NUCAP executive and committee members
NUCAP is comprised of two interdependent groups, the NUCAP executive group and the NUCAP committee.
NUCAP executive group
The principal role of the executive group is to ensure that NUCAP operates effectively, efficiently, consistently, fairly and equitably. The group is responsible for the work that underpins the day to day operations of NUCAP (for example, overseeing the review of applications, writing policy, budgeting and recruiting committee members) and for adequately informing the ESSA Board of relevant issues pertaining to NUCAP. The executive group includes the NUCAP chair and manager, one academic and one practitioner NUCAP committee member, the ESSA executive officer and the ESSA director of accreditation and curriculum.
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Associate Professor Warwick Spinks (Chair) |
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Melanie Sharman (NUCAP Manager) |
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Anita Hobson-Powell (ESSA Executive Officer) |
NUCAP committee members
The NUCAP committee is principally responsible for the review of applications for full course accreditation and essentially operates like an assessment panel. There can be up to 15 members depending on the number of applications expected or received. The NUCAP executive group is responsible for ensuring that the membership best represents the field of exercise and sports science. There are two membership categories – academic and practitioner. An academic member is preferably a level D or E and a practitioner member must be considered to be senior in their field and have a working knowledge of university work experience programs. There can only be one member from any one institution, organisation or business. Vacancies on the committee are advertised to the ESSA membership and academic units.
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Profiles
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Melanie Sharman is the manager of NUCAP. The role of the NUCAP manager is broad and extends from the principal responsibility of NUCAP’s daily operations to executive level administration. Melanie brings to NUCAP a breadth of experience teaching clinical curriculum within the university sector (namely the Universities of Tasmania, Ballarat and Queensland). She was an academic staff member within the School of Human Movement Studies at The University of Queensland from 2001 to 2007 where she is now an Adjunct Lecturer. Additionally, she has over ten years of experience working as an accredited exercise physiologist which also included being a director of two interprofessional rehabilitation practices. |
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Dr Barry Ridge joined AAESS in 1992. He served on the National Board of ESSA for 9 years, and 8 as National Treasurer. He was awarded an ESSA Fellowship in 2007. Barry was an Organising Committee member for the Inaugural AAESS Conference in Brisbane in 2004 and he was Chair of the Organising Committee for the AESS Conferences in Sydney and Melbourne. |
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Dr Tim Ackland is Winthrop Professor of Biomechanics within the School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health, at The University of Western Australia, and the Director of the Research Institute for Preventive Health and Exercise Science. He has research interests in the mechanics of human movement with themes spanning exercise rehabilitation, high performance sport and human performance in industry. Dr Ackland has published over 95 peer-reviewed papers as well as four academic books and 25 book chapters. He has served as a Director of Sports Medicine Australia and is on the review boards of four international journals. Dr Ackland also chaired the Scientific Program Committee for the 5th IOC World Congress on Sport Sciences for the 2000 Olympics, and was Conference Co-chair for Sports Medicine Australia in Perth, 2001.
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Associate Professor Marg Torode
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Associate Professor Torode has been a lecturer in the area of allied health for twenty five years. She brings to the NUCAP committee years of curriculum development experience across the allied health professions predominantly medicine, physiotherapy and exercise science. Having provided leadership (Head of Department) in three Universities, Margaret also adds a sound understanding of the diversity of constraints determining or limiting curriculum development. She has been an active member of the professional bodies (SMA and ESSA) aligned to this discipline and hence can provide the perspective of the industry, practitioner and academic. Margaret served as project manager on the Carrick discipline based Investigation “Meeting the challenges of clinical exercise science and practice” and is now the project manager for the 2008 grant: “Curriculum renewal in Exercise Science”. She was also a principal investigator on the $8.2 million International Centre of Excellence in sports science and management, for the development of education resources relevant to this discipline. Margaret is currently Head of School, Exercise Science at the Australian Catholic University (NSW campus), a member of the Australian Sports Research Network and is serving on numerous External Advisory Committees for Exercise Science programs across Australia. |
Associate Professor Leonie Otago
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Associate Professor Leonie Otago is currently Head of the School of Human movement & Sport Sciences at the University of Ballarat. She is a member of the ALTC project group working on Curriculum renewal and Chair of the Sports Injury conference for Sports Medicine Australia. Leonie is a leading researcher into injury prevention and risk management in sport and the biomechanics of injury. Studies have included an education program for General Practitioner training for rural areas in sports injury prevention strategies, a critical analysis of risk management models in sport and the development of a risk management plan for Netball Victoria. She has worked with organizations such as Sports Medicine Australia (National and Victorian branches), Smartplay Victoria, Tennis Australia, Netball Victoria, Netball Australia and been awarded grants from Sport and Recreation Victoria, Department of Human Services and VicHealth. She has also extensively researched the prevention of knee and ankle injuries and presented at both National and International conferences. |
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I am currently Professor and Head of the School of Physiotherapy & Exercise Science at Griffith University. I was originally trained in Physical Education at the University of Otago and then undertook graduate study at the University of Illinois where I completed a PhD in biomechanics. My first employment was as a high school teacher, but subsequently was an academic staff member of the School of Physical Education at Otago for 3 years, at the University of Wollongong in Australia for 11 years where I took a leading role in establishing the Human Movement programme, before returning to Otago in 1994 to coordinate research and postgraduate studies in the School of Physiotherapy. After 14 years, I returned to Australia in 2008 to take up my current position.
