Neck and Head Research Unit (NAHRU)

Team leaders

Associate Professor Julia Treleaven

Julia is a clinical academic in SHRS. 
The major theme of my research to date has been in the role of the cervical spine in producing symptoms other than pain such as headache, dizziness and visual disturbances and the cervical spine’s role in head and eye movement control and postural stability. I am particularly interested in differential diagnosis and investigating clinical tests that can help physiotherapists identify when the cervical spine is implicated in these symptoms and signs. This research has led me to consider populations with neck pain, migraine, tension type headache, concussion, visual and vestibular impairments.  My research and it’s translation to clinical practice have gained the attention of clinicians and researchers internationally and has had a significant impact on, and uptake in, clinical practice internationally.  I have a consistent publishing record in quality journals in the musculoskeletal and related multidisciplinary and professional fields. Since 2008, I have received over 4 million dollars in competitive research funding from agencies including US Department of Defence, Queensland Health (HMR), ARC, MRFF and University of Queensland funding. I have sought and been sought for several international and national collaborations with leading researchers in the areas of neck pain, whiplash, concussion and proprioception.  These collaborations have resulted in several publications with the majority of the collaborators with the others currently in progress.   To date I have supervised 5 PhDs to completion, and over 120 honours, GEMS and/or Masters research students to project completion.  I am currently supervising 2 PhD students and 1 MPhil students. 

Dr Lucy Thomas

Dr Thomas is a researcher, academic and Co-Director of the Neck, and Headache Research Unit at the University of Queensland. She is a Titled Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist and holds an honorary appointment at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.
Lucy has worked as a manipulative physiotherapist for 34 years and taught in musculoskeletal therapy since 2005. She completed her PhD in 2013, ' Minimising risk factors for cervical spine manipulation' and MMedSc in 2005. She led development of the APA ‘Clinical guide to safe manual therapy practice in the cervical spine’ in 2018 and her research also informed the revised 2020 IFOMPT framework. Her main research focus is on early identification of craniocervical arterial dissection and red flag conditions in headache and neck pain, evaluation of the role of the neck in headache and dizziness and validating screening tools for the cervical region for use in clinical practice.
Lucy has been an invited keynote speaker at conferences, delivering workshops and webinars nationally and internationally in safe practice, evaluation and management of the cervical spine. She has published widely in peer reviewed journals and contributed chapters to two textbooks on cervical spine management. She teaches extensively into undergraduate and postgraduate physiotherapy programs and supervises several doctoral students.

Team members

Dr Lucy Thomas
Associate Professor Julia Treleaven
Associate Professor Shaun O’Leary
Dr Zhiqi Liang 
Dr Viana Vuvan
Dr Katrina Williams
Dr Alana Dinsdale 
 

Team founder

Emeritus Professor Gwendolen Jull

Clinical Interface

The Neck and Head Research Unit  houses two patient clinics where patients can attend for specialised assessment for a fee for service. 
Whiplash Assessment Clinic
Headache Clinic
 

Our research looks at the inter-relationships between pain processing, motor and kinematic function, sensorimotor function and psychosocial responses in traumatic and idiopathic models of neck, head or jaw pain including:

• whiplash associated disorders
• insidious onset neck pain
• cervical and axio-scapular muscle function
• nerve mechanosensitivity
• temporomandibular disorders
• cervicogenic headache
• migraine/ tension type headache/ vestibular migraine 
• cervicogenic dizziness
• concussion/ mild traumatic brain injury 
• cervical artery dissection
• vertebrobasilar insufficiency
• occupational neck conditions - prevention and management
• neck pain and dysfunction in the elderly
• neck pain and dysfunction in head and neck cancer
• neck pain and dysfunction in peripheral and central vestibular conditions
• neck pain and dysfunction and visual disorders 
• recognition of red flag disorders 
• safety in manual therapy
• translational education research
• development of physiotherapy interventions for cervical spine (neck) and temporomandibular disorders

 Self-reported 

• Questionnaires- pain, disability, pain on movement, other symptoms, psychosocial factors, trauma related factors  
• Qualitative studies/ Focus groups 
• Risk criteria- clinical decision tool 
• Pain diary/ Pain mapping

