Postgraduate Research Guide

School of Physiotherapy research degrees build on a solid background provided in the undergraduate and postgraduate programs in the sciences, with a focus on ethical decision-making and clinical reasoning. Students have access to experienced supervisors and are supported by other staff within the School who are invested in academic achievement. They are also part of a School that has one of the highest rates of teaching quality and student support in Australia. HIGHER DEGREES BY RESEARCH: › Master of Philosophy › Master of Science › Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) › Doctor of Physiotherapy Research RESEARCH FOCUS The School has developed a strength in research in the pain sciences, particularly in musculoskeletal physiotherapy, and inclusive of acute and chronic pain management, from areas as diverse as burns and nerve lesions. The School also has active researchers in the following areas: › aged care and falls prevention; › burns clinical research with a focus on swelling management and exercise therapy; › cardiorespiratory physiotherapy (both adult and paediatric); › chronic low back pain and the development and testing of treatment approaches; › clinical education; and › neurosciences related to physiotherapy. BURN AND TRAUMA REHABILITATION A postgraduate degree in Burn & Trauma Rehabilitation is offered at the Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma and Master’s levels at Notre Dame’s Fremantle Campus. It is designed for a broad range of health care professionals working across the wide spectrum of burn and trauma rehabilitation environments, or those aspiring to such positions. The program is designed to equip people with expertise to make a positive impact from the first moment they touch a patient after injury to minimise scarring in mind and body, and ultimately, enhance post-injury outcomes. For more information, please refer to the Postgraduate Coursework Guide. BURN RECOVERY IMPROVED BY WATER COOLING: STUDY While water cooling has long been acknowledged as effective first aid for burns survivors, a landmark study has shown that the duration of the water cooling treatment is the key to significantly reducing the necessity for admission to intensive care and the likelihood of surgery. “Providing 20 to 25 minutes of water cooling in the first three hours after acute burn injury should be a required standard by pre- hospital and hospital health care providers and a specific education point in community burn injury minimisation campaigns,” said Associate Professor Dale Edgar who conducted the study. “Adopting appropriate water cooling treatment can deliver a 13 percent reduction in the need for surgery and a 48 percent reduction in the risk of admission to intensive care,” said Associate Professor Edgar who heads Notre Dame’s Burn Injury Research Node at the School of Physiotherapy. Research programs within Notre Dame’s School of Physiotherapy provide opportunities to pursue advancement of knowledge, research skills and intellectual inquiry that can contribute to evidence-based health care in the community. 48 Notre Dame Research Guide