Karina Pont

Senior Lecturer, Occupational Therapy
Dr, PhD, BAppSc(OT)Hons, GradCertAP

Email: karina.pont@nd.edu.au

• Biography

  Karina is a Senior Lecturer in occupational therapy at the University of Notre Dame. She has spent 10 years living in Laos and 5 years in academic, she has led a community based rehabilitation project in developing and low resource contexts. Her interests are in paediatrics, neurodiversity, and empowering students to demonstrate compassionate and resourceful OT practice in culturally diverse communities.

• Teaching areas

  • Rural and remote health
  • Paediatrics

• Journal articles and proceedings

  • Pont, K., Ziviani, J., Wadley, D., & Kahn, A. (2013). The Influence of Urban Form and Family Decision-making on Children’s Travel to School. Journal of Urban Design, 18(3), 363–382.
  • Pont, K., Ziviani, J., Wadley, D., & Abbott, R. (2010). The Model of Children’s Active Travel (M-CAT): A conceptual framework for examining factors influencing children’s active travel. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 58(3), 138–144.
  • Pont, K., Ziviani, J., Wadley, D., Bennett, S., & Abbott, R. (2009). Environmental correlates of children’s active transportation: A systematic literature review. Health & Place, 15(3), 849–862.
  • Wallen, M., Bundy, A., Pont, K., & Ziviani, J. (2009). Psychometric properties of the Pediatric Motor Activity Log used for children with cerebral palsy. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 51(3), 200–208.
  • Pont, K., Wallen, M., & Bundy, A. (2009). Conceptualising a modified system for classification of in-hand manipulation. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 56(1), 2–15.
  • Pont, K., Wallen, M., Bundy, A., & Case-Smith, J. (2008). Reliability and validity of the test of in-hand manipulation in children ages 5 to 6 years. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 62(4), 384.
  • Marks, G., lisahunter, Macdonald, D., Ziviani, J., Abbott, R., Leow, A., & Pont, K. (2010). Agency implementation of a government initiative: The Eat Well Be Active Evaluation: Final Report to Health Promotion Queensland. Brisbane: The University of Queensland.

• Conference papers

  • Pont, K. (2026). Back to basics: Experiences of imparting an occupational approach to rehabilitation workers in remote southern Laos [Poster]. World Federation of Occupational Therapists Congress, Bangkok, Thailand.
  • Pont, K. (2026). Joys and challenges of community-based rehabilitation in Attapeu, southern Laos [Oral]. World Federation of Occupational Therapists Congress, Bangkok, Thailand.
  • Pont, K., Wagner, Y., Breune, M., & Breune, E. (2025). Compassion a key to success in community-based rehabilitation in Attapeu, southern Laos [Poster]. World Disability and Rehabilitation Conference (WDRC 2025), Bangkok, Thailand.
  • Pont, K., Ziviani, J., Wadley, D., & Abbott, R. (2010). Put Your Best Foot Forward: A Model of Children’s Active Travel [Poster]. World Federation of Occupational Therapists Congress, Santiago, Chile.