Dr Carolyn Berryman

An expert clinical physiotherapist, my strong desire to uncover and clinically exploit novel mechanisms for optimizing recovery from persistent pain has led to a focus on understanding brain mechanisms, cognition and the lived experience.This was the basis for my PhD topic supervised by Prof G. Lorimer Moseley and Ass Prof Tasha Stanton, awarded in 2015. One comprehensive meta-analytic review from that period has had a large impact in the field, being cited over 400 times. Since my PhD have extended my knowledge and developed expertise in brain imaging, brain stimulation and cognition during my postdoctoral position at The University of Adelaide (NHMRC Peter Doherty Early Career Fellowship; 2017-2021). The combination of clinical and fundamental science expertise places me in a unique position to straddle both basic science and clinical realms. One stream of my research focuses on uncovering human neurophysiological mechanisms that contribute to chronic pain and seeks to find novel ways to use this information in the clinical setting for optimisation of outcomes. 

The second stream of my research focuses on improving care for adolescents with chronic pain. This encompasses co-designing better models of care and service delivery, working with adolescents to develop resources for learning about pain, and working with schools and the Department for Education to develop resources to better manage chronic pain in schools. I keep a clinical footprint, working one day per week as senior physiotherapist in the Women's and Children's Hospital multidisciplinary chronic pain service. 

Qualifications

• Doctor of Philosophy University of South Australia

• Master of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) University of South Australia

• Master of Science in Medicine (Pain Management) The University of Sydney