Dr Nathalia Costa is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Queensland's cLinical TRials cApability (ULTRA), located within the Centre for Clinical Research in Herston. Prior to her current appointment she was a Post-doctoral Research Fellow at the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (UQ - 2021), Post-doctoral Research Associate at the Sydney School of Public Health (The University of Sydney, 2021-2022), and a Lecturer in Physiotherapy at the Sydney School of Health Sciences (The University of Sydney, 2023). Her research draws from a range of qualitative and mixed methodologies to make meaningful contributions to clinical trials and healthcare more broadly. She is particularly interested in projects that involve a range of stakeholders, embrace complexity and have real-world applicability. Her publications (45+) span a wide range of areas, including musculoskeletal pain, health policy, sociology and culturally responsive care. She has also taught across a range of disciplines, including research methods, musculoskeletal physiotherapy, sociology applied to health, fundamentals of physiotherapy, fundamentals of health care, health policy, health economics and health systems finance. Nathalia is an Associate Editor for Qualitative Health Research, an international (Q1) journal dedicated to publishing interdisciplinary research to enhance healthcare and further the development and understanding of qualitative research in healthcare settings.
Journal Article: A systems approach to assist policy action to prevent falls among community-dwelling older people in Australia
Costa, Nathalia, Ambrens, Meghan, Delbaere, Kim, Wilson, Louise, Li, Ang and Sherrington, Catherine (2024). A systems approach to assist policy action to prevent falls among community-dwelling older people in Australia. Public Health Research and Practice, 34 (1) e3412405. doi: 10.17061/phrp3412405
Journal Article: How Can Critique of Critique Create Possibilities for Critical Qualitative Inquiry?
Cheek, Julianne and Costa, Nathalia (2024). How Can Critique of Critique Create Possibilities for Critical Qualitative Inquiry?. International Review of Qualitative Research. doi: 10.1177/19408447241243321
Journal Article: Fluid professional boundaries: ethnographic observations of co-located chiropractors, osteopaths and physiotherapists
Toloui-Wallace, Joshua, Forbes, Roma, Thomson, Oliver P. and Costa, Nathalia (2024). Fluid professional boundaries: ethnographic observations of co-located chiropractors, osteopaths and physiotherapists. BMC Health Services Research, 24 (1) 344, 344. doi: 10.1186/s12913-024-10738-1
(2023–2028) NHMRC-National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaborative Research Grants
(2022–2023) Queensland Health
Improving low back pain healthcare delivery: Enhancing the biopsychosocial model
(2019) University of Melbourne
Costa, Nathalia, Ambrens, Meghan, Delbaere, Kim, Wilson, Louise, Li, Ang and Sherrington, Catherine (2024). A systems approach to assist policy action to prevent falls among community-dwelling older people in Australia. Public Health Research and Practice, 34 (1) e3412405. doi: 10.17061/phrp3412405
How Can Critique of Critique Create Possibilities for Critical Qualitative Inquiry?
Cheek, Julianne and Costa, Nathalia (2024). How Can Critique of Critique Create Possibilities for Critical Qualitative Inquiry?. International Review of Qualitative Research. doi: 10.1177/19408447241243321
Toloui-Wallace, Joshua, Forbes, Roma, Thomson, Oliver P. and Costa, Nathalia (2024). Fluid professional boundaries: ethnographic observations of co-located chiropractors, osteopaths and physiotherapists. BMC Health Services Research, 24 (1) 344, 344. doi: 10.1186/s12913-024-10738-1
Mescouto, Karime, Olson, Rebecca E., Plage, Stefanie, Zulfiqar, Asma, Setchell, Jenny, Dune, Tinashe, Suleman, Sameera, Cummins, Drew, Prasad-Ildes, Rita and Costa, Nathalia (2024). Navigating whiteness: affective relational intensities of non-clinical psychosocial support by and for culturally and linguistically diverse people. Frontiers in Sociology, 9. doi: 10.3389/fsoc.2024.1282938
Implementation of digital health interventions in rehabilitation: A scoping review
Pearce, Louise, Costa, Nathalia, Sherrington, Catherine and Hassett, Leanne (2023). Implementation of digital health interventions in rehabilitation: A scoping review. Clinical Rehabilitation, 37 (11), 1533-1551. doi: 10.1177/02692155231172299
Quality of life beyond measure: Advanced cancer patients, wellbeing and medicinal cannabis
Smith, Alexandra, Olson, Rebecca E., da Costa, Nathalia Cordeiro, Cuerton, Maddison, Hardy, Janet and Good, Philip (2023). Quality of life beyond measure: Advanced cancer patients, wellbeing and medicinal cannabis. Sociology of Health and Illness, 45 (8), 1709-1729. doi: 10.1111/1467-9566.13684
