The HRI Director and Stream Leaders have had the privilege of supervising a number of higher degree by research students since the Holsworth Research Initiative began in 2019. These students now work across a broad range of industries including academia, applied sports science and clinical practice.

In this new series, we will update our subscribers on where our past HDR students are now and how their research degree with the La Trobe Health School and the Holsworth Research Initiative helped shape their career.

Part 8: Mr Jake Jennings, Sport Scientist, Brisbane Broncos NRL team

Part Eight of our Where Are They Now blog series features Jake Jennings, a PhD candidate with the HRI and a Sport Scientist with the Brisbane Broncos NRL team. Mr Jennings is currently in the final stages of his PhD with a likely submission date early in 2023. Jake’s supervisory team consists of HRI Director Professor Michael Kingsley, HRI Stream Leader Dr Daniel Wundersitz, HRI Research Coordinator Dr Courtney Sullivan and Lecturer at La Trobe University, Dr Stephen Cousins. This PhD was made possible due to an industry scholarship involving both AFL Victoria and the Bendigo Pioneers. An industry PhD connects industry partners to La Trobe’s world-leading research capabilities, while addressing a problem that is of direct relevance to the organisation. This saw Mr Jennings embedded within the Bendigo Pioneers NAB League football team where he provided high-performance services to the team while also collecting data for each study within his thesis.

Draft success in junior Australian Rules Football

Mr Jennings and his supervisory team are investigating match-play demands, and characteristics associated with draft success in male elite-junior Australian Rules football players. Although his thesis has not yet been submitted for review, an original study from his thesis has been published in a peer-reviewed journal with a further three papers currently under review.

Physical testing characteristics better explain draft outcome than in-game movement profile in junior elite Australian rules football players

A dream to work in elite sport

In the final year of his PhD and at the end of 2021, Mr Jennings was offered the full-time role of Sport Scientist at the Brisbane Broncos NRL team which required him to relocate to Brisbane. Additionally, Mr Jennings made the decision to convert his PhD to part-time to enable sufficient time to dedicate to his role in elite sport. Throughout this year, Mr Jennings has continued to refine his thesis and submit completed manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals with the aim of thesis submission in the first quarter of the new year. In regards to his current role, Mr Jennings reports utilising many of the skills that he has developed throughout his PhD studies in the everyday operations of the Sport Science department. When asked about his career aspirations, Mr Jennings stated that he hoped to continue his journey in professional sport with a view to high-performance management.

And that’s a wrap! After 8 weeks we have finally come to the end of our Where Are They Now mini-blog series. Missed our previous posts in this series? Read them at the HRI blog using the links below and while you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter so you can stay informed of all the latest HRI news.

Bendigo local GP Dr Stephen Bovalino

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Mid-Sweden University Dr Craig Staunton

Allied Health Education & Research Manager at Goulburn Valley Health, Dr Emma Macdonald

Allied Health Research and Knowledge Translation Lead, Bendigo Health, Dr Stephen Barrett

High Performance Manager at Old Scotch Football Club, Dr Jodie Palmer

Teaching-Focused Lecturer at La Trobe University, Dr Paul Xanthos

Sport and Exercise Medicine Registrar, Dr Samantha May

The post Jake Jennings appeared first on Holsworth Research Initiative.

The HRI Director and Stream Leaders have had the privilege of supervising a number of higher degree by research students since the Holsworth Research Initiative began in 2019. These students now work across a broad range of industries including academia, applied sports science and clinical practice.

In this new series, we will update our subscribers on where our past HDR students are now and how their research degree with the La Trobe Health School and the Holsworth Research Initiative helped shape their career.

Part 7: Dr Samantha May, Sport and Exercise Medicine Registrar, Alphington Sports Medicine Clinic and Melbourne Vixens Netball Club

Part Seven of our Where Are They Now blog series features Dr Samantha May, a previous Masters student of the HRI and a current Sport and Exercise Medicine Registrar working with the Alphington Sports Medicine Clinic and Melbourne Vixens Netball Club.

Dr Samantha May completed her Masters this year under the supervision of HRI Director Professor Michael Kingsley and Dr Simon Locke, a Sport and Exercise Physician at Bendigo Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Clinic. The degree and its research component formed part of Dr May’s placement on the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physician (ACSEP) Registrar training program. To fulfil the placement component of the training program, Dr May also worked under supervision at a local Sports Medicine clinic as well as providing of medical services to the Bendigo Pioneers TAC Football Club.

