 2 (high intensity supports) or Level 3 support (very high intensity supports). Participants characterised as Level 2 or 3 require staff members with higher levels of skill and qualifications to meet the support needs of the individuals. This may be due to the participant displaying behaviours that require intensive positive behavioural support and/or additional support due to high medical needs (National Disability Insurance Scheme, n.d.). No information is available however on what this support might look like specifically within a sport and exercise setting. Without a clear understanding of the support needs required by individuals accessing exercise and sporting services there is potential for services to be delivered unsafely, thus wasting NDIS resources, or possibly resulting in harm.
Further, participation in sport and exercise involves the interaction between psychological, social, environmental, and biological factors, requiring a holistic conceptualisation (Biddle et al., 2015). However, no current literature exists exploring how these factors interact together to facilitate or prevent an individual with a disability from participating in exercise and sport. What also remains a gap in the literature is an identification of what specific internal and external supports are required for safe and effective access of community sport and fitness facilities compared to support requirements that require additional assistance from more specialised health professionals such as exercise physiologists, physiotherapists, and/or occupational therapists to participate safely. Therefore, this study aims to address the following objectives:
- Develop an understanding of:
- The characteristics (health condition, support needs and motivations) of people with disability participating in sport and exercise and
- The supports and barriers for people with disability to participate in sport and exercise.
- Develop an understanding of the daily routines of people with disability who have successfully and ongoingly participated in exercise and sporting activities, along with understand the experience of those who have attempted, however, have been unsuccessful in sustaining exercise or sporting activities long-term.
Parent Coaching Across Cultures
Supervisor: Dr Emma Crawford (emma.crawford@uq.edu.au )
Duration: 5 Weeks; 15 January 2024 – 16 February 2024
Parent coaching is used widely in paediatric therapy services. It is often an approach that is used in cross cultural settings. Coaching is seen by clinicians as useful for working with culturally and linguistically diverse families because of the prioritisation of family values, goals, knowledge, agency and decision making.
Is parent coaching in cross-cultural contexts supported by the evidence? A systematic review would help us to answer this question. We are currently ready to screen articles and extract data.
How can we use coaching effectively and in a culturally responsive manner? A qualitative analysis of the experiences of parents and therapists using parent coaching can support a depth of understanding regarding families’ and practitioners’ experiences with coaching. We are in the process of designing this project – you will have the opportunity to participate in the ethical approval application process and possibly work on some data collection tasks.
Does parent coaching support culturally diverse families to reach their goals? A quantitative study of the outcomes of parent coaching can contribute to knowing about parent coaching outcomes.
You may have the opportunity to participate in tasks that will contribute to research design.
Implementation of Comprehensive, High-dose Aphasia Treatment (CHAT)
Supervisor: Dr Marie McSween (m.mcsween@uq.edu.au)
Duration: 6 Weeks
The Summer Scholar will assist the research team of the CHAT partnership research project.
The CHAT partnership research project
This project aims to implement the CHAT program into clinical rehabilitation settings. Delivered over 8 weeks, the CHAT program incorporates 50 hours of evidence-based and goal-directed treatment of impairment and function, involves, and trains informal caregivers, and provides a novel hybrid of face-to-face and telerehabilitation to ensure equity of access irrespective of location.
Summer Scholar involvement
Dependent on interests, you may be involved in:
- Supporting the development of clinical resources for the CHAT program.
- Supporting data validation and management.
- Conducting a literature review and syntheses to identify current evidence-based interventions and approaches for aphasia therapy.
- Supporting information gathering to inform the development of the CHAT program materials.
Swallowing Across the Lifespan
Supervisor: Dr Rebecca Packer (Rebecca.packer@uq.edu.au) and Dr Jeanne Marshall (jeanne.marshall@health.qld.gov.au )
Duration: 6 Weeks; 4 days (32 hrs) per week
The summer scholar will be working with Dr Rebecca Packer and Dr Jeanne Marshall across a range of current speech pathology research projects being conducted between UQ and Queensland Children’s Hospital.
Speech Pathology and Technology Focused Research
Supervisor: Dr Rebecca Packer (Rebecca.packer@uq.edu) and Dr Clare Burns (Clare.burns@health.qld.gov.au)
Duration: 6 weeks; 4 days (32 hrs) per week
The summer scholar will be working with Dr Rebecca Packer and Dr Clare Burns across a range of current speech pathology research projects being conducted across UQ and Metro North Hospital and Health Service.
Exploring the careers of physiotherapists in Australia
Supervisor: Dr Roma Forbes, (r.forbes2@uq.edu.au), Dr Alana Dinsdale and Sarah Wilesmith
Duration: 6 Weeks
Physiotherapists in Australia predict relatively short careers, with over half of all new graduates from one Australian university predicting a career of less than ten years. Several reasons have been proposed for such short career intentions from remuneration through to concerns regarding recognition of skills. Much of this research is over ten years old and may not reflect the contemporary practices and experiences of those within the workforce.