My research interests are measuring the stresses on human structures using non-invasive biomechanical modelling techniques and determining how these structures are injured. Specific projects include the forces experienced by rugby players and their influence on cervical spine injury, shoe-surface interaction and sporting injury, and measuring lumbar stress in selected occupational tasks. I have received over $NZ1m to support this research and have published more than 60 scientific and technical papers. On a personal note, I am a former NZ Universities representative in track and field, played senior rugby for 10 years, am married to a former NZ champion gymnast and we have four adult children. My current recreational interests are more subdued and include golf, fishing, and swimming. |
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Dr Ian Gillam is an accredited exercise physiologist (AEP) and consultant sports scientist and nutritionist with over 20 years of experience as an AEP practitioner, university lecturer, researcher and consultant to athletes from the Victorian and Australian Institutes of Sport. Ian has a special interest in the exercise and nutritional management of clients with chronic metabolic and cardiorespiratory diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, thyroid disease, cardiac and chronic respiratory disease, arthritis and osteoporosis. |
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Bob Barnard has an extensive range of work experiences within health and community settings both in the private and public domains which spans over 30 years. This work has always focussed on assessment and prescription of exercise for diverse groups of people from high level sports performers to individuals with end-stage chronic disease. Community activities have included a long term association with sports coaching and individual development from the very youngest to mature participants. Continuous representation has been made on various local committees and Boards including the ESSA NUCAP Committee and Active Ageing SA. |
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Dr Rosanne Coutts is accredited with the Exercise and Sports Science Australia as an Exercise Physiologist and Sport Scientist (Sport Psychology). She practices in Exercise Physiology and teaches Sport and Exercise Psychology at Southern Cross University. Her clinical practice has a particular expertise in rehabilitation following fatiguing illness.
She has been involved in a number of investigations into the efficacy of physical activity for special populations. Her development of graded walking as an activity for individuals diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has been incorporated into the current Australian Medical Guidelines. Her approaches to practice include the construction of evidence-based interventions for the use of physical activity and exercise approaches that further enhance behavioural change towards a lifestyle approach to health and well being. |
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Owen has gained considerable experience in the field of exercise rehabilitation both as an Academic at the University of Wollongong (23 years), and as a practitioner. Owen’s hands on experience includes the assessment and prescription of appropriate exercise interventions for people with pathology ie cardiac, metabolic and musculoskeletal, and for elite athletes. He has particular interest and expertise in supporting self-managed change in people with complex and chronic conditions intent on taking control and improving their own health and wellbeing.
Owen has been a member of ESSA since 1992, acted as National Vice President – Exercise Rehabilitation, for 5 years, was a member of the Board for 8 years and was awarded ESSA Fellowship in 2006.
Owen has been a member of NUCAP, is on the Scientific Committee for the 2010 Conference, and was team leader for two major falls intervention projects conducted in 2007/8 to the value of $500,000. Funded by DOHA, these projects provided exercise interventions for individuals with significant pathology and at increased risk of falls. 18 AEPs, 2 Divisions of General Practice, and NSW Department of Health partnered the University of Wollongong in these projects. Owen is currently consulting to Allied Health Professional Groups and Divisions of General Practice through Ortran: Self Management Solutions. |
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Chris Tzar is an accredited Exercise Physiologist and director of the Lifestyle Clinic within the Faculty of Medicine, University of NSW. Chris has extensive clinical experience in secondary prevention services and programs (chronic disease management and injury management), as well as primary prevention services (health management and workplace health programs).