The ultrasound measurement of muscle architecture in athletes

Dr May and her supervisory team investigated the ultrasound measurement of gastrocnemius muscle architecture in athletes. The Masters Thesis consisted of two studies with both studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Reliability of ultrasonographic measurement of muscle architecture of the gastrocnemius medialis and gastrocnemius lateralis

Gastrocnemius muscle architecture in elite basketballers and cyclists: a cross-sectional cohort study

Dr May’s Masters Thesis consisted of a one reliability study and one cross-sectional cohort study. The main findings from these studies were;

# 2D B-mode ultrasonography can provide reliable measurements of gastrocnemius fascicle length, pennation angle, and muscle thickness in a sports medicine setting

# Female cyclists had longer fascicles and smaller pennation angles in the gastrocnemius medialis and lateralis, as well as greater muscle thickness in the gastrocnemius medialis when compared to female basketballers

# Male athlete groups did not show architectural differences between cyclists and basketballers

A career in sports medicine

Prior to undertaking her Masters degree, Dr May completed her Bachelor of Medicine, Surgery and Advanced Medical Science at The University of Melbourne. Following this she undertook a Diploma of Sports Medicine through the International Olympic Committee before acceptance into the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physician (ACSEP) Registrar training program. Dr May is still completing her fellowship and currently works for the Alphington Sports Medicine Clinic as well as providing medical services to the Melbourne Vixens Netball team. She has presented her research findings at the ACSEP Annual Scientific Conference and applies the ultrasound skills that were learnt during her degree regularly in a work setting. When asked about her career aspirations, Dr May stated that she plans on completing her fellowship training, upskilling in ultrasonography and tutoring/mentoring in the field of sports medicine.

Up next week is the final instalment of our 8-part blog series. We will be following up with Mr Jake Jennings, a Sport Scientist with the Brisbane Broncos NRL team.

Missed our previous posts in this series? Read them at the HRI blog using the links below and while you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter so you can stay informed of all the latest HRI news.

Bendigo local GP Dr Stephen Bovalino

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Mid-Sweden University Dr Craig Staunton

Allied Health Education & Research Manager at Goulburn Valley Health, Dr Emma Macdonald

Allied Health Research and Knowledge Translation Lead, Bendigo Health, Dr Stephen Barrett

High Performance Manager at Old Scotch Football Club, Dr Jodie Palmer

Teaching-Focused Lecturer at La Trobe University, Dr Paul Xanthos

The post Dr Samantha May appeared first on Holsworth Research Initiative.

The HRI Director and Stream Leaders have had the privilege of supervising a number of higher degree by research students since the Holsworth Research Initiative began in 2019. These students now work across a broad range of industries including academia, applied sports science and clinical practice.

In this new series, we will update our subscribers on where our past HDR students are now and how their research degree with the La Trobe Health School and the Holsworth Research Initiative helped shape their career.

Part 6: Dr Paul Xanthos, Teaching-Focused Lecturer, Sport and Exercise Science, La Trobe University

Part Six of our Where Are They Now blog series features Dr Paul Xanthos, a previous PhD student of the HRI and a current Teaching-Focused Lecturer in the discipline of Sport and Exercise Science at La Trobe University.

Dr Paul Xanthos completed his PhD in 2019 under the supervision of HRI Director Professor Michael Kingsley and Active Rural Individuals Stream Leader Associate Professor Brett Gordon. During his PhD studies, Dr Xanthos developed a relationship with cardiology department staff members at Bendigo Health including the Director of Cardiology, Dr Voltaire Nadurata. It was through this relationship with Bendigo Health and the cardiac rehabilitation team that Dr Xanthos was able to recruit participants for his intervention studies.

Cardiac rehabilitation in regional Australia

Dr Xanthos and his supervisory team investigated the functional outcomes from exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation in regional Australia. The submitted thesis consisted of a series of four studies with two published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

A comparison of age-standardised event rates for acute and chronic coronary heart disease in metropolitan and regional/remote Victoria. A retrospective cohort study.

The effectiveness of an Australian cardiac rehabilitation program following current national guidelines

Implementing resistance training in the rehabilitation of coronary heart disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Are changes in physical and cardiovascular function effected by shorter-duration cardiac rehabilitation that includes resistance training?

