For Dr Rachel Coghlan APAM, physiotherapy was never about sport or injury—it was about people. 

‘Unlike many of my peers, who went into physiotherapy with a view to going into sports physio or private practice, I think I was always in it for the caring aspect. 

'My mum worked in an aged care facility and two of my aunties were aged care nurses. 

'It felt natural to want to be in a caring profession.’ 

The public health professional studied physiotherapy at the University of Melbourne, graduating in 2000. 

A summer elective in Chiang Mai, Thailand, proved formative. 

‘It opened my eyes to international public health. 

'We saw physiotherapy in a completely different context—a less resource-rich environment but one full of ingenuity and community.’ 

After graduation Rachel moved to London, where her work in community neurorehabilitation inspired her to move into palliative care. 

‘I became a regional care advisor for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, using my physio skills but focusing on supporting people to navigate their journey.’ 

One patient’s story still shapes her work. 

‘A Sudanese client living alone as an asylum seeker faced a choice: continue receiving very basic support in London or return home to die with his family and receive almost no medical care. 

'He chose to go home. 

'That decision stayed with me and became the catalyst for my research into palliative care in humanitarian settings.’ 

Today, Rachel combines clinical practice and research. 

She is a senior technical advisor—disability, inclusion and rehabilitation at the Nossal Institute for Global Health, University of Melbourne and a palliative care physiotherapist at Calvary Health Care Bethlehem. 

Her PhD at Deakin University’s Centre for Humanitarian Leadership—conferred in 2023— examined palliative care in humanitarian crises, focusing on Gaza. 

‘I wanted to understand what care looks like when resources are scarce or systems collapse—how people are cared for by family and community and what’s needed to fill the gaps.’ 

Her subsequent work has extended to Ukraine, Syria and Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, though Gaza remains closest to heart. 

‘It’s been an incredibly difficult time. 

'I feel a responsibility as a physiotherapist, a healthcare professional and a human to speak up—for the violence to end, for health justice and accountability and for everyone to receive the care they need, including palliative care.’ 

Her clinical philosophy mirrors that advocacy. 

‘In traditional rehab, goals might focus on walking 100 metres or improving function. 

'In palliative care, it’s about why that goal matters—getting into the garden, walking along the beach. 

'It’s about maintaining meaning, dignity and wellbeing for as long as possible.’ 

Rachel is a board director of Palliative Care Australia, a council member of the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network and a member of the APA Cancer, Palliative Care and Lymphoedema national group. 

‘Palliative care is still too often talked about through a medical and nursing frame. 

'Allied health plays a crucial role but it’s under-recognised and underfunded. 

'We need better advocacy, better funding and clear pathways for physios and occupational therapists who want to work in this area.’ 

Rachel values the APA group for its shared learning. 

‘I’ve learned a lot from colleagues in the cancer space. 

'The challenge is making sure that palliative care is recognised as relevant for anyone with a lifelimiting illness, not just those with cancer.’

Ultimately, it’s the people who sustain her. 

‘Those living with serious illness and colleagues in crisis settings who keep caring no matter the risks— they’re my inspiration. 

'Their courage and dignity keep me grounded.’