Presenters
Martin Mackey
Dr Martin Mackey is an Associate Professor of Physiotherapy in the School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney. A/Prof Mackey's research is primarily focussed on work injury prevention and the promotion of workplace-based physical activity, and work ability in the context of an increasing sedentary and ageing working population. He is currently conducting a series of studies into the impact of activity based working office design on the health, behaviour and productivity of knowledge workers. His doctoral research completed in 2005, evaluated ergonomic and exercise approaches for optimising performance of manual work. A/Prof Mackey has published 93 peer reviewed journal papers, book chapters and commissioned reports and has received over $A1.5 million in nationally competitive, industry, government, and philanthropic research funding. He is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy. He has reviewed grants for the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Physiotherapy Research Foundation. He has supervised 13 HDR students to completion and he is currently supervising a further 5 PhD students. This keynote addressed is supported by an Australian Research Discovery Grant DP 190100705 Designing Offices Well, and his multidisciplinary research partners.
Nicole Hughes
Nicole Hughes is a registered Occupational Therapist and Principal Advisor, Psychological Health Unit at Workplace Health and Safety Queensland. Nicole has over 16 years' experience working in the area of workplace mental health with particular interest in psychological safety, employee support, injury management and early intervention.
Ross Iles
Associate Professor Ross Iles is the Deputy Director of the Insurance Work and Health Group at Monash University. He has a Physiotherapy degree and PhD from La Trobe University, and a postgraduate diploma in Work Disability Prevention studies from the University of Sherbrooke, Canada. Prior to joining the IWH Group at Monash he taught physiotherapy and research skills to university students for over ten years.Ross' particular research interests focus on methods of identifying individuals at risk of prolonged work disability and has led projects in Victoria, NSW and Qld related to the development and implementation of methods to enable early and appropriate intervention. He was also part of the team who developed education for physiotherapists managing clients injured at work or on the road in Victoria and South Australia. He is the lead researcher on the Driving Health project, with the aim of improving the health of drivers in the transport industry.His approach to research focuses on developing a partnership to understand not only the problems to be solved, but also to identify solutions that fit best with the demands of all stakeholders.
Bronwen Otto
Bronwen has approximately 30 years' experience in Occupational Health and Safety, the majority of which has been in the coal mining industry. Commencing her career as a clinician physiotherapist in a mining community, she developed an interest in the prevention of injuries and enhancing workers' wellbeing. Bronwen has worked in operational and strategic roles across a diverse range of industries, including at a national and global level, for organisations such as Anglo American, Thiess, and BHP. She is a Specialist Occupational Health Physiotherapist (as award by the Australian College of Physiotherapists in 2009) and holds a Masters in Ergonomics, Safety and Health along with a Graduate Certificate in OHS Management. Bronwen's areas of interest are prevention of work-related musculoskeletal and mental health disorders.
Karen Walker-Bone
Karen trained as an academic Rheumatologist with a special interest in occupation and musculoskeletal pain in Southampton, funded by an Arthritis Research UK Clinical Research Fellowship. She is based at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit in Southampton where she directs the MRC Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Health and Work, a multidisciplinary centre set up to find cost-effective ways to reduce the burden of disability for work caused by musculoskeletal disorders. She has a keen interest in working with allied health professionals and has supervised and examined PhDs undertaken by physiotherapists, as well as mentoring some physiotherapists.