Smith, Michelle D., Vuvan, Viana, Collins, Natalie J., Hunter, David J., Costa, Nathalia, Smith, Melinda M. Franettovich and Vicenzino, Bill (2023). Protocol for a randomised feasibility trial comparing a combined program of education and exercise versus general advice for ankle osteoarthritis. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, 16 (1) 72. doi: 10.1186/s13047-023-00669-1
Rusinga, Adelaide, Setchell, Jenny, Jang, Sarah and Costa, Nathalia (2023). Exploring the Systemic Structures that Affect Access to Physical Therapist Services for Non-Indigenous Black People in Australia. Physical Therapy, 104 (2) ARTN pzad139. doi: 10.1093/ptj/pzad139
King, M., Lewis, A., Watson, K., Da Costa, N. and Vicenzino, B. (2023). Can wearable technology and machine learning techniques monitor standard upper limb drill movements in elite women’s water polo?. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 26 (Supplement 2), S150-S151. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2023.08.039
Mescouto, Karime, Olson, Rebecca E., Costa, Nathalia, Evans, Kerrie, Dillon, Miriam, Walsh, Kelly, Jensen, Niamh, Hodges, Paul W., Lonergan, Kathryn, Weier, Megan and Setchell, Jenny (2023). Fostering equitable change in health services: Using critical reflexivity to challenge dominant discourses in low back pain care in Australia. Journal of Health Services Research & Policy, 29 (1), 1-10. doi: 10.1177/13558196231193862
Costa, Nathalia, Butler, Prudenc, Dillon, Miriam, Mescouto, Karime, Olson, Rebecca, Forbes, Roma and Setchell, Jenny (2023). "I felt uncertain about my whole future"-a qualitative investigation of people's experiences of navigating uncertainty when seeking care for their low back pain. Pain, 164 (12), 2749-2758. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002975
What guides back pain care? A content analysis of low back pain directives in the Australian context
Parambath, Sarika, Costa, Nathalia, Schneider, Carmen Huckel and Blyth, Fiona M. (2023). What guides back pain care? A content analysis of low back pain directives in the Australian context. Health Research Policy and Systems, 21 (1) 49, 49. doi: 10.1186/s12961-023-00997-5
Murray, Fabiana Silveira, Costa, Nathalia, Jesus‐Moraleida, Fabianna and Meziat‐Filho, Ney (2023). What are Brazilian orthopaedists' views on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain? A qualitative investigation. Musculoskeletal Care, 21 (4), 1036-1044. doi: 10.1002/msc.1778
Dillon, M., Olson, R., Mescouto, K., Costa, N. and Setchell, J. (2023). How physiotherapists attend to the human aspects of care when working with people with low back pain: a thematic analysis. Health Sociology Review, 32 (3), 277-293. doi: 10.1080/14461242.2022.2161927
Jang, Sarah, Costa, Nathalia, Rusinga, Adelaide and Setchell, Jenny (2023). Exploring physiotherapy education in Australia from the perspective of Muslim women physiotherapy students. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice. doi: 10.1080/09593985.2023.2230597
Cuadra, Gabriela, Oliveira, Juliana S., Pinheiro, Marina B., Tiedemann, Anne, Sherrington, Catherine, Pivotto, Luiza, Khalatbari-Soltani, Saman, Sharma, Sweekriti and Costa, Nathalia (2023). Physical activity interventions for adults aged 60+ years in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 20 (7), 578-585. doi: 10.1123/jpah.2022-0508
Suri, Pradeep, Tanus, Adrienne D., Torres, Nikki, Timmons, Andrew, Irimia, Bianca, Friedly, Janna L., Korpak, Anna, Daniels, Clinton, Morelli, Daniel, Hodges, Paul W., Costa, Nathalia, Day, Melissa A., Heagerty, Patrick J. and Jensen, Mark P. (2022). The Flares of Low back pain with Activity Research Study (FLAReS): study protocol for a case-crossover study nested within a cohort study. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 23 (1) 376, 376. doi: 10.1186/s12891-022-05281-1
Mescouto, Karime, Olson, Rebecca E, Costa, Nathalia, Evans, Kerrie, Dillon, Miriam, Jensen, Niamh, Walsh, Kelly, Weier, Megan, Lonergan, Kathryn, Hodges, Paul W. and Setchell, Jenny (2022). ‘Engaging on a slightly more human level’: A qualitative study exploring the care of individuals with back pain in a multidisciplinary pain clinic. Health: An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Social Study of Health, Illness and Medicine, 28 (1), 1-22. doi: 10.1177/13634593221127817
The ubiquity of uncertainty in low back pain care
Costa, Nathalia, Mescouto, Karime, Dillon, Miriam, Olson, Rebecca, Butler, Prudence, Forbes, Roma and Setchell, Jenny (2022). The ubiquity of uncertainty in low back pain care. Social Science and Medicine, 313 115422, 115422. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115422
Costa, Nathalia, Blyth, Fiona M., Parambath, Sarika and Huckel Schneider, Carmen (2022). What’s the problem of low back pain represented to be? An analysis of discourse of the Australian context. Disability and Rehabilitation, 45 (20), 1-11. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2022.2125085
Are objective measures of sleep and sedentary behaviours related to low back pain flares?
