As a researcher and Specialist Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapist (as awarded by the Australian College of Physiotherapists in 2009), Professor Carol Hodgson FACP has dedicated her professional life to reshaping how healthcare systems treat survivors of intensive care. 

Her focus on long-term outcomes—particularly disability, function and quality of life—has driven a profound shift in Australia’s public health and physiotherapy sectors. 

‘It’s a real privilege to work with critically ill people at a time when they are at their most vulnerable,’ Carol says.

‘I’m very passionate about trying to advocate for the best possible outcome for these patients.’ 

Seeking answers

With more than 90 per cent of critically ill patients in Australia and New Zealand now surviving intensive care, Carol’s research asks an essential question: what comes next? 

While clinicians have traditionally focused on survival rates, Carol’s work looks beyond discharge and towards long-term patient wellbeing. 

‘We should be incredibly proud of our survival rates,’ Carol says. 

‘But our studies show that about 50 percent of people who spend at least 24 hours on mechanical ventilation develop a new disability within six months.’ 

That statistic drives Carol’s determination to improve the trajectory of patients beyond the hospital’s ICU. ‘There’s a huge burden of new disability in survivors,’ Carol says. 

‘Some of that can’t be changed but some of it can. 

If we can find the factors that affect disability, we can adjust care to minimise the long-term impact.’ 

Her current program of research—recognised by the NHMRC award—seeks to do just that, using clinical trials that find practical solutions that can be translated directly into patient care. 

One of Carol’s most important contributions is rethinking how clinical trials are run. 

As executive director of the Monash Partners Academic Health Science Centre and deputy director of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Research Centre, Carol is pioneering a model that uses real-world data to streamline research. 

Instead of relying on traditional data collection, which is time-consuming, expensive and often disconnected from everyday care, Carol embeds her research into registries and electronic medical records. 

‘It’s much more efficient if we can let the data that’s already being collected inform the trial,’ Carol says. 

‘That way, we reduce the burden on staff and can increase the speed of data collection.

More importantly, we can measure whether the results of the trial are actually being used in clinical practice.’ 

This approach places research translation at the core of her mission. 

‘We shouldn’t just be doing the research; we should be ensuring that it changes care. 

And if it doesn’t, we need to understand why,’ she says. 

Clinical insights

Carol’s work also shines a light on inconsistencies in clinical care. 

‘There are very different practices among different clinicians, even in the same ICU,’ she says. ‘We call that random care.’ 

To replace this variability with evidence-based guidelines, Carol’s team uses randomised trials to determine best practice. 

‘We think we should be randomly allocating patients in trials to understand what really works and then using that to shape consistent care,’ she says. 

The end goal is clear: not just to publish evidence but to implement it. ‘Depending on the results of our trials, I hope we’ll see improvements in care. 

I’m lucky to work with international teams writing clinical practice guidelines and I hope our findings help inform those,’ Carol says. 

Carol’s career began in the public hospital system, where she worked across Melbourne’s major hospitals as a physiotherapist, including working in the ICU at the Alfred Hospital for more than 25 years. 

The experience left a lasting impression on her. ‘I’ve always worked in public health,’ Carol says. 

‘I’m so proud of the physios I’ve worked with—the service they provide, the way they advocate for their patients, the respect and dignity they bring to care.’ 

Although Carol stepped back from her regular clinical work in 2023 to take on broader leadership responsibilities, her connection to physiotherapy remains strong. 

‘I miss seeing patients,’ she says. ‘But we still do all our research through the physio department at the Alfred and I’ve got a lot of physios working with me who are embedded in health services. I still feel very connected.’ 

A love of learning 

Carol’s journey into research was sparked by curiosity—and a belief in better ways of doing things. 

‘I’ve always had a lot of questions like “Why are we doing that?” or “Is there a better way?”’ she says. 

‘The best way to answer those questions in clinical practice is to do a clinical trial.’ Strong mentors also played a role in setting her path. 

Carol says she was encouraged to have an inquiring mind but that it wasn’t enough just to ask a question; you had a responsibility to seek the answer. 

She believes that researchers have a moral obligation to ensure that care is based on evidence. 

‘If we’re going to put people in intensive care and give them invasive therapies, we need to know the best way to deliver them so that it’s safe and improves outcomes as much as possible,’ she says. 

Having received continuous funding from the NHMRC and the Heart Foundation, Carol is now committed to supporting the next generation of researchers. 

Her message to early career physiotherapist researchers is clear: pick great people and do great work. 

‘Surround yourself with good people,’ Carol says. ‘Pick good mentors. Pick a strong team. Pick a topic you’re passionate about. If you love what you do, you’ll always want to do good work—and that’s what leads to success.’ 

Carol also values practical traits in her students. ‘Passion, enthusiasm, curiosity, energy and drive—but also organisational skills. I tell all my PhD students, you’ll be sending me agendas and minutes. I want to see timelines. You need to be really organised,’ she says.

Despite her many hats, Carol remains proudly a physiotherapist. ‘I love everything about physio,’ she says. 

‘The best part is the other physios. Physios are health-oriented, motivated, goal-focused high achievers. They multitask. They take on new challenges. They’re my kind of people.’

Her commitment to professional service reflects this love for the profession. Carol has chaired the editorial board of the Journal of Physiotherapy since 2020. 

‘I think our journal is the highest quality in the world,’ she says. ‘It’s open access. We publish the best physiotherapy research globally. 

I see that as a way of giving back to the profession.’ Carol previously chaired the APA Cardiorespiratory national group, having been a member of the APA since 1989, the year before she graduated from La Trobe University. 

Carol has also been involved in specialisation training at the Australian College of Physiotherapists—not to boost her earnings but to further pursue her learning. 

‘I’ve always wanted to learn. There were things I picked up while studying for specialisation that genuinely made me a better clinician.’ 

Family matters 

Outside of work, Carol is no less active. She and her husband Mike raised four children, the last two a set of twins. 

Three of the couple’s children still live at home and two of their daughters are training to become physiotherapists. 

‘I’m really proud of that,’ Carol says. ‘One of them, Bella, even helped me with a couple of publications during the COVID-19 pandemic. She’s a co-author.’ 

Despite a full schedule of travel, leadership and research, Carol makes time for exercise, family dinners and long walks by the sea. 

‘I live bayside and walk the dogs every morning on the beach. It keeps me grounded and fit. And I’m ruthless with my time—I say no to three-quarters of what I’m asked,’ she says.

Looking ahead 

For Carol, the Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant is not just an honour—it’s fuel for the future. Her work will continue to develop smarter, faster clinical trials and to build knowledge around long-term outcomes, particularly quality of life and disability. 

The stakes are high. Each year, around 63,000 patients in Australia require mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit, with more than 8000 deaths. 

Carol’s research could shape how many of the survivors recover and how the system supports them to survive. 

‘If I leave a legacy, I hope it’s a love of learning, of asking important questions and always making sure that what patients want and need are at the centre of those questions,’ Carol says.

Ultimately, Carol’s impact will be measured not just in research outputs or awards, but in the lives of the patients she has helped—directly and indirectly. 

It will also be measured in the physiotherapists and researchers she has inspired. ‘I haven’t spent one day in a job I don’t love,’ Carol says. 

‘The work we do is important. We do it with amazing people. That’s what makes it all worthwhile.’