I am an early-career postdoctoral fellow and physiotherapist. I am passionate about using rigorous methodology to enhance the quality of clinical research and ultimately, the evidence-base for pain treatments. My research interests include pain, osteoarthritis, placebos (or 'sham' interventions) and blinding in clinical trials, and placebo effects.
I completed my PhD in 2018. My PhD looked at novel ways to improve blinding in clinical trials involving complex physical interventions - such as massage, joint manipulations, needling therapies - which are widely used in physiotherapy. We used magicians' expertise in deceptive techniques to achieve this lofty aim! My PhD work on improving blinding in clinical trials for complex... Read more
About me
I am an early-career postdoctoral fellow and physiotherapist. I am passionate about using rigorous methodology to enhance the quality of clinical research and ultimately, the evidence-base for pain treatments. My research interests include pain, osteoarthritis, placebos (or 'sham' interventions) and blinding in clinical trials, and placebo effects.
I completed my PhD in 2018. My PhD looked at novel ways to improve blinding in clinical trials involving complex physical interventions - such as massage, joint manipulations, needling therapies - which are widely used in physiotherapy. We used magicians' expertise in deceptive techniques to achieve this lofty aim! My PhD work on improving blinding in clinical trials for complex pain treatments has been highly influential in the pain field. My research has been presented at >30 national and international conferences and professional events (15 invited) and I have published 19 peer-reviewed articles in top-quality journals.
In 2020 I was awarded a $150,000 research translation fellowship (John Stuart Colville Fellowship, Arthritis Foundation of South Australia) to lead my own line of osteoarthritis research as Chief Investigator. I am using co-design methods to work with consumers and stakeholders to maximise the clinical impacts of my fellowship research. I am also currently Lead Trial Coordinator of a multisite clinical trial investigating education and exercise for knee osteoarthritis.
About me
Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA)
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP)
Australian Pain Society (APS)
About me
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| 16/12/2020 |
Midwest Times & Northern Guardian (newspaper): ‘Exercise first for joint pain’ , http://Midwest Times & Northern Guardian (newspaper): ‘Exercise first for joint pain’ |
| 09/12/2020 |
The West Australian (newspaper): ‘Exercise first for joint pain – osteoarthritis in the knee or hip may not require surgery if physiotherapy and activity are applied’ , http://The West Australian (newspaper): ‘Exercise first for joint pain – osteoarthritis in the knee or hip may not require surgery if physiotherapy and activity are applied’ |
| 04/11/2020 |
Adelaide Advertiser (newspaper): ‘A painful reality is challenged’ , http://Adelaide Advertiser (newspaper): ‘A painful reality is challenged’ |
| 20/10/2020 |
Amanda's Wellbeing Podcast (interview as invited expert): 'All about placebos and the placebo effect with researcher, Dr Felicity Braithwaite’ , https://amandaswellbeingpodcast.com/felicity-braithwaite/ |
| 14/10/2020 |
ABC Local Radio (live radio interview): Using virtual reality techniques for people with osteoarthritis, http://ABC Local Radio (live radio interview): Using virtual reality techniques for people with osteoarthritis |
| 12/10/2020 |
Channel 7, 7 News Adelaide (TV interview): Using virtual reality techniques for people with osteoarthritis , http://Channel 7, 7 News Adelaide (TV interview): Using virtual reality techniques for people with osteoarthritis |
| 11/10/2020 |
The National Tribune: ‘Wear and repair in osteoarthritis: exercise, not surgery, is key’, https://www.nationaltribune.com.au/wear-and-repair-in-osteoarthritis-exercise-not-surgery-is-key/ |
| 11/10/2020 |
Mirage News: ‘Wear and repair in osteoarthritis: exercise, not surgery, is key’ , https://www.miragenews.com/wear-and-repair-in-osteoarthritis-exercise-not-surgery-is-key/ |
| 17/05/2020 |
Magic tricks are helping scientists understand the placebo effect and pain’ (edited transcript of a public lecture for ABC Radio National’s Ockham’s Razor), https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2020-05-17/magic-of-placebos/12053722 |
