Dr Manuela Besomi Molina

Research Fellow

School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences

Overview

Dr. Manuela Besomi is a Research Fellow within the NHMRC Centre of Clinical Research Excellence in Spinal Pain, Injury & Health and the Sports Injury Rehabilitation and Prevention for Health (SIRPH) Research Unit at The University of Queensland. She also holds an honorary position in the Physiotherapy Department at Universidad del Desarrollo (Chile), where she leads a clinical team focused on running injury management and prevention research.

Manuela obtained her master's degree in Clinical Epidemiology from Universidad de La Frontera, Chile, in 2016, followed by a Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Sciences at The University of Queensland in 2021. As a passionate physiotherapist and early career researcher, she brings expertise in epidemiology, musculoskeletal rehabilitation, and sports science, particularly in the context of running.

Her research spans fundamental and applied areas, ranging from leveraging innovative technologies to investigate tissue mechanics to enhancing care management through telehealth and implementation research. Manuela is the Project Coordinator of an NIH-funded research project examining the bio-psycho-social mechanisms underlying low back pain flares. She is also the Research Coordinator for the Consensus for Experimental Design in Electromyography (CEDE) project, supported by the International Society of Electrophysiology and Kinesiology (ISEK). In recognition of her contributions, she was honoured with the 2022 Carlo J. DeLuca Award.

Beyond her research endeavours, Manuela is dedicated to translating knowledge into practice and actively engages with the community. She is a speaker and collaborator at The Running Clinic and a co-founder of the SeRUN® project (@serun.chile), both initiatives aimed at bridging the gap between research and clinical practice. She is passionate about promoting STEM for young girls—having collaborated in the evaluation of a nationwide program to boost girls' engagement in STEM, BRInC. Currently, she is part of the research team and mentor for the 2024 BRInC version. More information about BRInC can be found at https://www.canberra.edu.au/about-uc/faculties/health/brinc.

Dr. Besomi remains committed to advancing knowledge and making a positive impact in the fields of physiotherapy, rehabilitation sciences, and sports science.

Research Interests

  • Sports science
  • Musculoskeletal pain
  • Electromyography

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
  • Masters (Coursework) of Clinical Epidemiology
  • Bachelor of Physiotherapy

Publications

  • Viljoen, Carel, Mechelen, Willem van, Verhagen, Evert, Silva, Bruno, Scheer, Volker, Besomi, Manuela, Gajardo-Burgos, Rubén, Matos, Sérgio, Schoeman, Marlene, Rensburg, Audrey Jansen van, Dyk, Nicol van, Scheepers, Susan, Botha, Tanita and Rensburg, Christa Janse van (2024). 443 FO23 – Injury risk factors in trail running: latest evidence from a living systematic review. BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2024-ioc.22

  • Besomi, Manuela, Devecchi, Valter, Falla, Deborah, McGill, Kevin, Kiernan, Matthew C., Merletti, Roberto, van Dieën, Jaap H., Tucker, Kylie, Clancy, Edward A., Søgaard, Karen, Hug, François, Carson, Richard G., Perreault, Eric, Gandevia, Simon, Besier, Thor, Rothwell, John C., Enoka, Roger M., Holobar, Aleš, Disselhorst-Klug, Catherine, Wrigley, Tim, Lowery, Madeleine, Farina, Dario and Hodges, Paul W. (2024). Consensus for experimental design in electromyography (CEDE) project: Checklist for reporting and critically appraising studies using EMG (CEDE-Check). Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 76 102874, 102874. doi: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2024.102874

  • Klyne, David M., Hilliard, Brendan A., Harris, Michele Y., Amin, Mamta, Hall, Michelle, Besomi, Manuela, Mustafa, Sanam, Farrell, Scott F., Rawashdeh, Oliver, Han, Felicity Y., Hodges, Paul W., Frara, Nagat and Barbe, Mary F. (2024). Poor sleep versus exercise: A duel to decide whether pain resolves or persists after injury. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health, 35 100714, 100714. doi: 10.1016/j.bbih.2023.100714

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