Welcome to my home page. I am Course Coordinator for Physiotherapy Studies 200, and lecturer/ instructor in various physiotherapy subjects including Physiotherapy With Children, Neurosciences and Physiotherapy Studies 201.
I am a very experienced clinical educator and supervisor in community settings. I have worked for 15 years as a physiotherapist with children. I have wide ranging clinical and research interests in paediatric disorders, in particular neurological and developmental disorders. My passion is teaching, and helping students become the best version of their professional selves that they can be. I also love supporting research students.
My PhD was in the field of emergency department physiotherapy. I work in... Read more
About me
Welcome to my home page. I am Course Coordinator for Physiotherapy Studies 200, and lecturer/ instructor in various physiotherapy subjects including Physiotherapy With Children, Neurosciences and Physiotherapy Studies 201.
I am a very experienced clinical educator and supervisor in community settings. I have worked for 15 years as a physiotherapist with children. I have wide ranging clinical and research interests in paediatric disorders, in particular neurological and developmental disorders. My passion is teaching, and helping students become the best version of their professional selves that they can be. I also love supporting research students.
My PhD was in the field of emergency department physiotherapy. I work in research teams in paediatric rehabilitation and related fields, most recently exploring robotic rehabilitation. I am an experienced research supervisor (Honours, Masters and PhD) and I am more than happy to field research enquiries from interested students and/ or other supervisors.
Please note my work days are Mondays to Thursdays during school hours.
About me
Australian Physiotherapy Association (Paediatrics Special Interest Group)
About me
Doctor of Philosopy James Cook University
University of South Australia
James Cook University
Queensland Health
Private Practice
Areas of research interest:
Paediatric physiotherapy and rehabilitation
Emergency Department Physiotherapy
Health services and systems research
Research
Excludes commercial-in-confidence projects.
Channel 7 Research Grant (2020 - ):
"Can robotic technology assist children with cerebral palsy after botulinum toxin injection?" with Angela Tully, Ray Russo, Susan Hillier
Womens and Children's Hospital Foundation research grant (2017-2019):
"What are the benefits of robotic-assisted rehabilitation compared to conventional therapy? A randomised controlled clinical trial in children with acquired brain injury". with Christopher Innes-Wong, Ray Russo, Susan Hillier
I have an ongoing interest in:
Application of robotic technologies in paediatric rehabilitation
Prechtl's Method of General Movement Assessment
Research
Research outputs for the last seven years are shown below. To see earlier years visit ORCID, ResearcherID or Scopus
Open access indicates that an output is open access.
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2022 |
Open access
|
| 2020 |
Open access
1
|
| 2020 |
Open access
1
|
| 2017 |
Open access
56
48
7
|
| 2016 |
4
2
6
|
| 2016 |
Open access
6
7
|
| 2015 |
Open access
4
|
| 2015 |
Open access
20
20
1
|
| 2014 |
Open access
4
4
1
|
| 2014 |
4
5
1
|
| 2013 |
Open access
13
12
1
|
| 2010 |
19
21
|
| 2010 |
107
|
| 2010 |
|
| 2010 |
20
|
Book chapter: Integrating technology into clinical practice in neurological rehabilitation. In Umphred’s Neurological Rehabilitation (7th Ed.) Ed. Lazaro, R. Elsevier: released 2019.
Editorial: Lefmann, SA and Crane, JL (2016). Establishing the diverse value of the emergency department physiotherapist. Journal of Physiotherapy, 62 (1).
Co-lead investigator: "Perspectives on children's physiotherapy services and Disability Care Australia", Practical Design Fund, Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. (2013).
**For journal articles written prior to 2008 (nee Anaf) - please refer to my ORCID link for access**
Research
Areas of research interest:
Paediatric physiotherapy and rehabilitation
Emergency Department Physiotherapy
Health services and systems research
External engagement & recognition
| Organisation | Country |
|---|---|
| James Cook University | AUSTRALIA |
| Northern Adelaide Local Health Network | AUSTRALIA |
| University of South Australia | AUSTRALIA |
| Women's and Children's Hospital | AUSTRALIA |
External engagement & recognition
| Engagement/recognition | Year |
|---|---|
Associate EditorBMC Public Health |
2017 |
Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student LearningUniversity of South Australia |
2017 |
Committee member, National Paediatric GroupAustralian Physiotherapy Association (APA) |
2017 |
Associate EditorBMC Public Health |
2016 |
Hospital Foundation GrantWomen's and Children's Hospital |
2016 |
* UniSA Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (Physiotherapy with Children - Ward, Tsiros, Lefmann)*
Teaching & student supervision
Teaching & student supervision
Supervisions from 2010 shown
| Thesis title | Student status |
|---|---|
| What are the benefits of robotic-assisted rehabilitation compared to conventional therapy? A randomised controlled clinical trial in children with acquired brain injury. | Completed |