Costa, Nathalia, Smits, Esther J., Kasza, Jessica, Salomoni, Sauro, Rodriguez-Romero, Beatriz, Ferreira, Manuela L and Hodges, Paul W. (2022). Are objective measures of sleep and sedentary behaviours related to low back pain flares?. Pain, 163 (9), 1829-1837. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002585
Implementation initiatives to improve low back pain care in Australia: A scoping review
Costa, Nathalia, Blyth, Fiona M, Amorim, Anita B, Parambath, Sarika, Shanmuganathan, Selvanaayagam and Huckel Schneider, Carmen (2022). Implementation initiatives to improve low back pain care in Australia: A scoping review. Pain Medicine, 23 (12), 1979-2009. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnac102
O’Sullivan, Isobel C., da Costa, Nathalia Cordeiro, Franettovich Smith, Melinda M., Vicenzino, Bill, Crossley, Kay M., Kamper, Steven J., van Middelkoop, Marienke, Menz, Hylton B., Tucker, Kylie, O’Leary, Karina T. and Collins, Natalie J. (2022). Adolescent perspectives on participating in a feasibility trial investigating shoe inserts for patellofemoral pain. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, 15 (1) 37, 37. doi: 10.1186/s13047-022-00537-4
Mescouto, Karime, Olson, Rebecca E., Hodges, Paul W., Costa, Nathalia, Patton, Mary Anne, Evans, Kerrie, Walsh, Kelly, Lonergan, Kathryn and Setchell, Jenny (2022). Physiotherapists both reproduce and resist biomedical dominance when working with people with low back pain: a qualitative study towards new praxis. Qualitative Health Research, 32 (6), 104973232210843-915. doi: 10.1177/10497323221084358
King, Marguerite Helen, Costa, Nathalia, Lewis, Amy, Watson, Kate and Vicenzino, Bill (2022). Throwing in the deep end: athletes, coaches and support staff experiences, perceptions and beliefs of upper limb injuries and training load in elite women’s water polo. BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine, 8 (1) e001214, e001214. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2021-001214
Uncertainty in low back pain care – insights from an ethnographic study
Costa, N., Olson, R., Mescouto, K., Hodges, P. W., Dillon, M., Evans, K., Walsh, K., Jensen, N. and Setchell, J. (2022). Uncertainty in low back pain care – insights from an ethnographic study. Disability and Rehabilitation, 45 (5), 1-12. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2022.2040615
Smits, Esther Josefina, Salomoni, Sauro, Costa, Nathalia, Rodríguez-Romero, Beatriz and Hodges, Paul W. (2022). How reliable is measurement of posture during sleep: real-world measurement of body posture and movement during sleep using accelerometers. Physiological Measurement, 43 (1) 015001, 015001. doi: 10.1088/1361-6579/ac482f
O’Sullivan, Isobel C., Crossley, Kay M., Kamper, Steven J., van Middelkoop, Marienke, Vicenzino, Bill, Franettovich Smith, Melinda M., Menz, Hylton B., Smith, Anne J., Tucker, Kylie, O’Leary, Karina T., Costa, Nathalia and Collins, Natalie J. (2021). HAPPi Kneecaps! A double-blind, randomised, parallel group superiority trial investigating the effects of sHoe inserts for adolescents with patellofemoral PaIn: phase II feasibility study. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, 14 (1) 64, 1-11. doi: 10.1186/s13047-021-00498-0
Setchell, Jenny, Olson, Rebecca, Turpin, Merrill, Costa, Nathalia, Barlott, Tim, O’Halloran, Kate, Wigginton, Britta and Hodges, Paul (2021). Afflexivity in post-qualitative inquiry: prioritising affect and reflexivity in the evaluation of a health information website. Health Sociology Review, (3), 1-16. doi: 10.1080/14461242.2021.1976068
Setchell, Jenny, Costa, Nathalia, Abrosimoff, Monica and Hodges, Paul W. (2021). Exploring why people with back pain use the pain management strategies they do: is research looking in the wrong places?. Pain Medicine, 22 (10), 2298-2306. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnab246
Low back pain flares : how do they differ from an increase in pain?