| 23/02/2020 |
Ockham’s Razor (ABC Radio National), public lecture recorded at the Museum of Discovery (MOD.) ‘How to fake acupuncture’, https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/ockhamsrazor/the-magic-of-placebo-dry-needling/11980404?fbclid=IwAR13OKVxex8jZ5T5Oc0vzcCSQnlit2XWxhWxzhepserk5M3UmMTbSVK3pgQ |
| 15/02/2019 |
S&C Podcast with Dorian Grenier (interview as invited expert): ‘The magic surrounding placebo effects – and why there is still so much quackery in the health and fitness industry’, https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/sc-shoptalk-podcast-753405/episodes/dr-felicity-braithwaite-the-ma-37263479 |
| 28/08/2018 |
Channel 7, Today Tonight Adelaide (TV interview): ‘Bamboo therapy man’, https://www.todaytonightadelaide.com.au/stories/bamboo-therapy-man |
| 01/08/2018 |
Australian Physiotherapy Association InTouch magazine (interview): August Issue. , http://Australian Physiotherapy Association InTouch magazine |
| 01/06/2018 |
UniSA News (interview): ‘The power of deception convinces participants they’re received acupuncture’ , https://www.unisa.edu.au/siteassets/unisanews/archive-pdfs/unisa-news-june.pdf |
| 01/06/2018 |
MiNDFOOD (magazine interview): ‘The nocebo effect’, http://MiNDFOOD (magazine interview): ‘The nocebo effect’ |
| 01/07/2016 |
Channel 9: ‘Dry needling could all be a placebo – but you should still try it’, http://coach.nine.com.au/2016/11/22/15/24/dry-needling |
| 01/06/2015 |
UniSA News (interview): ‘Art of deception needed to prove dry needling works’, https://www.unisa.edu.au/siteassets/unisanews/archive-pdfs/2015/unisa-news-june-2015.pdf |
About me
Doctor of Philosophy University of South Australia
Bachelor of Physiotherapy with Honours University of Australia
Pain
Placebo/sham interventions
Blinding
Research
Research outputs for the last seven years are shown below. To see earlier years visit ORCID or Scopus
Open access indicates that an output is open access.
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2023 |
|
| 2023 |
|
| 2022 |
Open access
3
2
345
|
| 2022 |
Open access
2
2
3
|
| 2022 |
Open access
1
1
4
|
| 2022 |
Open access
2
|
| 2022 |
Open access
15
|
| 2022 |
2
1
8
|
| 2022 |
Open access
|
| 2021 |
Open access
3
3
9
|
| 2021 |
Open access
2
2
3
|
| 2021 |
Open access
2
2
4
|
| 2021 |
11
|
| 2021 |
12
10
11
|
| 2021 |
Open access
1
1
8
|
| 2020 |
15
14
2
|
| 2020 |
Open access
10
10
5
|
| 2020 |
|
| 2020 |
Open access
6
47
|
| 2020 |
Open access
|
| 2019 |
29
28
12
|
| 2019 |
Open access
1
|
| 2019 |
11
11
19
|
| 2018 |
Open access
24
28
70
|
| 2018 |
Open access
23
25
4
|
External engagement & recognition
| Organisation | Country |
|---|---|
| Camilo José Cela Universtiy | SPAIN |
| Flinders University | AUSTRALIA |
| Ku Leuven | BELGIUM |
| Mount Royal University | CANADA |
| Neuroscience Research Australia | AUSTRALIA |
| Queen Elizabeth Hospital | AUSTRALIA |
| Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences | NETHERLANDS |
| Universidad Rey Juan Carlos | SPAIN |
| University of Adelaide | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Bergen | NORWAY |
| University of British Columbia | CANADA |
| University of Calgary | CANADA |
| University Of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli | ITALY |
| University of Edinburgh | UNITED KINGDOM |
| University of Maastricht | NETHERLANDS |
| University of Melbourne | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Milano-Bicocca | ITALY |
| University of Oxford | UNITED KINGDOM |
| University of South Australia | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Washington | UNITED STATES |
| Western Norway University of Applied Sciences | NORWAY |
| Women's and Children's Hospital | AUSTRALIA |
External engagement & recognition
| Engagement/recognition | Year |
|---|---|
Invited SpeakerSan Diego Pain Summit |
2022 |
Australian Pain Society (APS) Annual Scientific Meeting (value $500) - Best PresentationAustralian Pain Society (APS) |
2021 |
Invited Speaker, International Congress: The Shoulder AreaPhysio Focus |
2021 |
Invited Speaker, MasterSessions with Professor Lorimer MoseleyNOIGroup |
2021 |
MemberAustralian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) |
2021 |
MemberInternational Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) |
2021 |
MemberAustralian Pain Society (APS) |
2021 |
MemberAustralian Physiotherapy Association (APA) |
2021 |
