Our Vision
Excellence in Allied Health Research for better health in Western Sydney and beyond.
What do we investigate in Allied Health Research?
Who we are?
Allied health clinicians provide a diverse range of therapeutic and diagnostic health services as part of multidisciplinary teams across different settings within the local health district, and include discipline groups such as physiotherapy, social work, occupational therapy, speech pathology, nutrition and dietetics, and psychology. The services work directly with people to prevent and/or minimise poor health, and rehabilitate or optimise function.
The WSLHD Allied Health Research Unit and the Steering Committee are committed to the efforts of supporting a culture of research and increasing capacity of allied health professionals to undertake research that will provide better health for people living in western Sydney and beyond. We are working closely with our academic partners to ensure feasible, important and sustainable research activity.
Key priority areas for research include research into: chronic disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment, maternal and child health, ageing, disability and mental health, neurological health, musculoskeletal health and cancer research, with cross-cutting themes of health literacy, integrated care, and health services research.
Principles
- Collaborate: conduct multi-disciplinary research
- Communicate: share learnings with others
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Convert: translate research into practice
Some examples of research activity
Diet and Swallowing Exercises among people with Motor Neurone Disease
Investigators: Prof Vicki Flood, Prof Steve Vucic, Dr Hans Bogaardt, Dr Parvathi Menon, Kirsty Niven, Rachael Hammond, Timothea Lau
Funding support: MND Research Institute of Australia
This research project is investigating the feasibility and effects of active swallowing exercises and a diet high in extra virgin olive oil among people with Motor Neurone Disease.
We are currently recruiting to this project and for further details contact:
[email protected]
The KOMPACT-P study
Investigators: Marie March, Dr Bijoy Thomas, A/Prof Sarah Dennis (USyd/ SWSLHD)
This study is investigating knee-osteoarthritis management with physiotherapist-delivered acceptance and commitment therapy.
For further details contact:
[email protected]
Prevalence of Pregnancy Related Pelvic Girdle Pain
Investigators: Dragana Ceprnja, Lucy Chipchase, Amitabh Gupta
This research is investigating the prevalence and factors associated with pelvic girdle pain in pregnant women, including how women cope with this condition.
For further details contact:
[email protected]
How to get further involved?
Allied health research has enormous potential to directly impact on improved quality of life and health outcomes among people. Our focus is to build research capacity, and to build sustainability with multi-disciplinary collaborative approaches to research.
If you want to be a participant in research projects, led by Allied Health Research team, please contact the contact name directly in example projects, or send a general email enquiry to:
[email protected]
If you are interested in collaborating with our team on research, for example, as a co-investigator, an honours research student, or Higher Degree Research student (Masters or PhD), please contact us at
[email protected]. Include information about the area of research you are interested in and your background.
Contact Details
[email protected]