The SIRPH Research Unit studies the rehabilitation and prevention of musculoskeletal injuries and pain that interfere with physical activity and sports participation – emphasising wellness and health.
Mission statement
Enabling healthy participation in sport and physical activity through research and community engagement with rehabilitation and prevention of musculoskeletal injuries.
Key research activities
In the SIRPH group, we investigate tendon, ligament, joint and muscle injuries to see what happens to the body when these structures get injured and how they can lead to tendinopathies, osteoarthritis and decreased participation in physical activity.
We research treatments such as exercise, manual therapy, taping and orthotics to see how we can best help people return to their regular activity.
We also investigate how we can use exercise, taping and orthotics to prevent injuries from occurring or from getting worse.
Our research involves people of all ages, from children and young people to older adults.
- Management of anterior knee pain
- Managing tendinopathy
- Preventing and managing chronic ankle instability and ankle osteoarthritis
- Injury prevention and optimal physical activity participation
- Return to sport and participation guidelines
- Exercise and education for lower limb osteoarthritis
Our people
Chairs
Associate Professor Michelle Smith
Associate Professor in Physiotherapy
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Associate Professor Natalie Collins
Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Group members
Emeritus Professor Bill Vicenzino
Professor in Physiotherapy
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Dr Viana Vuvan
Lecturer in Physiotherapy
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Dr Manuela Besomi
Post-doctoral Research Fellow
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Dr Melinda Smith
Lecturer
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Jennifer Oakley
Clinical Trial Coordinator
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Current Higher Degree by Research candidates
| Candidate | Degree | Supervisor/s | Project Title/Description |
|---|---|---|---|
Chris Zillmann | PhD | Michelle Smith, Natalie Collins, Bill Vicenzino | Understanding the impairments and management of Osgood Schlatter Disease in adolescent athletes. |
Brent Sahota | PhD | Michelle Smith, Viana Vuvan, Bill Vicenzino | Development of a core domain set to clear athletes to return to sport from patellar tendinopathy. |
James Jansz | PhD | Natalie Collins, Michelle Smith, Bill Vicenzino | Biopsychosocial characteristics and perspectives of adolescents with patellofemoral pain. |
Ammar Albaradie | PhD | Natalie Collins, Kylie Tucker, Jason Bonacci, Taylor Dick | Can Minimal Footwear Alter Patellofemoral Joint Loading, Lower-Limb Muscle Activation and Biomechanics During Walking in Individuals with Patellofemoral Osteoarthritis. |
Yejun Wang | PhD | Natalie Collins, Michelle Smith, Bill Vicenzino | Establisihing a core domain set for adolescents with nontraumatic anterior knee pain. |
Niloofar Fakhraei Rad | PhD | Michelle Smith, Natalie Collins, Manuela Besomi | Injury prevention in female athletes: Understanding and preventing injury risk factors unique to females. |
Daniel Evans | PhD | Claire Hiller, Michelle Smith, Fereshteh Pourkazemi, Paula Beckenkamp | Tendon injury and pathology after lateral ankle sprains. |
Projects for interested Higher Degree by Research candidates
| Project title and description | Contact |
|---|---|
| Understanding impact and improving outcomes of lumbar bone stress injury (pars fractures) in adolescent athletes | Dr Melinda Smith melinda.smith@uq.edu.au |
Improving management and interrupting the sequela of ankle injuries across the lifespan
| Associate Professor Michelle Smith m.smith5@uq.edu.au |
Improving return to sport success for athletes with lateral ankle sprains
| Associate Professor Michelle Smith m.smith5@uq.edu.au |
Preventing and managing sports injuries in adolescent athletes
| Associate Professor Michelle Smith m.smith5@uq.edu.au |
Measures of physical workload in children and adolescents
| Dr Natalie Collins Dr Manuela Besomi Associate Professor Michelle Smith |
Preventing and managing running-related injuries across the lifespan
| Dr Manuela Besomi m.besomimolina@uq.edu.au |
Research projects currently recruiting participants
We are currently seeking participants to take part in research studies.
| Project | Get in touch to learn more |
|---|---|
Understanding perspectives on return to sport after an ankle sprain We are looking for volunteers to participate in an interview about going back to play sport after an ankle sprain. We are looking for:
| Associate Professor Michelle Smith m.smith5@uq.edu.au |
How do runners stay injury free? Researchers are looking for all kinds of runners with or without any injury history to explore variations of self-regulation strategies in injury prone and injury resistant runners to manage and prevent running-related injuries. Participation involves a 20–25-minute online survey and a potential follow-up interview. Eligibility: All kind of runners in Australia, above 18, regardless their injury history. Access the survey and further information. Please feel free to share the link with your running friends, groups or clubs. | Dr Manuela Besomi m.besomimolina@uq.edu.au |
Explore facilitators and barriers to behaviour change in early injury detection and prevention in runners. Our project explores the facilitators and barriers to early injury detection and prevention in runners. We are looking for consumers, including runners, coaches, physiotherapists, and researchers. Participants will engage in workshops to shape the research, defining key behaviors for injury prevention as part of our advisory team or consumer group Each participant will receive a remuneration for their participation, oriented at the Remuneration and Reimbursement Guidelines Consumer and Community Involvement Activity. | Dr Manuela Besomi m.besomimolina@uq.edu.au |
Partners and collaborators
- Professor Eamonn Delahunt, University College Dublin, Ireland
- Professor Erik Wikstrom, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
- Dr Christiaan van Bergen, Amphia Hospital, The Netherlands
- Professor Yvonne Golightly, University of Nebraska Medical Center, USA
- Dr Bruno Tassignon, Vrije University Brussels, Belgium
- Professor David Hunter, University of Sydney, Australia
- Professor Hylton Menz, Latrobe University, Australia
- Professor Michael Rathleff, Aalborg University, Denmark
- Professor Kay Crossley, Latrobe University, Australia
Contact
To contact the Sports Injuries Rehabilitation and Prevention for Health (SIRPH) please email sirph@uq.edu.au.