Research Supervisor Connect
This project will involve the implementation of biomechanical interventions with the aim of reducing the load in the medial compartment of the knee during gait.
Dr Milena Simic, Professor Evangelos Pappas.
Masters/PHD
Excessive joint loading in the medial knee compartment is one of the few modifiable risk factors for disease progression in people with medial knee osteoarthritis (OA). Interventions which aim to reduce the detrimental joint load may have potential to improve osteoarthritis symptoms and slow the progression of OA. This project aims to expand on our current body of work in gait retraining by implementing a clinically-applicable individualized gait intervention therapy using an assessor-blinded randomized clinical trial design. There is also scope for this project to expand on telehealth delivery of gait retraining therapy and conduct early implementation research for gait retraining.
There is scope for several opportunities in this research area to conduct intervention studies and related surveys/qualitative opportunities if needed. Little is known about the optimal clinically-appropriate method of teaching gait retraining, the long-term clinical and symptomatic effects of gait retraining, as well as little comparison and/or integration of gait retraining with other recommended therapies (such as exercise and weight-loss).
Potential research methodologies:
o Systematic reviews
o Surveys and international consortiums
o Gait analysis studies
o Intervention studies: including pilot trials and assessor-blinded randomized clinical trials (RCTs)
We are seeking a passionate individual who is interested in making a difference to the lives of people with knee osteoarthritis and has a keen interest in integrating technology and biomechanics into practice. If you are interested, please reach out to A/Prof Simic for a discussion. Currently this is not a funded role, however following successful meeting with the research team, we will be willing to support individuals who are applying for scholarship applications. Please note that scholarship applications are highly competitive.
Location: Susan Wakil Health Building at the University of Sydney.
The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 1666