Dr Xanthos’s PhD consisted of a systematic review and meta-analysis, two cohort studies and a randomised control trial. The main findings from these studies were;

# Increasing chronic coronary heart disease event rates in Victoria and higher acute and chronic CHD event rates in regional/remote areas when compared to metropolitan areas, highlight the need to enhance secondary prevention measures, particularly in regional locations.

# The lack of systematic progression in exercise volume undertaken throughout standard-care cardiac rehabilitation suggests that standard-care cardiac rehabilitation might not elicit sufficient physiological adaptation in some patients to change physical function or arterial stiffness.

# Modifying standard-care cardiac rehabilitation to include purposefully prescribed resistance training can improve physical function.

# In practice, cardiovascular function did not appear to further improve after a shorter-duration combined purposefully prescribed resistance training and aerobic training CR program when compared to a longer aerobic-based CR program.

# Purposeful exercise prescription appears required to maximise improvements in physical and cardiovascular function after cardiac rehabilitation.

A focus on teaching craft

Dr Xanthos currently works for our very own La Trobe University and is based on the Bundoora campus where he teaches undergraduate sport and exercise science students. He is also currently completing a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education which he is expecting to complete by the end of 2022. Although the scope to apply his research findings has been limited, Dr Xanthos reports incorporating his research experience into teaching, particularly regarding exercise testing. When asked about his career aspirations, Dr Xanthos expressed his enjoyment of his current role and the desire to further develop his teaching craft to help develop high-quality sport and exercise science graduates. The temptation of academia remains though, with Dr Xanthos reporting a longer-term goal of a research-related career where he can focus on using exercise to improve both health and athletic performance outcomes.

Up next week is Part seven of our 8-part blog series. We will be following up with Dr Samantha May, a Sport and Exercise Medicine Registrar with Alphington Sports Medicine Clinic and Club Doctor for the Melbourne Vixens Netball Team.

Missed our previous posts in this series? Read them at the HRI blog using the links below and while you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter so you can stay informed of all the latest HRI news.

Bendigo local GP Dr Stephen Bovalino

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Mid-Sweden University Dr Craig Staunton

Allied Health Education & Research Manager at Goulburn Valley Health, Dr Emma Macdonald

Allied Health Research and Knowledge Translation Lead, Bendigo Health, Dr Stephen Barrett

High Performance Manager at Old Scotch Football Club, Dr Jodie Palmer

The post Dr Paul Xanthos appeared first on Holsworth Research Initiative.

The HRI Director and Stream Leaders have had the privilege of supervising a number of higher degree by research students since the Holsworth Research Initiative began in 2019. These students now work across a broad range of industries including academia, applied sports science and clinical practice.

In this new series, we will update our subscribers on where our past HDR students are now and how their research degree with the La Trobe Health School and the Holsworth Research Initiative helped shape their career.

Part 5: Miss Jodie Palmer, High Performance Manager Old Scotch Football Club and Strength and Conditioning Coach Camberwell Grammar School

Part Five of our Where Are They Now blog series features Miss Jodie Palmer, a current PhD candidate of the HRI and the current High Performance Manager at Old Scotch Football Club.

Miss Palmer is a current PhD student of the HRI and is supervised by HRI Director Professor Michael Kingsley and Human Performance stream leaders Dr Rodrigo Bini and Dr Daniel Wundersitz. Miss Palmer completed her pre-submission review presentation in July this year and expects the conferral of her doctorate degree in the coming months. A unique aspect of Miss Palmers research has been her involvement with the Bendigo Basketball Association. Thanks to an industry partnership between La Trobe University and the Bendigo Spirit and Braves, Miss Palmer was embedded with the teams in a mutually beneficial arrangement that saw Miss Palmer provide Sport Science services while collecting data for her PhD.

Exercise intensity in professional basketball

Miss Palmers PhD is investigating on-court exercise intensity in professional basketball and how basketball performance can be improved using 3D Microtechnology. Although her thesis is not yet available publicly, Miss Palmer has published a number or original studies from her thesis in peer-reviewed journals.

