Research Supervisor Connect
We are seeking to expand our current research into the medication use for people with lower limb osteoarthritis and build on our recent pilot trial of a physiotherapist-delivered medication reduction telehealth-supported therapy. This opportunity will involve the conduct of several smaller projects, including surveys and face-to-face research, as well as implementation of a novel physiotherapist telehealth-supported therapy using a randomized clinical trial design.
Masters/PHD
Exercise is a proven and recommended therapy for people with knee osteoarthritis. However, many people with this condition rely on medication for management of their symptoms. In the light of current understandings of the adverse events and potential dependence on certain medication, better optimisation of medication use is needed. Our group research identified that use of NSAIDs increases the disease progression in people with knee and hip osteoarthritis, further strengthening the call for better education of the clinicians and osteoarthritis patient community.
There is scope for several opportunities in this research area to conduct cohort and/or intervention studies. There is little known about why and how people with osteoarthritis use medication, long-term outcomes from their treatment choices, and interventions capable of reducing medication use and dependence.
Potential research methodologies:
o Systematic reviews
o Surveys and international consortiums
o Imaging studies and epidemiological research
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. 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.
Research Location: Susan Wakil Health Building at the University of Sydney. Flexibility for remote work due to the telehealth nature of the therapy delivery and data collection.
The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 2620