PhD ScholarshipAustralian Government Research Training Program Scholarship |
2021 |
Allied Health Professional Travel GrantAustralian Pain Society (APS) |
2020 |
Financial Aid GrantInternational Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) |
2020 |
Invited LectureThe Australian and New Zealand Academy of Orofacial Pain |
2020 |
Invited SpeakerSan Diego Pain Summit |
2020 |
John Stuart Colville Fellowship - Merit-based three-year postdoctoral fellowship (value $150,000)Arthritis Foundation of South Australia |
2020 |
MemberSouth Australian Association of Internal Medicine (SAAIM) |
2020 |
MemberAustralian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) |
2020 |
MemberInternational Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) |
2020 |
MemberAustralian Pain Society (APS) |
2020 |
MemberAustralian Physiotherapy Association (APA) |
2020 |
Merit-based financial aid to attend the World Congress on Pain, Amsterdam 2020International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) |
2020 |
Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) National Physiotherapy Conference - Best Research PresentationAustralian Physiotherapy Association (APA) |
2019 |
Invited Lecture, (SAAIM) Annual General MeetingSouth Australian Association of Internal Medicine (SAAIM) |
2019 |
Invited Lecture, Royal Adelaide Hospital General Medicine Grand RoundRoyal Adelaide Hospital |
2019 |
Invited SpeakerAustralian Physiotherapy Association (APA) National Physiotherapy Conference |
2019 |
MemberSouth Australian Association of Internal Medicine (SAAIM) |
2019 |
MemberAustralian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) |
2019 |
MemberInternational Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) |
2019 |
MemberAustralian Pain Society (APS) |
2019 |
MemberAustralian Physiotherapy Association (APA) |
2019 |
Merit-based award to support attendance and presentation at two international conferences (value $1000)South Australian Association of Internal Medicine (SAAIM) |
2019 |
Ockham's Razor - Invited lectureABC Radio National |
2019 |
Australian Physiotherapy Association Musculoskeletal Group MeetingAustralian Physiotherapy Association (APA) |
2018 |
MemberAustralian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) |
2018 |
MemberInternational Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) |
2018 |
MemberAustralian Physiotherapy Association (APA) |
2018 |
Plenary SpeakerPainAdelaide Conference |
2018 |
MemberAustralian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) |
2017 |
MemberInternational Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) |
2017 |
MemberAustralian Physiotherapy Association (APA) |
2017 |
MemberAustralian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) |
2016 |
MemberInternational Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) |
2016 |
MemberAustralian Physiotherapy Association (APA) |
2016 |
MemberAustralian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) |
2015 |
MemberAustralian Physiotherapy Association (APA) |
2015 |
Geoffrey Maitland Prize For the highest academic achievement in the musculoskeletal components of the Bachelor of PhysiotherapyAustralian Physiotherapy Association |
2014 |
Helen S Blair Prize for the highest academic achievement in the paediatric components of the Bachelor of PhysiotherapyAustralian Physiotherapy Association |
2014 |
Kate Gilmore Reid Prize for highest academic achievement (final two years) in Bachelor of Physiotherapy and whose clinical work has been carried out with the greatest intelligence, skill, and careAustralian Physiotherapy Association |
2014 |
MemberAustralian Physiotherapy Association (APA) |
2014 |
MemberAustralian Physiotherapy Association (APA) |
2013 |
Teaching & student supervision
Supervisions from 2010 shown
| Thesis title | Student status |
|---|---|
| Improving Clinical Implementation Of Pain Science Education For Chronic Pain | Current |
| Investigating potential harms of passive treatment: exploring effects on unconscious bias against movement, perceived danger of movement, and activity levels | Current |
| Investigating sensorimotor impairments and treatment options in complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) of the lower limb | Current |
| Targeting unhelpful pain beliefs to promote physical activity in people with knee osteoarthritis: a multicentre, randomised controlled trial with cost-effectiveness analysis | Current |
