Report - 2007
School of Human Biosciences
With a restructure of the Faculty in 2007, the structure of the School of Human Bioscience has changed considerably. The School now resides in the Division of Health Studies and all of the clinical departments that were previously part of the school now reside in the division of Allied Health. The new structure allows for a more concentrated focus on issues related to the Human Bioscience disciplines. The School of Human Biosciences provides basic and applied science units that underpin the coursework of the clinical schools of the Faculty of Health Sciences and in the Bachelor of Health Sciences. It is made up of the following disciplines: Anatomy, Physiology, Biophysical Sciences, Pathology, Pharmacology, Ergonomics and the Biosciences Unit at Bendigo.
The Department also offers physiology and anatomy units to students enrolled in other Faculties of the University. Regional teaching extends to nursing courses in Mildura, Shepparton and Albury-Wodonga.
Professorial Appointments, significant retirements, other staff recognitions
Brian Rice, the Laboratory Manager since the School’s inception, retired in 2007 after more than 30 years outstanding service. Brian managed many significant developments for the School including the development of laboratories in Buildings A and G at Carlton, Health Sciences 2, Physical Sciences 3 and the Health Sciences Clinic at Bundoora. Brian’s contribution to the School and the wider University was celebrated upon his retirement and he will be sorely missed.
Key Developments in Teaching and Clinical Education
A number of Human Biosciences staff are heavily involved in developing new units for the Faculty’s new undergraduate curriculum, particularly the common first year due to commence in 2009. Several staff attended programs on innovative teaching associated with the development of the new curriculum. This has led to implementation of innovative on-line teaching and assessment methods in existing multi-campus courses in preparation for the presentation of the new curriculum in 2009.
The Bendigo Bioscience Unit comprising Ms Mary Boelen, Dr Terri Meehan- Andrews and Dr Adrian Verrinder were awarded a Faculty citation for outstanding contribution to student learning "for enhancing students' independent learning in life sciences by creating a stimulating and inspiring environment where students can relate subject matter to day-to-day experiences.”
Dr Rod Green and Dr Sherrie Wentworth were awarded University and Faculty citations for outstanding contribution to student learning for “motivating physiotherapy students towards a deeper understanding of anatomy and its application to physiotherapy practice, through an emphasis on concepts and principles of anatomy”.
Dr Rod Green led a Quality Initiative Grant project that introduced the new online Insight database of plastinated section images. Much of the work was conducted by Dr Pat Bingham, an honorary Associate of the School and the projected was conducted in collaboration with staff from the library and the photography and digital imaging unit. The new database was rated as better than the previous database by 95% of the students and was utilised by 91% of the students in the trial. The features rated particularly highly were new labels on the images, the ability to zoom and the ability to log on to the database from home.
Professor Chris Handley, Dr Susan Malcolm and Mr Robert Paine were awarded a multi campus teaching initiative grant with the aim of determining methods of improving multi-campus delivery of physiology, anatomy and pathology units. An analysis of student outcomes of preference of a variety of lecture delivery modes determined that DVD’s were the most preferable.
Key Developments in Research
An expanded Centre for Ergonomics and Human Factors (CEHF) research team, including staff members from the Schools of Occupational Therapy, Public Health, Social Sciences (Sociology) and Physiotherapy was successful in their tender for membership of the federal Department of Employment and Workplace Relations Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and Workers’ Compensation Expert Panel. Membership of this Panel brings with it ‘preferred provider’ status for future contract research projects.
A project on Hazard surveillance to manage the risk of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs), conducted by Associate Professors Wendy Macdonald and Owen Evans and Adjunct Associate Professor Ross Armstrong was completed. This project was part-funded by the Australian Safety and Compensation Council (ASCC). Results are being applied in high risk industry sectors within Australia, and international collaborations are underway to support further development and implementation within several industrially developing countries, mostly in Asia/SE Asia. Also, some procedures that were validated by this research are being utilized by ASCC in their development of a national system of occupational hazard surveillance.
CEHF research on ageing workforce issues was given a new dimension by a study undertaken by Jodi Oakman (Senior Lecturer) which was commissioned by WorkSafe Victoria, to identify the kinds of management policies that will encourage older workers to delay their retirement for as long as possible – an aim that is increasingly important as the Australian workforce ages. Dr Aaron McDonald received the 2007 Sol Posen award for research. This award was presented by the Australian and New Zealand Bone and Mineral Society at its annual conference in Queenstown, New Zealand.
Associate Professor Doug Rogers, Dr Jodi Sita, Dr Bryan Found and Ms Elspeth Froude from the Forensic Expertise Profiling Laboratory in the School, were part of the organising team that ran the 13th Biennial Conference of the International Graphonomics Society, held in Melbourne in November. The conference brought together the diverse group of researchers who study the intricate movements involved in handwriting. Areas of interest were; biomechanics, on-line and off-line recognition, educational aspects, forensics applications, motor control and medical application. More than 100 delegates enjoyed 55 scientific sessions and 4 excellent keynote speakers.
The School implemented a summer research cadetship program for 2nd year Physiology and Anatomy and 3rd year Physiology students with the aim of fostering interest and encouraging articulation into the School’s Honours year program. The program was most successful with five students undertaking a cadetship and four progressing to Honours in 2008.
