School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport Executive

The School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport is led by an executive team who are experts in clinical and community health education and research.

Professor Russ Hoye

Professor Russ Hoye is the Dean of the School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport. An international expert in sport management and corporate governance, he has received more than $4M in research funding and has been Chief Investigator on three Australian Research Council grants and two Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council grants. Professor Hoye has published eight books and more than 75 journal articles. He is Editor of the Sport Management Series published by Routledge; a member of the editorial boards for Sport Management Review, the International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, and the Journal of Global Sport Management; past President of the Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand; and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Associate Professor Adam Bird

Associate Professor Adam Bird is the Deputy Dean and Associate Dean (Clinical Partnerships) in the School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport. He is a podiatrist with extensive experience in teaching, research and leadership. Associate Professor Bird was the Deputy Chair of the Australian and New Zealand Podiatry Accreditation Council for over a decade and has maintained a strong interest in ensuring curricula in allied health disciplines is reflective of technologically-current, multi-disciplinary practice. This includes advocacy for simulated practice, embedding digital health competencies (notably telehealth) and ensuring prominent positioning of work-based learning in health professional curricula.

Professor Karl Landorf

Professor Karl Landorf is the Associate Dean, Research and Industry Engagement in the School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport. Professor Landorf is a registered podiatrist and his research broadly relates to musculoskeletal disorders of the lower limb. His main research areas are plantar heel pain, foot orthoses and human movement. Professor Landorf has published more than 135 peer-reviewed scientific articles and 12 book chapters. He has supervised 13 PhD, one Masters and 23 Honours research students to completion. Professor Landorf is a Fellow of the Faculty of Podiatric Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Glasgow) and has been awarded Honorary Fellowship (for services to the profession) of the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists (United Kingdom).

Associate Professor Matthew Oates

Associate Professor Matthew Oates is Head of Clinical Education in the School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport. He has extensive experience in teaching undergraduate health professionals and has led major curriculum and course redesign projects. He leads the School's clinical education renewal program. His research is in the field of interprofessional education and collaborative practice, with a focus on the design of instruments to measure outcomes of interprofessional education in pre-qualification health professionals. He is a member of the American Educational Research Association and the Australian and New Zealand Association of Health Professional Educators. Associate Professor Oates is a registered podiatrist and the owner of a private podiatry practice in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.

Dr Deanna Horvath

Dr Deanna Horvath is an Associate Professor in Nutrition and Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching in the School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport. Dr Horvath has received numerous awards in recognition of her curriculum design and teaching contributions, including an Australian Award for University Teaching Citation in 2023 for her work in developing programs to support student transition and success. She is interested in university preparation programs, transition, the first-year experience, technology, and online learning design. Dr Horvath is passionate about equity in higher education and delivering an outstanding student experience, and is actively engaged in the Scholarship of Learning and Teaching.

Associate Professor Alicja Malicka

Associate Professor Alicja Malicka is the Director of Graduate Research in the School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, which offers graduate research programs to approximately 200 students conducting research across ten different disciplines and three research centres. In her role Associate Professor Malicka leads the Graduate Research Committee which enables her to influence and shape the experience of graduate researchers within the School. At the University level, Associate Professor Malicka provides input into policy development and review, as one of four Directors of Graduate Research appointed to the Board of Graduate Research. Associate Professor Malicka graduated with PhD in Audiology from the University of Manchester, UK in 2010. Her research falls within two themes that can be classified as auditory science (fundamental research) and translational hearing science (applied research) and is focused on diagnosis and rehabilitation of people with hearing loss and tinnitus.

Ms Denise Strong

Ms Denise Strong is the Senior Manager in the School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, with 11 years’ experience in the tertiary sector. Prior to joining La Trobe University, she worked in the United Kingdom as a Principal Accountant for an arm’s length Government organisation. Ms Strong is an associate of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. In her role as Senior Manager, she leads the professional administrative and clinical staff teams. She is primary adviser to the Dean, and the School Executive, in relation to University policies, operations and business processes.

Professor Michael Dillon

Professor Michael Dillon is the Head of the Department of Community and Clinical Health in the School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport. Professor Dillon is an experienced tertiary educator whose contributions to student learning have been recognised through several Vice-Chancellor’s commendations, and invitations to facilitate curriculum development at universities in Japan and the USA. Professor Dillon has published more than 80 journal articles and reports; most recently for the World Health Organization’s Global Report on Assistive Technology. Professor Dillon is a an internationally recognised expert into the outcomes of lower limb amputation. His research has promoted the use of shared decision-making to help informed difficult decisions about amputation surgery. Among his senior leadership roles, Professor Dillon has served as a Co-Editor-in-Chief of Prosthetics and Orthotics International. Common across these leadership roles has been a focus on nurturing great people leaders, and the development of systems that facilitate effective day-to-day operations and governance.

Professor Jodie McClelland

Professor Jodie McClelland is a physiotherapist and Head of the Department of Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Prosthetics and Orthotics in the School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport. Professor McClelland has a strong track record in research that optimises recovery from knee surgery, particularly total knee replacement and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Professor McClelland’s research has been funded by national and international bodies including the National Health and Medical Research Council, National Institutes of Health (USA) and Arthritis Australia and has attracted prestigious awards including the Victorian Fellowship for Life Sciences. Professor McClelland has completed invited fellowships in Greece and the USA. Professor McClelland has previously served as the Discipline Lead Physiotherapy and the Director of Graduate Research for the School.

Professor Kate Webster

Professor Kate Webster is Head of the Department of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences in the School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport. Professor Webster's research interests cover a range of topics pertaining to knee orthopaedics, including surgical techniques and outcomes, biomechanical changes after knee surgery and return to sport issues, with a focus on the psychological impact of returning to sport participation. She was the lead developer of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament Return to Sport after Injury (ACL-RSI) scale. Professor Webster also has a general interest in gait and mobility including the effects of diseases such as osteoarthritis on balance and gait.

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