In this project you will work closely with the research team who include academics from UQ, Queensland Health and the University of Adelaide to explore the reasons previous physiotherapists in Australia have left the profession. You will help with data, writing and discussing findings with the research team. You will gain interesting insight into the areas that physiotherapists work in and the way they work
Identifying the active ingredients of treatments used by speech pathologists: a scoping review
Supervisors: Dr Sam Harvey (sam.harvey@uq.edu.au)
Duration: 6 Weeks
Background: Speech pathologists provide a large variety of behavioural treatments across broad practice areas (e.g., motor-speech, language, communication, swallowing, voice) and across the lifespan. Many treatments are known to be effective, but the mechanisms underlying effective treatment are rarely understood.
Effective treatments contain active ingredients. Active ingredients are the actions performed by the therapy provider and therapy recipient during treatment which lead to positive behaviour change. Identifying the active ingredients of speech pathology treatments will enhance understanding of how treatments work and for whom, and will lead to critical improvements in treatment efficacy and efficiency across the discipline of speech pathology.
Research question: What are the active ingredients of treatment used to treat disorders of motor-speech, language, communication, swallowing and voice?
Aim: Identify and map the active ingredients of treatment used to treat disorders of motor-speech, language, communication, swallowing and voice.
Method: Scoping review methodology.
Progress: The scoping review is underway. A systematic search for relevant literature has been conducted (July, 2023) and a large yield of studies has been collected. Titles and abstracts of studies have been screened for inclusion. This Summer Scholarship will undertake Phase 2 of the scoping review.
What happens to people with a communication disability during a natural disaster?
Supervisor: Dr Sam Harvey (sam.harvey@uq.edu.au)
Duration: 6 weeks
Background: People living with communication disabilities (such as aphasia) may be at greater risk of harm during a natural disaster. This is because traditional channels for providing emergency warnings (e.g., over the radio/TV) are not necessarily accessible to people with a communication disability.
Research question: Are there additional risks for people living with communication disability during natural disasters?
Aim: To identify risks associated with having a communication disability during a natural disaster.
Method: Literature review, qualitative methods
Family of children with chronic illness or disability
Supervisor: Dr Tomomi McAuliffe (t.mcauliffe@uq.edu.au)
Duration: 6 weeks
This project aims to investigate the experiences of parents of children with disability or chronic illness. The students may work with a research team to investigate parental experiences of accessing mental health services or school transition among children born preterm. The summer scholarship student will contribute to the project by being involved in the research process, including extensive literature review, data collection and analysis, and drafting of the introduction section of a manuscript with guidance.
Evaluating active ageing interventions for older adults
Supervisors: Dr Wei Qi Koh (weiqi.koh@uq.edu.au)
Duration: 6 weeks
With a rapidly ageing population worldwide, there has been increasing emphasis on research and intervention development to support active ageing. Active ageing entails health promotion, and the promotion of social security and social contribution of older people to enhance older adults’ quality of life. Several cross-national interventions and programs have been developed to promote the physical, social, and cognitive health of older people to support them to age well.
This research aims to evaluating the effectiveness of existing interventions and programs designed to support older adults to age actively. A systematic review of the literature will be conducted to identify, appraise, and evaluate existing research.
The student will be involved in the article screening process, data management, data analysis and/or part of the writing for a scholarly paper (e.g., introduction section, literature review, method section)
Nursing Midwifery and Social Work projects open to SHRS
Prenatal hypnosis instruction for managing pain during labour and birth
Supervisor: Dr Nigel Lee
Duration: 6 Weeks
This research project will involve the production of a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials assessing the efficacy of hypnosis training as part of prenatal education to birthing women. The study will follow a predefined protocol and involve the screening, quality assessment, data extraction, analysis and manuscript preparation.
Download further details (DOCX, 17.8 KB)
Fluid Management in Induced Labour & Birth: Survey of current practice across Australia and New Zealand
Supervisor: Associate Professor Lauren Kearney
Duration: 6 Weeks
The management of maternal intrapartum hydration is variable across maternity settings, specifically for those women undergoing induction of labour. This can contribute to sub-optimal maternal and neonatal outcomes, such as excessive newborn weight loss, breastfeeding interruption, breast engorgement and alterations to maternal physiology. Therefore we aim to to investigate and describe the maternal intrapartum fluid management practices of public maternity units across Australia and New Zealand.
Download further details (DOCX, 17.3 KB)
A Critical and Interdisciplinary Exploration of Undergraduate Student Education and Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF) and Rhematic Heart Disease (RHD) in Australia
Supervisor: Dr Lorelle Kearney
Duration: 6 Weeks
Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a preventable illness that continues to affect vulnerable groups of people living within low- and middle-income areas and in poorly resourced settings within affluent nations globally. Despite enviable global wealth and health expenditure in Australia, RHD unequally impacts Aboriginal people living in the remote regions and remains a chronic source of morbidity and premature mortality.