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Professor Sandy Brauer

Head of School

School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences
s.brauer@uq.edu.au
+61 7 336 52317

Overview

Research to improve balance and gait in older adults and those with Neurological Disorders.

Impaired postural control, or poor balance, can have devastating effects on the lives of individuals, resulting in falls, dependence, and reduced quality of life. Prof Brauer leads a number of studies to better understand the underlying motor control mechanisms contributing to altered postural control, particularly in populations with neurological disorders or advanced age, and use this information to better develop physiotherapy assessment techniques and rehabilitation strategies. This research has subsequently developed to encompass prevention strategies and the investigation of the cost-effectiveness of intervention, to better facilitate the translation of research evidence into clinical practice.

Current research themes include:

Improving physical activity after stroke

Training dual tasking when walking in people with Parkinson’s Disease.

Community mobility in older adults, particularly in people with Parkinson’s Disease and stroke.

Retraining reaching following stroke, using the SMART Arm device.

The prevention of falls, particularly in hospitals.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
  • Bachelor (Honours), The University of Queensland

Publications

View all Publications

Grants

View all Grants

Supervision

View all Supervision

Available Projects

  • Measurement and rehabilitation of the shoulder and upper limb

    We are seeking up to two PhD candidates eligible for a UQ Graduate School Scholarship, Australia to undertake a PhD in the area of measurement of upper limb motion and use. The project is part of an Industrial Transformation Training Centre (ITTC) funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) and led by researchers at Queensland University of Technology and the University of Queensland. The centre aims to advance personalised surgical treatment of joints by integrating computer tools for pre-surgical planning and decision making, computer simulation systems and robot simulators for surgical training. Understanding the effectiveness of these treatments requires assessment and analysis of functional movements in clinical and real-world environments. The successful PhD candidate will use new sensor and/or robotic assessment technologies in conjunction with advanced motion capture systems to record shoulder and upper limb functional movements.

    Project areas include:

    • developing novel movement & muscle function assessments for the shoulder & upper limb;
    • examining functional movements in people with shoulder or upper limb dysfunction or injury;
    • developing new wearable & robotic technologies to optimise upper limb functional movement;
    • developing new virtual / augmented reality technologies for rehabilitation.

    The project requires a background in movement science, biomechanics, biomedical engineering or a related discipline. Experience in 3D motion analysis and electromyography is highly desirable.

    The PhD student will be supervised by a team that may include Prof Sandra Brauer, Prof Paul Hodges, Dr Alejandro Melendez-Calderon, Dr Antonio Padilha Lanari Bo, Prof Graham Kerr. The PhD students will work in the labs of the UQ Professors as part of an interdisciplinary team with skills spanning rehabilitation, imaging, neurophysiology, physiology, motor control, biomechanics, and computational modelling. The student will collaborate with other students and researchers at Queensland University of Technology, University of Queensland and Neuroscience Research Aust.

    Eligible candidates will be supported to apply for a UQ Graduate School Scholarship that provides a 3-year scholarship (with possible extension for 6 months if required) at a rate of $28,597 p.a. tax free. An additional top up of $8,000 p.a. tax free, will be provided for these projects. Due to international border restrictions, this opportunity is most suitable for onshore applicants.

    Essential criteria: An undergraduate degree with first or second class division 1 Honours in movement science, biomechanics, physiotherapy, biomedical engineering, or a related discipline; eligibility for admission to the PhD program at The University of Queensland; knowledge of 3D motion analysis; excellent communication skills (written and verbal) in English.

    Desirable criteria: Experience in rehabilitation science; biomechanics, and muscle physiology

View all Available Projects

Publications

Book

  • Clinical Guidelines for Stroke Management 2010

    National Stroke Foundation, Boddice, Geoff, Brauer, Sandy, Gustafsson, Louise, Kenardy, Justin and Hoffmann, Tammy (2010). Clinical Guidelines for Stroke Management 2010. Melbourne, Australia: National Stroke Foundation.

