Dr Margarita Tsiros is a Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy. As a clinician, researcher and educator with more than 20 years experience in paediatrics, she is passionate about the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents. Dr Tsiros is a co-director of UniSA’s IIMPACT in Health Research Concentration (Innovation, IMPlementation And Clinical Translation in Health). She is also a member of the ARENA Research Centre (Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity). Dr Tsiros is the past Chair of the SA Paediatric Group of the Australian Physiotherapy Association and remains an active member.
Margarita’s research strives to optimise the health, development and wellbeing of children and youth. She achieves this by... Read more
About me
Dr Margarita Tsiros is a Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy. As a clinician, researcher and educator with more than 20 years experience in paediatrics, she is passionate about the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents. Dr Tsiros is a co-director of UniSA’s IIMPACT in Health Research Concentration (Innovation, IMPlementation And Clinical Translation in Health). She is also a member of the ARENA Research Centre (Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity). Dr Tsiros is the past Chair of the SA Paediatric Group of the Australian Physiotherapy Association and remains an active member.
Margarita’s research strives to optimise the health, development and wellbeing of children and youth. She achieves this by conducting research that works with children, families, health professionals, health services, educators and the wider community. He main research focus is on helping kids to ‘move well’ and ‘move more’. Her research spans a range of paediatric topics and conditions, but she is particularly well known for her work in childhood overweight and obesity. She is a leading expert on the impact of overweight and obesity on children’s movement, function and wellbeing, providing insight into how we can set kids up for success in physical activity. She also conducts research exploring children’s play and other strategies to improve movement skills in children, including technology-enhanced therapeutic approaches. Her research publications have examined motor skills, quality of life, balance, strength, pain, cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, sedentary behaviours and activity participation. She has expertise in quantitative, qualitative, systematic reviews, scoping reviews and mixed methods research.
Dr Tsiros’ research has been formally recognised through many external awards. In 2022 she was awarded a Women’s Mid-career Excellence in Research Award by Healthy Development Adelaide. In 2019, she received a ‘Best Paper’ award in paediatric research at the Australian Physiotherapy Association National Conference. In 2016, she was named an AMP Tomorrow-maker, recognising her determination to have a positive impact on the community through her research. In 2015, she was a finalist for the Team Kids Young Investigator Award and in 2014 she received a Tall Poppy Science Award, recognising her extensive work engaging with the media, policy-makers, schools and community groups to promote healthy lifestyle behaviours relevant to tackling childhood obesity.
Dr Tsiros is an experienced research degree supervisor who strives to provide high-quality supervision and mentoring to assist students with their research, career development and overall wellbeing. She is also a Research Degree Coordinator for PhD and Masters by Research students.
Margarita course coordinates the Honours Research Stream (Health Science Honours Thesis), across 6 Allied Health Programs. She is also a course coordinator for the post graduate course Allied Health Research Evidence Translation. She has also been a course coordinator for the Physiotherapy with Children and Families courses, Health Science Honours Prep course and teaches into multiple courses across the graduate and undergraduate physiotherapy programs. In 2022 she received a Commendation for Sustained Excellence in Teaching and in 2017, she received a Team Teaching Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning.
Dr Tsiros qualified with a PhD, Bachelor of Physiotherapy, Graduate Certificate in Research Methods and a Bachelor of Health Science (Honours).
About me
Member of the Australian Physiotherapy Association (including the Paediatric Special Interest Group),Australian and New Zealand Obesity Society,Healthy Development Adelaide.
About me
Doctor of Philosophy University of South Australia
Bachelor of Health Science (Honours)(Physiotherapy) University of South Australia
Bachelor of Physiotherapy Universtiy of South Australia
Graduate Certificate in Research Methodologies with Honours University of South Australia
Child development, Childhood overweight and obesity,Health-related quality of life,Paediatric physiotherapy,Physical activity and sedentary behaviours,Paediatric disability
Research
Excludes commercial-in-confidence projects.
Does the use of textured insoles improve gross motor measures balance domain outcomes in children with motor skill difficulties when compared to footwear alone. A multi-site feasibility trial, Australian Podiatry Education and Research Foundation, 27/01/2022 - 27/12/2022
Research
Research outputs for the last seven years are shown below. Some long-standing staff members may have older outputs included. To see earlier years visit ORCID, ResearcherID or Scopus
Open access indicates that an output is open access.
