About IHES

The Institute has over 100 researchers, some of whom are research-only and some of whom are academic staff of the university whose research aligns with the institute.

The research-only staff in the institute are listed by family name.

• Professor Robert Aughey, Professor Research Fellow
• Professor Rezaul Begg, Professor of Biomechanics
• Professor David Bishop, Professor Research Fellow
• Associate Professor Camilla Brockett, Senior Research Fellow and Senior Sport Consultant
• Professor Rochelle Eime, Professor of Sport Participation
• Professor Nir Eynon, NHMRC Investigator Fellow
• Professor Damian Farrow, Professor of Skill Acquisition
• Associate Professor Andrew Garnham, Sports Doctor
• Professor Itamar Levinger, Professor of Clinical Exercise Physiology
• Professor Michael McKenna, Professor of Muscle and Exercise Physiology
• Professor Alexandra Parker, Executive Director
• Professor Zeljko Pedisic, Professor of Public Health
• Professor John Price, Deputy Director, Research Training
• Professor Sam Robertson, Professor of Sports Analytics

Senior Research Fellows

• Dr Alessandra Ferri, Senior Research Fellow
• Dr Julia Gilmartin-Thomas
• Dr Michael Linley, Senior Research Fellow
• Dr Vasileios Stavropoulos, DECRA Senior Research Fellow
• Dr Sarah Voisin, Senior Research Fellow
• Dr Carl Woods, Senior Research Fellow.

Postdoctoral Research Fellows & Research Officers

• Dr Jeremy Alexander, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Dr James Broatch, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Dr Timothy Buszard, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Dr Olivia Cant, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Dr Nikeisha Caruana, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Dr Neil Collier, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Dr Narges Dargahi, Research Officer
• Dr Sarah Dash, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Dr Alireza Esmaeili, Research Officer, Injury Prediction
• Dr Jack Feehan, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Dr Elliott Flowers, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Dr Sarah Fraser, Research Officer
• Dr Alessandro Garofolini, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Dr Jozo Grgic, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Dr Jade Haycraft, Research Fellow
• Dr Patrice Jones, Research Officer
• Dr Azadeh Kian, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Dr Jujiao Kuang, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Dr Paul Larkin, Research Fellow
• Dr Matthew Lee, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Dr Samuel McIntosh, List and Recruiting Analyst
• Dr Namitha Mohandas, Research Officer
• Dr Alba Moreno, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Dr Aurelie Pankowiak, Research Officer
• Dr Michaela Pascoe, Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Dr Imogen Rehm, Research Fellow
• Dr Amber Rowell, Sport Scientist
• Cassandra Smith, Research Officer
• Dr Bart Spencer, Data Scientist
• Dr Alice Sweeting, Sport Scientist & Research Fellow
• Dr Alexander Tacey, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Dr Cara Timpani, Research Officer
• Dr Kristina Vingrys, Research Fellow.

• Amanda Rea, Executive Officer
  Phone: +61 3 9919 2685, email: amanda.rea@vu.edu.au
• Dominique Lanuto, Senior Administrative Officer

A large number of research assistants also work in the Institute, supporting our staff and students.

On November 25, 2021, the Institute for Health and Sport launched a Mentoring Program for Early Career Researchers (ECRs). The Program is led by:

• Professor Nir Eynon
• Dr Julia Gilmartin-Thomas
• Dr Michaela Pascoe
• Dr Alba Moreno-Asso
• Dr Alessandra Ferri.

The Program aims to provide tailored support for our postdoctoral researchers (specifically, ECRs within IHES) to promote career development and develop future leaders. It runs for 12 months at a time, with meetings occurring once a month (minimum once every 2 months).

The Program has been positively received with more than 35 mentors and mentees (2021-22) spread across the research programs of IHES.

If you would like further information about the IHES ECR Mentoring Program, or to enquire about the next intake of participants (approximately second half of 2022), please contact Dr Julia Gilmartin-Thomas by emailing julia.gilmartin-thomas1@vu.edu.au.

The Interprofessional Clinic is purpose-built and provides health services and clinical training for students across our health discipline courses at Victoria University.

Located in Wyndham, the clinic is a health and community facility that provides both services to the community and interprofessional learning for VU health science students. It develops collaborative health practitioners who can work together effectively to provide interprofessional care or services while developing their discipline-specific professional identities. The clinic is committed to a client-centred approach and to ethical practice where the client lies at the centre of health service provision, enabling them to maximise their opportunities to access the services they require.

Victoria University also works with key stakeholders and the community to share our understanding of the health needs of Wyndham. This ensures we support and provide integrated health services that are individualised, responsive and complementary to existing health and community services. Consumer partnership involves clients and carers participating in decision-making about their own care, while being involved in the ongoing planning design, delivery and evaluation of the clinic’s health services.

The built pedagogy of the Interprofessional Clinic is designed around interprofessional (IP) pods, each pod includes a client assessment/debrief room. In addition to the unique IP pods, interprofessional practice at the clinic is extended through a range of spaces, including a commercial kitchen for teaching and community use, consultation and treatment rooms, videoconferencing and meeting rooms, amenities and change rooms, as well as an exercise assessment and rehabilitation area.

Location

223 Heaths Road
Werribee Campus, VIC, 3030

The Institute for Health and Sport and Victoria University continues to be at the forefront of sport science research and knowledge exchange with the Western Bulldogs. Our jointly appointed staff and students are located at the VU Whitten Oval, the Bulldogs home ground. Our partnership with the Western Bulldogs is one of the longest between an AFL club and a university and VU is a major sponsor of their AFL, VFL and AFLW teams.

The Institute for Health and Sport have a substantially enhanced sport science research and knowledge exchange program with the Western Bulldogs. The program builds upon the existing level of sport science engagement. The enhanced program develops new knowledge and synthesises existing knowledge to inform coaching programs and improve the on-field football performance of the Western Bulldogs AFL, AFLW and VFL teams.

The Western Centre for Health Research and Education (WCHRE) is an innovative and sustainable teaching, training and research precinct in Western Melbourne. It comprises a three-way partnership between Western Health, Victoria University (VU) and The University of Melbourne and is located at the Western Health Sunshine campus.

The Centre aims to make a major contribution to the future health of the Victorian community. The work of the precinct will realise significant benefits for the social and economic development of Victoria based on excellence in research, a high-calibre workforce and solid infrastructure support.

WCHRE also incorporates the Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science (AIMSS). AIMSS is a national reference centre for research into bone, muscle and ageing, with a focus on conditions related to chronic disease and ageing such as osteoporosis, sarcopenia and osteosarcopenia. AIMSS promotes disease prevention and evidence-based interventions, including exercise and nutrition.

Facilities & resources

WCHRE’s state-of-the art teaching and research facilities include an auditorium, lecture theatre, tutorial teaching spaces, learning commons and an atrium for conferences and meetings.

The simulation area comprises operating theatre, intensive care unit and a four-bed ward.

A clinical trials area includes:

• consulting rooms
• gait and balance gym
• falls and fracture clinic
• bone and muscle imaging (DXA and pQCT)
• metabolic testing.

Researchers also have access to a certified Physical Containment Level 2 (PC2) lab for genetic modification work. The PC2 labs allow the safe containment and study of micro-organisms that pose a moderate, but treatable, risk to humans.

Research facilities in the PC2 lab include:

• cell culture
• radiations room
• confocal microscope
• histology and live cell imaging
• flow cytometer and flow sorter
• Seahorse XF24 analyser
• gene and protein analysis
• electrophysiology and organ bath experiments.

Location

Sunshine Hospital
176 Furlong Road
St Albans, VIC, 3021