Disability and Inclusion
Working with people with disability, their families and caregivers to promote well-being, independence, participation and inclusion
About this hub
Our disability research aims to promote the well-being, rights, participation and inclusion of people living with disability, and to support their caregivers and family. We do this by considering the impact of initial diagnoses made in children and adults, and the ongoing effect of disability across the lifespan, including the unique issue of disabilities associated with ageing, whether these relate to mobility, vision, communication, or social isolation. Our research also focuses critically on the service systems and workforces that support people living with disability.
Identifying risk factors, and their impact on the onset and progression of diseases or other conditions resulting in disability are central to our research program. We contribute to the development and implementation of evidence-based rehabilitation and recovery programs, with a focus on integrating with current policy directives such as the NDIS.
These interventions include health-service and community-based interventions, as well as digital applications to extend reach and uptake.
Meet our researchers in the disability and inclusion hub
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Audiology and Speech Pathology
Dr Elaina Kefalianos
Course Coordinator, Senior LecturerEducation and Research
elaina.kefalianos@unimelb.edu.au -
Nursing
Prof Marie Gerdtz
Professor and Head of Department | Research areas include emergency and critical care nursinggerdtzmf@unimelb.edu.au -
Optometry and Vision Sciences
A/Prof Andrew Anderson
Associate Professor | Behavioural investigation of human vision, both in health and disease; Factors affecting decision-making processes in the brain.aaj@unimelb.edu.auA/Prof Lauren Ayton
Principal Research Fellow | Research areas include retinal disease, gene therapy, and low vision medical devices (bionic eyes, sensory substitution). Also research translation and commercialisation, as Director of SPARK Melbourne.layton@unimelb.edu.auDr Phillip Bedggood
Postdoctoral Research Fellow | Research areas include cellular-resolution imaging of the eye to understand the earliest stages of vision and the supply of nutrients to tissue. Also technological developments in optical imaging and image processing.pabedg@unimelb.edu.auA/Prof Anthea Cochrane
Assoc. Professor, Teaching Specialist, 3rd, 4th year OD and Placement Coordinator | Research: low vision, clinical training and assessment, failure to fail, training educators.antheac@unimelb.edu.auProf Allison McKendrick
Professor | Research areas include improving the understanding and clinical assessment of visual disorder of the eye and brain (specific interests in glaucoma, migraine, and ageing).allisonm@unimelb.edu.auDr Ceecee Britten-Jones
Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Optometrist | Research interests include inherited retinal diseases, ocular imaging, gene therapy trials, and evidence synthesis.ac.brittenjones@unimelb.edu.auDr Flora Hui
Research Fellow (Industry Engagement) and Optometrist | Research areas include neurodegeneration, diagnostics and therapies, research translation, improving health services.huif@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Virginia Liu
Research Fellow | Translational, technolgoical developments and clinical assessment of the visual neural system.ping.liu@unimelb.edu.auProf Trichur Vidyasagar
Professor | Research areas include neural basis of visual perception, attention and predictive coding, disorders of communication across the brain and dyslexia.trv@unimelb.edu.auMs Christine Nearchou
Senior Lecturer. Teaching specialist, Clinical leader of paediatrics, binocular vision | Research: paediatric eye health and vision, visual development, learning in children.nearchou@unimelb.edu.auDr Christine Nguyen
Senior Lecturer and Optometric Clinician | Research areas using the eye as a marker for brain disease (specific interests in Parkinsons and Alzheimers disease) in preclinical and clinical space.christine.nguyen@unimelb.edu.auDr Kwang Cham
Senior Lecturer | Research areas include digital technologies for feedback and assessment, inter-professional education, and inter-disciplinary object-based learning engaging with material culture.ckwang@unimelb.edu.auDr Vickie Wong