Year | Output |
---|---|
2009 |
|
Year | Output |
---|---|
2025 |
Open access
|
2025 |
Open access
|
2024 |
Open access
5
|
2024 |
Open access
2
3
16
|
2024 |
Open access
|
2023 |
Open access
5
6
117
|
2023 |
Open access
3
3
4
|
2023 |
Open access
1
117
|
2023 |
Open access
2
2
1
|
2023 |
Open access
4
4
9
|
2023 |
Open access
|
2022 |
2
3
9
|
2022 |
Open access
1
1
2
|
2021 |
Open access
1
1
4
|
2021 |
24
18
18
|
2021 |
Open access
20
16
22
|
2021 |
Open access
6
6
3
|
2021 |
Open access
6
5
12
|
2020 |
Open access
146
121
312
|
2020 |
Open access
34
28
7
|
2020 |
Open access
1
1
|
2019 |
24
21
112
|
2019 |
Open access
3
4
1
|
2019 |
Open access
11
7
|
2018 |
Open access
16
16
82
|
2017 |
22
24
6
|
2017 |
38
31
37
|
2017 |
Open access
19
16
73
|
2017 |
Open access
25
22
15
|
2016 |
Open access
231
220
52
|
2016 |
24
24
11
|
2016 |
Open access
5
5
|
2016 |
Open access
21
20
9
|
2016 |
33
28
28
|
2016 |
20
20
4
|
2016 |
Open access
21
19
|
2015 |
Open access
14
11
21
|
2014 |
Open access
115
104
|
2013 |
7
15
|
2012 |
Open access
11
10
|
2012 |
18
28
|
2012 |
Open access
16
30
|
2011 |
14
12
|
2011 |
41
|
2010 |
53
89
|
2009 |
Open access
211
323
|
2008 |
39
68
|
2008 |
55
63
|
Book Chapter
Tsiros MD, Coates AM. Quality of life, self-esteem and psychiatric disorders in the obese child (Chapter 27). In curbside consultation in Pediatric Obesity. SLACK incorporated, 2014.
Research
Child development, Childhood overweight and obesity,Health-related quality of life,Paediatric physiotherapy,Physical activity and sedentary behaviours,Paediatric disability
External engagement & recognition
Organisation | Country |
---|---|
Australian Institute of Sport | AUSTRALIA |
Bond University | AUSTRALIA |
Deakin University | AUSTRALIA |
Griffith University | AUSTRALIA |
Kagawa Nutrition University | JAPAN |
Massey University | NEW ZEALAND |
Monash University | AUSTRALIA |
Queensland University of Technology | AUSTRALIA |
Rcsi University Of Medicine And Health Sciences | IRELAND |
RMIT University | AUSTRALIA |
Seattle University | UNITED STATES |
South Australian Sports Institute | AUSTRALIA |
Universite Clermont Auvergne | FRANCE |
University of Adelaide | AUSTRALIA |
University of Delaware | UNITED STATES |
University of Florida | UNITED STATES |
University of Massachusetts Amherst | UNITED STATES |
University of Newcastle | AUSTRALIA |
University of Queensland | AUSTRALIA |
University of South Australia | AUSTRALIA |
University of Sydney | AUSTRALIA |
University of Tasmania | AUSTRALIA |
University of Wollongong | AUSTRALIA |
Women's and Children's Health Network | AUSTRALIA |
External engagement & recognition
Engagement/recognition | Year |
---|---|
Women's Excellence in Research AwardHealthy Development Adelaide |
2022 |
Best Early Career Research Paper Award for Paediatric ResearchAustralian Physiotherapy Association, Transform 2019 Physiotherapy Conference |
2019 |
Media ReleaseMedia Release: Watching TV the worst sedentary behaviour for childhood obesity |
2019 |
MemberAustralian and New Zealand Obesity Society |
2018 |
MemberHealthy Development Adelaide |
2018 |
MemberAustralasian Child and Adolescent Obesity Research Network (ACAORN) |
2018 |
Member, National Paediatric GroupAustralian Physiotherapy Association (APA) |
2018 |
Research Collaboration Grant Early Mobilisation in Paediatric Intensive Care (EMPIC): A Quality and Safety InterventionSA Health (Govt of South Australia) and Womens' and Childrens' Health Network |
2018 |
Visiting ResearcherMassey University, New Zealand |
2018 |
MemberHealthy Development Adelaide |
2017 |
MemberAustralian and New Zealand Obesity Society |
2017 |
MemberAustralasian Child and Adolescent Obesity Research Network (ACAORN) |
2017 |
Member, National Paediatric GroupAustralian Physiotherapy Association (APA) |
2017 |
Tomorrow MakerAMP |
2016 |
Young Investigator Award - FinalistWomen's and Children's Hospital Foundation |
2015 |
Finalist, Tall Poppy AwardAustralian Institute of Policy and Science |
2014 |
Presented a healthy eating sessionSt Josephs Hectorville Preschool |
2014 |
Young Investigator AwardAustralian New Zealand Obesity Society |
2012 |
The Australasian Child and Adolescent Obesity Research Network awardAustralian New Zealand Obesity Society |
2011 |
Teaching & student supervision
Teaching & student supervision
Supervisions from 2010 shown
Thesis title | Student status |
---|---|
Harnessing shared reading of picture books to promote health and wellbeing in children | Current |
The Utility of the Ratings of Perceived Exertion to Improve Fitness Testing Experiences in Children | Current |
Effects of minimalist and conventional running shoes on running performance and injury risk, and the associated mechanisms | Completed |
Exploring collaborative practice and shared goals for families known to child protection | Completed |
Get outside, play and grow: exploring the impacts of nature play on early childhood development and the reliability of play observations | Completed |
Nature play in early childhood settings: integrating child play behaviours and stakeholder perspectives to inform consensus-based recommendations for best practice | Completed |
The utility of the Ratings of Perceived Exertion to predict peak oxygen uptake and minimise negative affect in children and adolescents | Completed |