Criterion validity of an automated method of detecting live play periods in basketball

Effect of player role and competition level on player demands in basketball

On-Court Activity and Game-Related Statistics during Scoring Streaks in Basketball: Applied Use of Accelerometers

Residual neuromuscular fatigue influences subsequent on-court activity in basketball

So far, Miss Palmer and her supervisory team have published a paper establishing the criterion validity of an automated method using accelerometry technology to detect the start and end of live play periods in professional basketball matches. Once this was established, Miss Palmer was then able to use the live play detection technique to further investigate factors that influence on-court activity in professional basketball including player role, competition level, scoring streaks and neuromuscular fatigue. Conclusions from these studies include;

# In regard to player role, professional basketball players should prepare for the greatest match demands they could encounter during a season to improve performance and reduce injury risk.

# Basketball players might need their training volume managed when transitioning from a semi-professional to a professional season to reduce the injury risk from sharp increases in training demands.

# Maintaining high levels of exercise intensity in professional and semi-professional basketball matches assists in reducing the chance that an opposing team will engage in a scoring streak (when a team scores three times in a row)

# To maximise the probability of a scoring streak, a basketball team should aim to shoot more 2-point shots, at a 3:1 2-point to 3-point ratio.

# Residual neuromuscular fatigue can influence the amount of supramaximal activity players perform in a subsequent training session or match.

# Practices should be implemented to minimise residual neuromuscular fatigue carried into matches while maintaining a sufficient training volume to elicit physiological adaptations.

A passion for women’s sport

Miss Palmer is very much looking forward to receiving her doctorate degree and stated that she needs a break from academia, a sentiment expressed by many higher degree by research students at the conclusion of their PhD journey. Miss Palmer has transferred the skills she learnt during her PhD studies and her time embedded within the Bendigo Braves and Spirits teams, to her current roles as the High-Performance Manager of the Old Scotch Football club in Melbourne, Victoria and the Strength and Conditioning Coach at Camberwell Grammar School. When asked about her career aspirations, Miss Palmer reiterated her passion for women’s sport and her desire to work at the elite level in a Sports Science or High-Performance role.

Up next week is Part six of our 8-part blog series. We will be following up with Dr Paul Xanthos, ateaching-focused Lecturer in the discipline of Sport and Exercise Science at La Trobe University.

Missed our previous posts in this series? Read them at the HRI blog using the links below and while you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter so you can stay informed of all the latest HRI news.

Bendigo local GP Dr Stephen Bovalino

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Mid-Sweden University Dr Craig Staunton

Allied Health Education & Research Manager at Goulburn Valley Health, Dr Emma Macdonald

Allied Health Research and Knowledge Translation Lead, Bendigo Health, Dr Stephen Barrett

The post Miss Jodie Palmer appeared first on Holsworth Research Initiative.

The HRI Director and Stream Leaders have had the privilege of supervising a number of higher degree by research students since the Holsworth Research Initiative began in 2019. These students now work across a broad range of industries including academia, applied sports science and clinical practice.

In this new series, we will update our subscribers on where our past HDR students are now and how their research degree with the La Trobe Health School and the Holsworth Research Initiative helped shape their career.

Part 4: Dr Stephen Barrett Allied Health Research and Knowledge Translation Lead at Bendigo Health, Adjunct Research Fellow, La Trobe University

Part Four of our Where Are They Now blog series features Dr Stephen Barrett, a former PhD student of the HRI and the current Allied Health Research and Knowledge Translation Lead at Bendigo Health.

Dr Barrett completed his PhD on a part-time basis in 2021 under the supervision of HRI Director, Professor Michael Kingsley and HRI Stream Leader, Associate Professor Steve Begg. Prior to undertaking a PhD, Dr Barrett had previously completed a Bachelor of Science (Physiotherapy) and a Master of Public Health. During his PhD studies, Dr Barrett was also working at Bendigo Health hospital to improve the delivery of preventive health in hospital settings. Dr Barrett credits his PhD in putting a robust research framework around this important clinical work.

Interventions to change physical activity behaviours

Dr Barrett and his team investigated the effect of behaviour change interventions on physical activity and health-related outcomes in ambulatory secondary care patients. The submitted thesis consisted of a series of six studies.

