Professor Lorimer Moseley AO

I am fascinated by humans. That fascination has led me to become a physiotherapist, then a neuroscientist, a pain scientist and a science educator. After working as a physiotherapist for seven years, I combined my clinical work with research - a PhD at the University of Sydney Pain Management Research Institute and research positions at the University of Queensland, University of Sydney and Oxford University, UK. My official qualifications are: DSc, PhD, FAAHMS, FACP, HonFFPMANZCA, HonMAPA, BAppSc(Phty)(Hons). In 2020, I was made an Officer of the Order of Australia, for "distinguished service to medical research and science communication, to education, to the study of pain and its management, and to physiotherapy, to humanity at large."

I was appointed University of South Australia's Inaugural Chair in Physiotherapy, and Professor of Clinical Neurosciences, in 2011 and was honoured to be appointed a Bradley Distinguished Professor in 2021.

I have been supported by NHMRC Fellowship/Investigator funding since my return to Australia in 2009.

I am the Chair of PainAdelaide Stakeholders' Consortium, which brings together Adelaide's pain researchers, clinicians and consumers to 'put our heads together' for persistent pain. I am non-payrolled CEO for the non-profit grassroots movement called Pain Revolution, which is committed to a bold but realistic vision that all Australians will have access to the knowledge, skills and local support to prevent and overcome persistent pain. Our annual Flagship Event is the Pain Revolution Rural Outreach Tour. Our awareness and fund-raising challenge 'Go the Distance!' encourages pepole to walk, run or ride to meet their own personal challenge, raising awareness of the problem of persistent pain and the possibilities that are emerging with each new scientific discovery. Our ongoing capacity-building programs - Local Pain Educator Program and Local Pain Collectives Project, aim to (i) embed in rural and regional communities the capacity to prevent and overcome persistent pain, and (ii) develop local pain networks to provide sustainable capacity. Learn about Pain Revolution here: painrevolution.org.

I am Director of Innovation, Implementation & Clinical Translation in Health ('IIMPACT in Health'), which brings key research groups within the University of South Australia, to take on five high impact challenges facing our society: persistent pain, stroke recovery, persistent breathlessness, adolescenet health & well-being and the metro-rural health divide. These themes are united by their 'biopsychosociality', and the primary role that allied health plays in discovery and treatment. Across themes, we take an innovation to implementation approach, led by clinical and consumer needs. We do experiments in humans - both healthy volunteers and clinical groups, clinical trials of treatments, and implementation studies to optimise application of new discoveries at the coalface.

I also lead the Body in Mind Research Group within IIMPACT. This research group investigates the role of the brain and mind in chronic pain. Pain is a huge problem - it affects 20% of the population and costs western societies about as much as diabetes and cancer combined.  We have a major public engagement and education focus, with our articles and videos attracting over 10 million reads/views. Our research is supported by NHMRC Project Grants and industry funding, and many of our group have NHMRC scholarship or fellowship support. We have eight nationalities and several disciplines represented.

For those of you keen on 'metrics', my main metrics are: Total number of papers - about 360; Google scholar H-index - 87; competitive grant funding - about $22 million over 20 years.

I supervise PhD students and host post-doctoral fellows for between 1 - 3 years. Expressions of interest in joining our group should be directed in the first instance to tracy.jones@unisa.edu.au. We have many such expressions of interest each year so it is best to make contact at least 12 months in advance.

I co-developed a consumer facing resource called Tame the Beast - go to tamethebeast.org.

I established and was Chief Editor for bodyinmind.org from 2009 - 2019. This library of over 900 blog posts is now hosted by the International Association for the Study of Pain as part of their consumer/clinician facing website called RELIEF. You can visit that library here: https://relief.news/relief-to-provide-body-in-mind-content-as-a-free-resource/

There are resources for clinicians interested in learning more about contemporary pain science, education and care, here: https://www.painrevolution.org/pain-information-professionals

There are resources for the general public here: https://www.painrevolution.org/chronic-pain-resources-public

I have authored or co-authored several books. You can find them here: https://www.noigroup.com/shop/

Please note that I receive royalties for these books. I have no financial interest in the publisher noigroup.com. I do however, have relevant disclosures - in the last five years, I have received support from the following entities: Reality Health, Kaiser Permanente, ConnectHealth UK, workers compensation agencies in Australia and abroad, AIA Australia, Arsenal Football Club, the International Olympic Committee. Professional and scientific bodies have reimbursed me for travel costs related to presentation of research on pain at scientific conferences/symposia. 

I am on the Board of Pain Australia.

I live and work on Kaurna Country.

Australian Academy of Health & Medical Science

Australian Physiotherapy Association

Faculty of Pain Medicine, Australia New Zealand College of Anaesthetists

International Association for the Study of Pain

Australian Pain Society

Qualifications

• Doctor of Philosophy University of Sydney

• Bachelor of Applied Sciences University of Sydney