Key Developments in Community Service
Dr Sherrie Wentworth has been a long time member of the Order of St John and has recently been promoted to an Officer (OStJ).
Key Developments in International Activities
Associate Professor Wendy Macdonald was a member of the international Scientific Committee responsible for organising the Agriculture Ergonomics Development Conference in Kuala Lumpur, sponsored by the International Ergonomics Association (IEA), the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH), and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). She organised a special session on risk management methods for work-related musculoskeletal disorders; the session was chaired by Adjunct Professor David Caple, and both she and Associate Professor Owen Evans made presentations.
During the above conference in Kuala Lumpur, the IEA organised a round table meeting with its main international partner organisations. The IEA was represented by its current President, Adjunct Professor David Caple, while Associate Professor Wendy Macdonald represented the WHO. Other partner organisations represented were the ICOH and the ILO, along with both the USA and Malaysian National Institutes for Occupational Safety and Health.
Jodi Oakman and Karen Munk (PhD student) presented research papers at the Third International Symposium on Work Ability in Hanoi, which was sponsored by the International Commission on Occupational Health and the International Ergonomics Association. Other CEHF members attending were Michael Sainsbury (Lecturer) and Marilyn Di Stefano (Senior Lecturer in Occupational Therapy and a CEHF Research Associate). Jodi also visited several academic institutions in the UK to discuss ageing workforce research and as well as teaching developments in ergonomics, safety and health.
Associate Professor Wendy Macdonald accepted the honorary role of Manager of one of the six ‘activity areas’ of the World Health Organisation (WHO) network of Collaborating Centres in Occupational Health. As well as coordinating all projects in Activity Area one, Global Situation Analysis, she is working with international colleagues to document the impact of globalisation on occupational health and to identify implications for development of government and international NGO policies and strategies.
Dr Sherrie Wentworth and Dr Ric Duckett have coordinated anatomy units taught to the Cambodian-based cohort of Prosthetics and Orthotics students run by the National Centre of Prosthetics and Orthotics at La Trobe University.
Ms Mary Boelen and Dr Terri Meehan-Andrews gave papers at the NET nurse education conference in Cambridge, UK and established international collaborations in their studies of life science education.
PhDs and Professional Doctorates completed in 2007
Marilyn Di Stefano (PhD): Occupational Therapy On-Road Driver Evaluation Of Functionally Impaired Drivers: Development Of An Improved Assessment Protocol.
This research entailed a set of studies to develop an improved Occupational Therapy (OT) on-road assessment procedure for use with functionally impaired drivers. VicRoads file reports from a large sample of past driver assessments were analysed to identify key relationships between driver characteristics, driving errors and test outcomes, and the views of Australian OT driver assessors regarding assessment content, procedures and scoring were investigated via questionnaire and focus groups. Results were used to formulate revisions to the existing OT assessment procedure, aiming to optimise its validity, reliability, and usability; the revised procedure was then trialled in three urban locations. A final study entailed interviews with a large group of OT driver assessors and associated audits of their case files and assessment routes. The revised procedure was found to discriminate well between drivers with and without functional limitations. Safety-critical errors, errors during the performance of complex manoeuvres, and the occurrence of multiple errors per location were important discriminators; findings also suggested that a flexible approach to standardised scoring, to allow for contextual variables, is important. Results were discussed in relation both to OT professional practice issues and driver licensing practices.
(Marilyn also received The Stephen Duckett Graduate Research Prize for Higher Degree by Research. This is awarded to the student who completes the most outstanding Masters by Research or PhD thesis each year).
Anita Raspovic (PhD): The biomechanics of walking in diabetes and its relationship to neuropathic foot ulceration.
Diabetes exists in epidemic proportions globally, with far reaching and extensive health effects. Foot complications in diabetes are of great concern, given their high occurrence and potentially severe consequences. Foot ulceration is associated with a range of adverse effects, physically, psychologically and financially. Its link with infection and amputation is of particular concern.
Prevention or optimal treatment of foot ulceration, are therefore key goals in the management of the foot in diabetes. In order to best achieve these goals a thorough understanding of this problem is required. Research has shown that diabetic peripheral neuropathy (which leads to lack of sensation and decreased strength) and tissue trauma are two major causes of foot ulceration. The major focus of this thesis is on the biomechanical function of the foot and lower limb in diabetes during gait, and how it may link to the tissue trauma that is responsible for foot ulceration.
The initial research projects investigated the chronic complication of limited joint mobility in the diabetic foot and its impact on high pressure areas under the feet. Some interesting results arose from these studies, with findings that challenge current beliefs. A larger subsequent study followed, involving observations of key biomechanical alterations in this population during walking. This investigation focused particularly on changes which were present in people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, with and without a history of neuropathic foot ulceration.
The major findings of this research suggested that gait changes occur in people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, which tend to reflect a more conservative walking pattern. Further analyses evaluated current theories on joint movement and pressure in foot ulceration. The results obtained suggest that significant relationships exist for specific joints, which hold important implications clinically. Finally, the concept of biomechanical influences varying according to ulcer site is suggested, with preliminary data presented.