Costa, Nathalia, Smits, Esther J., Kasza, Jessica, Salomoni, Sauro E., Ferreira, Manuela and Hodges, Paul W. (2021). Low back pain flares : how do they differ from an increase in pain?. The Clinical Journal of Pain, 37 (5), 313-320. doi: 10.1097/ajp.0000000000000926
Costa, Nathalia, Smits, Esther, Kasza, Jessica, Salomoni, Sauro, Ferreira, Manuela, Sullivan, Michael and Hodges, Paul W. (2021). ISSLS PRIZE IN CLINICAL SCIENCE 2021: What are the risk factors for low back pain flares and does this depend on how flare is defined?. European Spine Journal, 30 (5), 1089-1097. doi: 10.1007/s00586-021-06730-6
Potential unintended effects of standardized pain questionnaires: A qualitative study
De Silva, Theresa, Hodges, Paul W., Costa, Nathalia and Setchell, Jenny (2020). Potential unintended effects of standardized pain questionnaires: A qualitative study. Pain Medicine , 21 (2), e22-e33. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnz252
Costa, Nathalia, Nielsen, Mandy, Jull, Gwendolen, Claus, Andrew P. and Hodges, Paul W. (2020). Low back pain websites do not meet the needs of consumers: A study of online resources at three time points. Health Information Management Journal, 49 (2-3), 137-149. doi: 10.1177/1833358319857354
What triggers an LBP flare? A content analysis of individuals' perspectives
Costa, Nathalia, Hodges, Paul W., Ferreira, Manuela L., Makovey, Joanna and Setchell, Jenny (2020). What triggers an LBP flare? A content analysis of individuals' perspectives. Pain Medicine, 21 (1), 13-20. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnz021
Setchell, Jenny, Turpin, Merrill, Costa, Nathalia and Hodges, Paul (2020). Working with potential tensions in individual’s interactions with online consumer health education about back pain: Findings from a photo-elicitation and observational study. JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies, 7 (1) e17130, e17130. doi: 10.2196/17130
Impact of flare-ups on the lives of individuals with low back pain: A qualitative investigation
Tan, Dominique, Hodges, Paul W., Costa, Nathalia, Ferreira, Manuela and Setchell, Jenny (2019). Impact of flare-ups on the lives of individuals with low back pain: A qualitative investigation. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice, 43, 52-57. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2019.06.003
What decreases low back pain? A qualitative study of patient perspectives
Setchell, Jenny, Costa, Nathalia, Ferreira, Manuela and Hodges, Paul W. (2019). What decreases low back pain? A qualitative study of patient perspectives. Scandinavian Journal of Pain, 19 (3), 597-603. doi: 10.1515/sjpain-2019-0018
Costa, Nathalia, Ferreira, Manuela L., Setchell, Jenny, Makovey, Joanna, Dekroo, Tanya, Downie, Aron, Diwan, Ashish, Koes, Bart, Natvig, Bard, Vicenzino, Bill, Hunter, David, Roseen, Eric, Rasmussen-Barr, Eva, Guillemin, Francis, Hartvigsen, Jan, Bennell, Kim, Costa, Leonardo, Macedo, Luciana, Pinheiro, Marina, Underwood, Martin, Van Tulder, Mauritus, Johansson, Melker, Enthoven, Paul, Kent, Peter, O'Sullivan, Peter, Suri, Pradeep, Genevay, Stephane and Hodges, Paul W. (2019). A definition of flare in low back pain (LBP): A multiphase process involving perspectives of individuals with LBP and expert consensus. The Journal of Pain, 20 (11), 1267-1275. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2019.03.009
How is symptom flare defined in musculoskeletal conditions: a systematic review
Costa, Nathalia, Ferreira, Manuela L., Cross, Marita, Makovey, Joanna and Hodges, Paul W. (2018). How is symptom flare defined in musculoskeletal conditions: a systematic review. Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism, 48 (2), 302-317. doi: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2018.01.012
Individuals' explanations for their persistent or recurrent low back pain: a cross-sectional survey
