Guest Speakers
Professor Kathryn Refshauge
Professor of Physiotherapy & Deputy Dean
Faculty of Health Sciences, the University of Sydney
Contact Details:
Faculty of Health Sciences, the University of Sydney, 75 East St, Lidcombe, NSW 2141
Phone: 02 90367305; fax: 02 90367305; mobile; email: k.refshauge@usyd.edu.au
Professional Qualifications:
PhD (UNSW, 1998), MBiomedE (UNSW), GradDipManipTher(USyd), DipPhty (USyd)
Current positions
Deputy Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, the University of Sydney
Professor, School of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney.
Honorary Senior Research Associate, Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute
Honorary Senior Research Associate, St Vincents Clinic
Previous positions
Associate Dean (Research and Innovation) Faculty of Health Sciences, the University of Sydney.
Head, School of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, the University of Sydney.
Research
- 157 publications including 20 books and book chapters. Is one of the most highly cited physiotherapy researchers.
- Since 2002, chief investigator on more than $5M in external research funding.
- Supervisor or co-supervisor for 34 completed research by higher degree students (13 in last 3 years), including 15 PhD, 19 Masters. She has also supervised many honours students.
- Professional and community service
Honorary appointments: - Professor, University of Malaya
- Senior Research Associate, Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute
- Senior Research Associate, St Vincents Clinic
- National contributions:
- Member, DEST-appointed RQF panel 6
- Member, NHMRC grant review panel
- Sate contributions:
- Member, NSW Population and Health Services Research Ethics Committee
- Member, Board of Sports Medicine Australia
University contributions (examples of contributions over the last 3 years):
- Member, management committee for project users groups of building projects (Chris O'Brien ' Lifehouse' building and Centre for Obesity, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease)
- Member, Senior Executive Group Research Committee
- Member, Research and Research Training Committee
- Member, Postgraduate Award Subcommittee
- Chair, PhD working party review
- Member Research Strategy Group
- Member, Human Research Ethics Committee
Conference organiser/scientific convenor:
- 4th International Ankle Symposium
- 1st International multi-disciplinary conference on Whiplash Associated Disorder
- 13th International Biennial Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Association conference
- 7th International Physiotherapy Congress
Faculty contribution (examples of contribution in the last 3 years)
- Chair, curriculum reform project
- Chair Research Committee
- Member, Research by Higher Degree Subcommittee
- Chair SSP subcommittee
- Chair ECR subcommittee
- Member of SSP committee, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery
- Member, Promotions Committee, Faculty of Medicine
Professional contribution
- Board member, Sports Medicine Australia
- Editorial board member, 3 international journals
- Member, Physiotherapy Research Foundation granting body
- Board member, executive of the Australian Physiotherapy Association
Other contributions at School level and other roles:
- PMD Reviewer
- Member, School management team
- Coordinator of teaching discipline
Awards and Honours
2 awards (Recognition of Service) for leadership and service to the profession, 2 Merit awards from Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Association, 2 Awards for service to the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association.
Dr. Robert van Deursen
Dr. Robert van Deursen obtained a BSc in Physiotherapy in Utrecht, the Netherlands in 1981 and between 1982 and 1992 worked as a physiotherapist in various rehabilitation settings in the Netherlands, India, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. He studied at the Faculty of Human Movement Sciences, Free University, Amsterdam for an MSc (cum laude) in Movement Science (1991-1994) and at the Center for Locomotion Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, USA (1994-1997) for a PhD in Biomechanics and Locomotion Studies. He joined the Department of Physiotherapy Education, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff in 1998 as Lecturer/Research Co-ordinator; established the Research Centre for Clinical Kinaesiology in 1999; and became Senior Lecturer in 2002. Dr. Robert van Deursen was appointed as Director of Physiotherapy in 2004 and became Chair of Research Strategy Committee, School of Healthcare Studies, in 2005. He has published multiple research papers and regularly presents at international conferences. He was submitted in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (2008) as part of Unit of Assessment A4: Other Hospital Based Studies (School of Medicine).