During his time as a clinician and industry representative, Chris established strategic stakeholder network relationships including area health services, divisions of general practice, compensable markets (WorkCover and Motor Accidents Authority/CTP) and medico-legal groups. He serves on the NSW-Health Diabetes Clinical Expert Reference Group, is a regular contributor for the Diabetes Management Journal, the Journal of Complimentary Medicine, and is an editorial board member for Heartwise. Chris also writes exercise-therapy related articles that appear regularly in the Weekend Australian.
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Associate Professor Annette Raynor
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Associate Professor Annette Raynor is currently Associate Head (Academic) in the School of Health Sciences at the University of South Australia, and Program Director for the Human Movement and Health Studies programs. In her role as Associate Head she works closely with program directors from a range of allied health disciplines including Podiatry, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Medical Radiation and as such has knowledge and experience in curriculum development and the associated accreditation requirements in a wide range of allied health areas. Her primary area of teaching and research is in the area of Motor Learning and Control, with research interests in the control and learning of skilled movement, the processes underpinning expert decision making and the development of expertise. Her research has spanned the continuum of motor learning, from children with Developmental Coordination Disorder to expert performers in netball. Other research interests include the role of physical activity in Type 2 diabetes and in particular the effect on proprioception and lower limb complications. Annette completed all her academic qualifications at the University of Western Australia, before taking a position in 1994 as a Lecturer in Motor Learning and Control at the School of Physical Education, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. She returned to Australia in 2000 to take up a lecturing position at the University of South Australia.
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Andrew Cresswell, Med dr (Karolinska) is a Professor at The University of Queensland where he has joint appointment in the School of Human Movement Studies (HMS) and Division of Physiotherapy and is head of the Neuromechanics Laboratory and Director Academic within HMS. He obtained his Bachelors degree from The University of Ballarat, Australia (1997), his Masters degree from the University of Western Australia, and both his Medical Doctorate in Neuroscience (1994) and Docent in Human Neurophysiology (2000) from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. He has previously held teaching and research positions at The University of Otago, The Karolinska Institute and The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences. His research is directed toward understanding how the human brain controls movement using biomechanical and neurophysiology techniques. His particular research interests lie within the areas of the neural control of eccentric and concentric muscle actions, neural aspects of muscle fatigue as well as reflexive and voluntary activation of the abdominal musculature during postural tasks. He has coauthored more than 60 peer reviewed publications in leading scientific journals in biomechanics, neurophysiology and physiology. He is currently an Associate Editor for Acta Physiologica and has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology. Andrew is a member of the executive council of the International Society of Biomechanics, President of The Australian and New Zealand Society of Biomechanics and Chair of the Scientific Committee of Sports Medicine Australia. He is also a member of other societies including the Society for Neuroscience, The American Physiological Society, The American College of Sports Medicine and Sports Medicine Australia.
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Adam Scott is the Director of Cardiac Sciences at the Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital. He is on the steering committees for the State-wide Clinical Cardiology Network, the Central Area Cardiac Network and the SEQ Cardiac Services Review.
He has a PhD in Cardiac Medicine, from the University of London, Imperial College in the UK. Adam has numerous publications in areas of exercise physiology and skeletal muscle physiology in chronic heart failure. He has presented his research at the American Heart Association, the European Society of Cardiology, the World Congress of Cardiology, the British Cardiac Society and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand.
Adam is an adjunct Professor at QUT and sits on the Faculty of Health advisory board. He lectures an ECG Analysis and Interpretation Course three semesters/year for students attending UQ and QUT from the Schools of Human Movements, Nursing, Paramedics, Medical Science, Biomedical Science and other external clients.
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Professor Stephen Bird has worked for over 25 years in the Sport, Exercise and Health Arena. Much of this time has been in Universities in the UK and more latterly in Australia. He has also worked in the hospital sector in Australia where he was the Director of a Centre for Population Health. He is currently the Head of Exercise Sciences in the School of Medical Sciences at RMIT University in Melbourne.
In these roles his experience includes: successfully leading teams of academic staff through national teaching quality inspections (TQA) and Research Assessment Exercises (RAE); publishing research papers, books and magazine articles in the fields of sport performance, exercise, ageing and health; directing a regional centre for Sport Science Support and being a sport scientist for the GB orienteering team.
Professor Bird is a member of AAESS and an accredited exercise physiologist with the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences, for which he chaired the physiology section and was a member of the national executive. Within BASES he was responsible for developing the national program of supervised experience undertaken by post-graduate students seeking BASES accreditation.
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