Book Chapter

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Other Outputs

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

  • The effect of vibrotactile feedback on postural stability and vestibular function in older adults with hearing impairment

    Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Investigating a clinically led innovation of ieMR on interdisciplinary teamwork and real-time data analytics

    Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Movement behaviours of adults in the inpatient setting

    Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • The effect of individualized, vibrotactile neurofeedback training on postural stability in older adults with hearing loss

    Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Understanding and improving community mobility after stroke

    Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Upper-limb assessment of neuromuscular impariments using robotics and computer vision

    Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Helping people with stroke return to meaningful and healthy lives early after stroke

    Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

Completed Supervision

Possible Research Projects

Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.

  • Measurement and rehabilitation of the shoulder and upper limb

    We are seeking up to two PhD candidates eligible for a UQ Graduate School Scholarship, Australia to undertake a PhD in the area of measurement of upper limb motion and use. The project is part of an Industrial Transformation Training Centre (ITTC) funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) and led by researchers at Queensland University of Technology and the University of Queensland. The centre aims to advance personalised surgical treatment of joints by integrating computer tools for pre-surgical planning and decision making, computer simulation systems and robot simulators for surgical training. Understanding the effectiveness of these treatments requires assessment and analysis of functional movements in clinical and real-world environments. The successful PhD candidate will use new sensor and/or robotic assessment technologies in conjunction with advanced motion capture systems to record shoulder and upper limb functional movements.

    Project areas include:

    • developing novel movement & muscle function assessments for the shoulder & upper limb;
    • examining functional movements in people with shoulder or upper limb dysfunction or injury;
    • developing new wearable & robotic technologies to optimise upper limb functional movement;
    • developing new virtual / augmented reality technologies for rehabilitation.

    The project requires a background in movement science, biomechanics, biomedical engineering or a related discipline. Experience in 3D motion analysis and electromyography is highly desirable.

    The PhD student will be supervised by a team that may include Prof Sandra Brauer, Prof Paul Hodges, Dr Alejandro Melendez-Calderon, Dr Antonio Padilha Lanari Bo, Prof Graham Kerr. The PhD students will work in the labs of the UQ Professors as part of an interdisciplinary team with skills spanning rehabilitation, imaging, neurophysiology, physiology, motor control, biomechanics, and computational modelling. The student will collaborate with other students and researchers at Queensland University of Technology, University of Queensland and Neuroscience Research Aust.

    Eligible candidates will be supported to apply for a UQ Graduate School Scholarship that provides a 3-year scholarship (with possible extension for 6 months if required) at a rate of $28,597 p.a. tax free. An additional top up of $8,000 p.a. tax free, will be provided for these projects. Due to international border restrictions, this opportunity is most suitable for onshore applicants.

    Essential criteria: An undergraduate degree with first or second class division 1 Honours in movement science, biomechanics, physiotherapy, biomedical engineering, or a related discipline; eligibility for admission to the PhD program at The University of Queensland; knowledge of 3D motion analysis; excellent communication skills (written and verbal) in English.

    Desirable criteria: Experience in rehabilitation science; biomechanics, and muscle physiology

This staff member is a UQ Expert for media in the following fields:

Balance - physiotherapy, Brain and movement - physiotherapy, Gait - physiotherapy, Motor control - physiotherapy, Neurology - physiotherapy, Physiotherapy, Walk - physiotherapy, Stroke, Parkinson`s Disease, Motor control, Older adults - falls

They are happy to lend their expertise to your articles or broadcasts and share their research discoveries and insights with the community via media channels.

For additional assistance with story ideas, general advice and information or help with seeking further experts, please email the UQ Media Team or telephone (07) 3365 1120.

Links

ResearcherID: D-4519-2011

ORCID: 0000-0001-9961-4739

Scopus ID: 56504917300

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