Research Fellow | Research areas include understanding ocular changes in neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. Parkinson's, Diabetes and Glaucoma), and using ocular biomarkers to test drug efficacy and monitoring.vickie.wong@unimelb.edu.auDr Jia Jia Lek
Lecturer (Teaching Specialist) | Research interest areas: Educational research including interprofessional education, cultural competency, student engagement and wellbeing.jjlek@unimelb.edu.au -
Physiotherapy
Prof David Berlowitz
Chair in Physiotherapy at Austin Health | Research areas include sleep and breathing disorders in neuromuscular disease, health systems and data research, clinical trials of therapies and care modelsdjberl@unimelb.edu.auA/Prof Fiona Dobson
Deputy Head of Physiotherapy | Research areas include exercise for chronic musculoskeletal conditions, hip & knee osteoarthritis, outcome measurement, meta-analysisfdobson@unimelb.edu.auDr Lara Edbrooke
Lecturer | Research areas include health services research, multi-disciplinary models of allied health care for people with cancer, measurement of physical activitylarae@unimelb.edu.auDr Thorlene Egerton
Senior Lecturer | Research focus is on design of models of health service delivery to implement evidence-based practice for osteoarthritis and other chronic conditionsthorlene.egerton@unimelb.edu.auDr Stephanie Filbay
NHMRC Research Fellow | Research expertise includes anterior cruciate ligament injury and knee osteoarthritis outcomes and interventionsstephanie.filbay@unimelb.edu.auDr Natalie Fini
Senior Lecturer, Post-Doctoral Researcher | Research areas include physical activity after neurological injury, stroke recovery and rehabilitationnatalie.fini@unimelb.edu.auA/Prof Jane Fitzpatrick
Honorary | Research areas include Sport and Exercise Medicine, tendinopathy and osteoarthritisjane.fitzpatrick@unimelb.edu.auA/Prof Helena Frawley
Associate Professor | Research expertise in expertise in women’s health, specifically disorders related to the pelvic floorh.frawley@unimelb.edu.auA/Prof Catherine Granger
Associate Professor and Dame Kate Campbell Fellow | Research areas include exercise and physical activity for patients with lung cancer, other cancers, critical illness and respiratory diseasescatherine.granger@unimelb.edu.auDr Michelle Hall
Senior Research Fellow, NHMRC Emerging Leader, Dame Kate Campbell Fellow | Research areas include osteoarthritis. exercise, biomechanics; meta-analyses, clinical trialshalm@unimelb.edu.auDr Kate Hayward
Senior Research Fellow | Research areas include the brain-behaviour nexus during rehabilitation after strokekate.hayward@unimelb.edu.auProf Rana Hinman
Research areas include improving the health of people with chronic musculoskeletal conditions, especially osteoarthritis, implementation science, and increasing access to care, including telerehabilitation and digital healthranash@unimelb.edu.auDr Jennifer Jones
Clinical Research Fellow | Research areas include critical care recovery and rehabilitation, frailty and digital healthjennifer.jones@unimelb.edu.auDr Kade Paterson
NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow, Dame Kate Campbell Senior Research Fellow | Research includes lower limb biomechanics of walking and running, and the clinical and biomechanical effects of foot-based interventions for musculoskeletal conditionskade.paterson@unimelb.edu.auProf Alicia Spittle
Associate Dean (Research) Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences | Her research interest include infant and child development, early intervention, parent well-being, consumer engagement and implementation scienceaspittle@unimelb.edu.auProf Jennifer McGinley
Head, Department of Physiotherapy | Research areas include movement and function across the lifespan in healthy people and those with neurological conditions including stroke, Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy and autism spectrum disordermcginley@unimelb.edu.auProf Gavin Williams
Professor of Physiotherapy Rehabilitation | Research areas include neurological gait disorders, running, task-specific strength training and focal spasticity managementgavinw@unimelb.edu.auDr Kelly Bower
Lecturer | Research areas include stroke rehabilitation, balance training, falls prevention, motion-tracking technologies and telehealthbower@unimelb.edu.auMs Shaza Abo