 Musculoskeletal measures 

• Cervical kinematics- range, velocity and accuracy 
• Posture
• Manual examination
• Neuromuscular control
• Strength and endurance testing 

Sensorimotor 

• Proprioception - Joint position sense
  • Movement sense 
  • Force sense 
• Balance - Static, Dynamic, Gait and Functional 
• Oculomotor
  • Smooth pursuit
  • Gaze stability
  • Nystagmus
  • NPC/Accommodation  
  • Stereognosis  
• Reaction time    
• Eye head co-ordination
• Trunk head co-ordination
• Neck jaw co-ordination 
• Vestibular suite of measures 

Sensory 

• Pressure, vibration, thermal pain thresholds/detection 
• Laterality
• Two point discrimination 
• Cold pain modulation
• Temporal summation
• Exercise induced analgesia 

Others 

• Cadaver anatomical studies
• Vascular ultrasound elastography
• MRI studies 
• Autonomic/Physiological -Heart rate variability, Buffalo concussion treadmill test 

Equipment available

• EMG
• Virtual reality
• Strength gauges
• Pressure sensors
• Ultrasound
• CPM 
• PPT
• Thermal testing  
• Force Bite sensors 
• ENG
• VNG
• RAF rule 
• Motion sensors
• Laser
• Force plates/ Wii board 
• HRV
• Treadmill  

Current Research Higher Degree candidates

Recently completed Research Higher Degree candidates

• Neck pain in migraine, Australian Physio.
• Virtual reality research to help neck pain: Queensland Researchers, Sydney Morning Herald.
• Professor Gwen Jull on being made an Officer in the Order of Australia, UQ News.
• Neck pain and office workers, ABC News.
   

International collaborators

• Professor Deborah Falla, Chair in rehab science and Physiotherapy, Director, Centre of Precision Rehabilitation for spinal pain. University of Birmingham. 
• Professor Gisela Sjøgaard, 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
• Professor Anneli Peolsson, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Physiotherapy, Linköping University, Sweden
• Dr Hilla Sarig Bahat, Department of Physiotherapy, University of Haifa
• Associate Professor Jinny Uthaikup, Chaing Mai University Thailand
• Dr Marco Barbero, University of Applied sciences University of Switzerland 
• Dr Ulrik Röijezon, Department of Health Sciences Lulea University Sweden
• Dr Peter Michaelson, Department of Health Sciences, Lulea University Sweden
• Dr Martin Björklund,  Umeo University,  Sweden
• Matt Hammerle, Physical Therapist Brain Injury and Vestibular Rehabilitation BIR Clinic Brooke Army Medical Center, Texas USA.  
• Dr Nicholas Clark, St Marys University London 
• Dr Alison Rushton, University of Birmingham
• Dr Markus Ernst, ZHAW School of Health Professions, Switzerland 
• Dr Rik Kranenberg, Hanze University of Applied Science, Groningen, Netherlands

National collaborators

• Professor James Elliott, Allied Health NSLHD, The University of Sydney 
• Professor Leon Straker, NHMRC Senior Research Fellow, Curtin University of Technology, Perth
• Profossor Trudy Rebbeck, University of Sydney
• A/Professor Tasha Stanton, University of South Australia
• Dr Sue Reid, ACU Sydney
• Professor Julie Hides, Deputy Head of School Allied Health Griffith University Nathan Brisbane. 
• Professor Chris Levi, Hunter Medical Research Unit, John Hunter Hospital, The University of Newcastle
• Professor John Attia, Hunter Medical Research Unit, The University of Newcastle
• Dr Elizabeth Holliday, Hunter Medical Research Unit, The University of Newcastle
• Dr Andrew Wong, Director of Neurology, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital
• Dr Rebecca Crawford, Adj. Assoc. Prof. Curtin University, Perth, Australia

The University of Queensland

School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences collaborators

• Professor Michele Sterling, RECOVER Injury Research Centre, 
• Professor Sandy Brauer - Physiotherapy
• Emeritus Professor Gwendolen Jull 
• Dr Roma Forbes 

Inter-School/Faculty collaborators

• Gail Durbridge, HERTH