His research interests include the prevention and rehabilitation of lower limb complications due to diabetic neuropathy, mobility problems in chronic neurological conditions, and rehabilitation of joint instability after knee injury. Defining functional recovery and determining the effect of exercise on patients in the presence of movement disorders is a common thread in this research. This includes collaborative research with other schools within Cardiff University and with fellow researchers in the area of biomechanics in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and the USA. He is currently involved in setting up a Centre of Excellence (ARC Biomechanics and Bioengineering Centre) to study osteoarthritis in collaboration with six other schools in Cardiff. This is funded by the Arthritis Research Campaign, UK. He is also Associate Director of the Wales School of Primary Care Research. Both initiatives have received substantial grant funding.
Dr. Jenny Nits
Dr Jenny Nitz is a senior lecturer in the Division of Physiotherapy at the University of Queensland where she holds a teaching and research position. The focus of her teaching and research is ageing where her particular interest is rehabilitation, community and residential care based physiotherapy practice. In 2004 she published her text book' Physiotherapy practice in residential aged care'to which she contributed 9 of the 14 chapters. Since then she has been recognized as a leader in physiotherapy education in the field of ageing and contributed the chapter entitled' Clinical case studies in care of the elderly' book title Clinical case studies in Physiotherapy edited by Lauren Guthrie in 2008 and' Fieldwork education for the health professionals: from student to clinical supervisor' edited by K Stagnitti and A Schoo in 2010. Dr Nitz continues to co-ordinate and teaches all of the ageing curriculum content of the undergraduate, graduate entry masters and postgraduate coursework masters physiotherapy programs where she also contributes to neurological rehabilitation content.
She advises 9 PhD scholars in addition to a number of honours students having had three PhD graduates in 2008. The current research focus for her team includes, evaluation of community-based healthy ageing, osteoporosis and falls prevention intervention programs, falls and fall prevention in residential aged care, safe use of powered mobility devices by the disabled and elderly, early aquatic physiotherapy post arthroplasty, chronic condition self-management in people with COPD and pain in people with spinal cord injuries. Previously she has undertaken research in stroke and spinal cord injury. It is from innovative work in these fields that much of the workshop and lecture content will be drawn. She has been successful in gaining over $1.9M from government and industry sources to support this work in the last five years.
Her research has been recognized by her profession winning the award of the Australian Physiotherapy Association Contribution to Physiotherapy Research prize in 2003. Her PhD students have won international recognition and were the only Australian representatives and runner-up to the winner on both occasions at the 3rd Livial Expert Conference in Nice (2003) and 6th Livial Expert Conference in Florence (2006) for presentations of their doctoral studies related to women's health and ageing.
Dr Nitz has held the position as the chairman of the specialization and titled member committee of the Australian Physiotherapy Association, Gerontology Physiotherapists Australia group since 2005 and as such is recognized as the leader in this field in Australia by her profession.
Prof. Sami Saleh Ahamed AL-Abdulwahab
PERSONAL DATA
Name (Mr.)Sami Saleh Ahamed AL-Abdulwahab
Sex Male
Nationality Saudi Arabian
Academic Rank Professor
Place of work Saudi Council for Health Specialties and King Saud
University, Faculty of Applied Medical
Sciences, Rehabilitation Sciences Department,
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
ACADEMIC DEGREES
1986/87 BSc. Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences King
Saud University, Saudi Arabia
1992 Ph.D. Rehabilitation Sciences, School of Medicine, University of
Southampton, UK
1998 Postdoctoral Fellowship in Advanced Rehabilitation Sciences, Texas
Woman's University USA
2002 Diploma in Acupuncture, Faculty of Homoeopathy University, Malaysia
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
2001-Now, Professor of Physical Disability & Rehabilitation, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, King Saud University
1997-1998 Visiting Professor Texas Woman's University, Houston Texas
1996-2001, Associate Professor, Rehabilitation Sciences Department, King
Saud University
1992-1996 Assistant Professor, Rehabilitation Sciences Department, King
Saud University
1987-1988 Demonstrator, Rehabilitation Sciences Department, King Saud
University
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSIGNMENTS
2005-Now Assistant Secretary General for Accreditation and Registration, Saudi
Council for Health Specialties
2002- 2005 Chairman Rehabilitation Sciences Department, King
Saud University
1994-1997 Chairman Rehabilitation Sciences Department, King
Saud University
ACADEMIC WORK AND PAPERS
Has many Published Papers