Integrated motivational interviewing and cognitive behaviour therapy for lifestyle mediators of overweight and obesity in community-dwelling adults: A systematic review and meta-analyses

Integrated motivational interviewing and cognitive behaviour therapy can increase physical activity and improve health of adult ambulatory care patients in a regional hospital: the Healthy4U randomised controlled trial

Cost-effectiveness of telephone coaching for physical inactive ambulatory care hospital patients: economic evaluation alongside the Healthy4U randomised controlled trial

The effect of behaviour change interventions on changes in physical activity and anthropometrics in ambulatory hospital settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Surgeons and preventive health: a mixed methods study of current practice, beliefs and attitudes influencing health promotion activities amongst public hospital surgeons

A physical activity coaching intervention can improve and maintain physical activity and health-related outcomes in adult ambulatory hospital patients: the Healthy4U-2 randomised controlled trial

Dr Barrett’s PhD thesis consisted of two systematic reviews and meta-analyses, one mixed-methods study and three controlled trials. Conclusions from the thesis were;

# Engaging secondary care patients in behaviour change interventions results in the maintenance of improvements in physical activity and other health-related outcomes.

# Engagement with practicing clinicians is essential in integrating preventive health interventions in routine care.

# An understanding of the clinicians’ perspectives and the co-design of simple referral pathways can facilitate the integration of effective preventive health practice into standard care.

The translation of research into practice

Dr Barrett continues to work at Bendigo Health in the Health Promotion department and as the Allied Health Research and Knowledge Translation Lead where he provides a link between research and clinical practice. Dr Barrett is also an Adjunct Fellow with our very own La Trobe Rural Health School. Although not planning on completing additional formalised study, Dr Barrett is continuing to undertake short courses relating to implementation science and research translation. When asked about his career aspirations, Dr Barrett states that he hopes to continue to translate high quality research into practice.

Next week is Part five of our 8-part blog series. We will be following up with Miss Jodie Palmer, the current High Performance Manager of Old Scotch Football Club. Missed our previous posts in this series? Read them at the HRI blog using the links below and while you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter so you can stay informed of all the latest HRI news.

Bendigo local GP Dr Stephen Bovalino

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Mid-Sweden University Dr Craig Staunton

Allied Health Education & Research Manager at Goulburn Valley Health, Dr Emma Macdonald

The post Dr Stephen Barrett appeared first on Holsworth Research Initiative.

The HRI Director and Stream Leaders have had the privilege of supervising a number of higher degree by research students since the Holsworth Research Initiative began in 2019. These students now work across a broad range of industries including academia, applied sports science and clinical practice.

In this new series, we will update our subscribers on where our past HDR students are now and how their research degree with the La Trobe Health School and the Holsworth Research Initiative helped shape their career.

Part 3: Dr Emma Macdonald, Allied Health Education & Research Manager, Goulburn Valley Health

Part Three of our Where Are They Now blog series features Dr Emma Macdonald, a former PhD student of the HRI and the current Allied Health Education & Research Manager at Goulburn Valley Health in Shepparton.

Dr Macdonald is one of our most recent graduates, with her PhD conferred in 2022. Supervised by HRI Director, Professor Michael Kingsley and La Trobe University Senior Lecturer, Dr Byron Perrin, Dr Macdonald completed her PhD part time while working full time across a number of roles and raising a young family. To add to what would have been an already challenging task, Dr Macdonald also completed her studies remotely, engaging with her supervisory team predominantly via video conferencing. Dr Macdonald credits her supervisory team with providing the support and structure that enabled her to meet her obligations to her employers and family while also being successful in her research journey.

Mobile health foot monitoring technology

Dr Macdonald and her team investigated the adoption of mobile health foot monitoring technology in people with diabetes-related foot disease. The submitted thesis consisted of a series of four studies.

Enablers and barriers to using two-way information technology to manage diabetes in adults: a descriptive systematic review.

Factors influencing behavioural intention to use a smart shoe insole in regionally based adults with diabetes: a mixed methods study.