Clinical Research Fellow (Acute Cardiorespiratory) | Researching physical activity and exercise in cancer and critical illness; interested in quantitative and qualitative methodologies, co-design and sustainabilityshaza.abo@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Amanda Kwong
Research Fellow | Research areas include early detection assessment and implementation of movement problems in high risk infantsamanda.kwong@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Abbey Eeles
Research Fellow | Research areas include the impact of developmental therapy and early intervention on brain development and rehabilitation in the newborn period and beyond, and the role parents play in delivering this interventionabbey.eeles@unimelb.edu.auDr Rachel Toovey
Lecturer | Research areas including paediatrics, disability and inclusive participation in physical activityr.toovey@unimelb.edu.auDr Tara Fitzgerald
Lecturer | Research interests include physical activity participation in early childhood, and long-term outcomes for infants born pretermtara.fitzgerald@unimelb.edu.au
John Carey
Physiotherapist, Research Assistant & PhD Candidate | Research areas include child & youth disability, physical activity, participation, and community partnershipjohn.carey@unimelb.edu.auA/Prof Cathy Said
A/Professor Physiotherapy Western Health | Research interests include rehabilitation and fall prevention in older people and people with neurological disorderscsaid@unimelb.edu.auDr Belinda Lawford
Research Assistant | Areas of research include telehealth and implementation of health services to help improve the lives of those with chronic musculoskeletal pain (e.g. osteoarthritis)belinda.lawford@unimelb.edu.auProf Kim Bennell
Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor, NHMRC Investigator Fellow and Dame Kate Campbell Fellow. Director of the Centre for Health, Exercise and Sports Medicine | Research focus is on the management of musculoskeletal conditions particularly osteoarthritisk.bennell@unimelb.edu.au -
Social Work
Dr Jennifer Davidson
Course Coordinator, MSW | Research areas include navigating complex service systems, disability and the NDIS, social work in the legal and justice systems and the impact of social policy on health and wellbeingjennifer.davidson@unimelb.edu.auProf Louise Harms
Chair and Head, Department of Social Work, and Deputy Head, School of Health Sciences | Research interests include health, mental health and disabilitylouisekh@unimelb.edu.auA/Prof Ralph Hampson
Associate Professor | Research areas include health, ageing and community servicesralph.hampson@unimelb.edu.auDr Lyndal Hickey
Research Fellow | Research areas include policy, program and practice implementation to improve the lives of people living with disability, and their families in their communitieshickeyl@unimelb.edu.auProf Lynette Joubert
Professor - Direct Practice | Research areas include clarifying, measuring and evaluating the outcomes of social interventions in health and mental health, focusing on the contribution of formal and informal social network factorsljoubert@unimelb.edu.auA/Prof David Rose
Associate Professor in Social Work, Director of Learning and Teaching, MSHS | Research areas include impact of criminal justice system, trauma and mental health, alcohol and other drugs, domestic & family violence, children and families across borders and health/mental health in forensic systemsdrose@unimelb.edu.auA/Prof Kristin Diemer
Associate Professor | kNOwVAWdata; safe, ethical and inclusive measurement of violence against women and children with a focus in Asia and the Pacifick.diemer@unimelb.edu.auProf Cathy Humphreys
Professor | Dedicated to optimising the health of all family members where there is domestic and family violencecathy.humphreys@unimelb.edu.auDr Lauren Kosta
Lecturer | Research areas include family adaptation in circumstances of adversity such as those which bring families into health settings as well as post-disaster recovery contextslauren.kosta@unimelb.edu.au
Dr David Denborough
Senior Lecturer | Involved in Narrative Practice Research innovations (narrative therapy and community work in research) and collaborations with Insider/Peer researchers and First Nations researchersdavid.denborough@unimelb.edu.auDr Kath Sellick
Lecturer | Experienced in qualitative and mixed methods research with a particular focus on co-production. Her areas of research include trauma-informed care, mental health, disability, and diversity and inclusionkathryn.sellick@unimelb.edu.au