Setchell, Jenny, Costa, Nathalia, Ferreira, Manuela, Makovey, Joanna, Nielsen, Mandy and Hodges, Paul W. (2017). Individuals' explanations for their persistent or recurrent low back pain: a cross-sectional survey. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 18 (1) 466. doi: 10.1186/s12891-017-1831-7
What constitutes back pain flare? A cross sectional survey of individuals with low back pain
Setchell, Jenny, Costa, Nathalia, Ferreira, Manuela, Makovey, Joanna, Nielsen, Mandy and Hodges, Paul W. (2017). What constitutes back pain flare? A cross sectional survey of individuals with low back pain. Scandinavian Journal of Pain, 17 (1), 294-301. doi: 10.1016/j.sjpain.2017.08.003
(Un)certainty and emotions in low back pain care - insights from an ethnographic study
Costa, Nathalia, Olson, Rebecca, Mescouto, Karime, Hodges, Paul, Dillon, Miriam, Evans, Kerrie, Walsh, Kelly, Jensen, Niahm and Setchell, Jenny (2022). (Un)certainty and emotions in low back pain care - insights from an ethnographic study. The Australian Sociological Association (TASA) conference, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 29 November-2 December 2022.
(Un)certainty and emotions in low back pain care - insights from an ethnographic study
Costa, Nathalia, Olson, Rebecca, Mescouto, Karime, Hodges, Paul, Dillon, Miriam, Evans, Kerrie, Walsh, Kelly, Jensen, Niahm and Setchell, Jenny (2022). (Un)certainty and emotions in low back pain care - insights from an ethnographic study. The Australian Sociological Association Conference, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 28 November - 2 December 2022.
Collins, N., Cordeiro da Costa, N., Crossley, K., Kamper, S., Menz, H., O’Leary, K., O’Sullivan, I., Smith, A., Smith, M., Tucker, K., van Middelkoop, M. and Vincenzino, B. (2021). Foot orthoses make for Happi kneecaps! of adolescents with patellofemoral pain: a mixed methods design including randomised feasibility trial. 2021 SMA e-Conference, Online, 8-9 October 2021. Chatswood, NSW Australia: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2021.09.068
Da Costa, N., King, M., Lewis, A., Vicenzino, B. and Watson, K. (2021). Throwing in the deep end, upper limb injuries and training load in elite women's water polo: experiences, perceptions and beliefs of athletes, coaches and staff. 2021 SMA e-Conference, Online, 8-9 October 2021. Chatswood, NSW Australia: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2021.09.069
Mescouto, K., Olson, R., Hodges, P.W., Costa, N., Patton, M., Evans, K., Walsh, K. and Setchell, J. (2021). Swimming upstream against biomedical assumptions: a participatory qualitative study to change low back pain practice. World Physiotherapy Congress, Online, 9-11 April 2021.
Submission to the Mental Health Community Support Services - Psychosocial Supports Consultation
Plage, Stefanie, Olson, Rebecca, Suleman, Sameera, Setchell, Jenny, Costa, Nathalia, Mescouto, Karime and Dune, Tinashe (2024). Submission to the Mental Health Community Support Services - Psychosocial Supports Consultation. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Queensland Government.
Olson, Rebecca, Cordeiro da Costa, Nathalia, Plage, Stefanie, Dune, Tinashe and Setchell, Jenny (2023). Program evaluation on the characteristics of specialist psychosocial mental health support programs for people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds in Queensland Final Report. Brisbane, QLD Australia: SocioHealthLab and Queensland Health.
Understanding low back pain (LBP) flares: identifying definitions, features and risk-factors
Cordeiro da Costa, Nathalia Kelly (2020). Understanding low back pain (LBP) flares: identifying definitions, features and risk-factors. PhD Thesis, School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/7c26a25
(2023–2028) NHMRC-National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaborative Research Grants
(2022–2023) Queensland Health
Improving low back pain healthcare delivery: Enhancing the biopsychosocial model
(2019) University of Melbourne