Factors influencing Australian podiatrists’ behavioural intentions to adopt a smart insole into clinical practice: a mixed methods study

Podiatrist-delivered health coaching to facilitate the use of a smart insole to support foot health monitoring in people with diabetes-related peripheral neuropathy: a feasibility study

An initial systematic review helped Dr Macdonald and her team to identify the barriers that people face in using technology to support the management of diabetes-related foot disease. Numerous barriers were identified leading Dr Macdonald to conclude that any technology presented as a management option should be automated, streamlined, mobile and low cost. Prior to designing a follow-up intervention study, Dr Macdonald investigated the behavioural intention of both adults with diabetes-related foot disease and podiatrists in the Goulburn Valley area to adopting smart insole technology as an option to support the management of diabetes. Using a mixed-methods design, Dr Macdonald found that several psychosocial factors influenced the behaviour intention of adults with diabetes including attitude, self-efficacy, performance expectancy and effort expectancy. In terms of adopting the smart insole into clinical practice, the most important psychosocial factor that predicted behavioural intention of regional podiatrists was device efficacy. Using this knowledge, Dr Macdonald designed a podiatrist-led intervention study to support the adoption of smart insole technology for regionally based adults living with diabetes-related foot disease.

In what demonstrates the impact and reach of Dr Macdonald’s research, the systematic review that identified barriers to using technology in diabetes-related foot disease management has been cited in the 2022 National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support. These standards are revised every five years by an expert panel and provide guidance and an evidence base for all diabetes self-management education and support services.

Maintaining a rural focus

Dr Macdonald completed her PhD in the Goulburn Valley, recruiting participants for her research from this same region. She has opted to remain here, retaining the rural focus of her studies, and allowing the Goulburn Valley to benefit from her research knowledge and expertise.

Upon completion of her PhD, Dr Macdonald worked in clinical practice as a senior podiatrist before moving across to Goulburn Valley Health where she took on the task of Allied Health Research Knowledge Translation Lead. Dr Macdonald now manages this department as the Allied Health Education & Research Manager where she is the intermediary between clinical practice and research. In addition to this, Dr Macdonald is also undertaking further study with a Graduate Diploma in Health Management. When asked about her future career aspirations, Dr Macdonald stated that she plans on continuing to engage in research that leads to the prevention of lower limb ulceration and amputation in people living with diabetes as well as continuing to use her research skills to support allied health staff to engage in research.

Keep an eye on your inbox next Monday for Part four of our 8-part blog series. We will be following up with Dr Stephen Barrett, Allied Health Research & Knowledge Translation Lead at Bendigo Health.

Missed our previous posts in this series? Read them at the HRI blog using the links below and while you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter so you can stay informed of all the latest HRI news.

Bendigo local GP Dr Stephen Bovalino

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Mid-Sweden University Dr Craig Staunton

The post Dr Emma Macdonald appeared first on Holsworth Research Initiative.

The HRI Director and Stream Leaders have had the privilege of supervising a number of higher degree by research students since the Holsworth Research Initiative began in 2019. These students now work across a broad range of industries including academia, applied sports science and clinical practice.

In this new series, we will update our subscribers on where our past HDR students are now and how their research degree with the La Trobe Health School and the Holsworth Research Initiative helped shape their career.

Part 2: Dr Craig Staunton, Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Mid Sweden University

Part Two of our Where Are They Now blog series features Dr Craig Staunton, a former PhD student of the HRI and a current Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the Winter Sports Research Centre at Mid Sweden University.

Dr Staunton graduated with a PhD in 2019 under the supervision of HRI Director, Professor Michael Kingsley and HRI Stream Leader, Associate Professor Brett Gordon. Dr Staunton’s PhD formed part of an industry partnership that saw him embedded within the Bendigo Spirit Basketball team (WNBL) offering high-performance support. This arrangement allowed Dr Staunton to further develop applied Sport Science skills while simultaneously providing the data required for his PhD studies.

What was studied and what was found?

Dr Staunton and his supervisory team investigated the development and application of novel accelerometry-derived metrics for athlete monitoring in elite-level basketball. The submitted thesis consisted of a series of five studies.

Criterion validity of a MARG sensor to assess countermovement jump performance in elite basketballers

Construct validity of accelerometry-derived force to quantify basketball movement patterns

Accelerometry-derived relative exercise intensities in elite women’s basketball

The effect of match schedule on accelerometry-derived exercise dose during training sessions throughout a competitive basketball season

Discrepancies exist between exercise prescription and dose in basketball pre-season

Using data collected throughout training and games with Bendigo Spirit Basketball team, Dr Staunton and his team developed a novel metric for assessing exercise intensity in professional basketball and termed this average net force (AvF_Net ). The metric was assessed for construct validity and then applied to both training and games in the assessment of exercise intensity. Conclusions from the thesis were;

# Player position, role and match periods all influence accelerometry-derived relative exercise intensities (AvF_Net) in elite women’s basketball match-play

# Accelerometry-derived exercise dose (AvF_Net × duration) and intensity (AvF_Net) was largely similar throughout the competitive basketball season despite variability in the difficulty of match schedule (no evidence of training periodisation).

# The exercise dose received by the team in the season investigated was greater than the exercise volume prescribed for some drills.

# Mismatches between exercise prescription and exercise dose could lead to maladaptation of the training program and place athletes at an increased risk of injury and overtraining.

From Bendigo to central Europe

Following the completion of his PhD, Dr Staunton worked as a High-Performance Manager in the Victorian Football League before being accepted into a Post-Doctoral Fellowship position in the Winter Sports Research Centre at the Mid Sweden University in the centre of Sweden. Here, he continues to develop accelerometer-derived algorithms for measuring exercise in winter sport disciplines like biathlon and cross-country skiing as well as other events such as trail-running. When asked about his future career aspirations, Dr Staunton stated that he wished to continue in academia and build his research profile.

If you are particularly interested in athlete monitoring in basketball you can read Dr Staunton’s submitted thesis here. A full list of Dr Staunton’s published journal articles, including more recent articles from his time at Mid Sweden University, can be found on his Google Scholar profile.

Keep an eye on your inbox next Monday for Part three of our 8-part blog series. We will be following up with Dr Emma Macdonald, Senior Podiatrist and Allied Health Education & Research Manager at Goulburn Valley Health.

The post Dr Craig Staunton appeared first on Holsworth Research Initiative.

The HRI Director and Stream Leaders have had the privilege of supervising a number of higher degree by research students since the Holsworth Research Initiative began in 2019. These students now work across a broad range of industries including academia, applied sports science and clinical practice.

In this new series, we will update our subscribers on where our past HDR students are now and how their research degree with the La Trobe Health School and the Holsworth Research Initiative helped shape their career.

Part 1: Dr Stephen Bovalino, General Practitioner, Bendigo Primary Care Centre

Dr Bovalino completed his Masters degree in 2021 under the supervision of HRI Director, Professor Michael Kingsley and Dr Neil Cunningham, an Emergency Medicine Physician at St Vincent’s Hospital in Victoria, Australia. Dr Bovalino’s degree and the research component formed part of his specialisation training in the Australasian College of Sports and Exercise Physicians (ACSEP) Registrar Training Program. Now working as a General Practitioner at the Bendigo Primary Care Centre, Dr Bovalino credits his Masters degree with developing the skills to apply research principles and critical thinking in his role as a medical doctor.

What was studied and what was found?

Dr Bovalino and his supervisory team investigated the effect of long-distance overground running on foot strike patterns and performance. The submitted thesis consisted of two individual but linked projects including a systematic review and meta-analysis and a cross sectional study.

Foot Strike Patterns During Overground Distance Running: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Change in foot strike patterns and performance in recreational runners during a road race: A cross-sectional study

The former quantified the prevalence of foot strike patterns, assessed the impact of increased running distance on foot strike pattern change and investigated the relationship between foot strike pattern and performance. The review evaluated twelve eligible articles concluding;

# Most distance runners adopt a rearfoot strike pattern early within a race setting, with rearfoot strike patterns more commonly observed with increased distances.

# Of those distance runners that do change foot strike pattern during a race, the majority transition from non-rearfoot (midfoot or forefoot) to rearfoot.

# No evidence was found to support a competitive advantage in using the non-rearfoot strike pattern in favour of a rearfoot strike pattern.

Following the systematic review, Dr Bovalino undertook an observational, cross-sectional study to characterise foot strike pattern and observe changes in foot strike patterns with increasing distance during the 2017 Melbourne City to Sea recreational running event. This study was unique, addressing a gap in the literature for evaluating foot strike patterns in recreational runners at relatively short distances (compared to previous investigations assessing ultra-distance events).

During the 2017 Melbourne City to Sea recreational running event, those runners who adopted either a forefoot or midfoot strike pattern at both the 3 and 13 km checkpoints completed the 15 km race faster than those who used a rear-foot strike pattern. Furthermore, completion time for the non-rearfoot strike pattern runners was also faster than those who began the race with a non-rearfoot strike pattern but then changed to a rearfoot strike pattern by the second checkpoint.

What’s next?

Although Dr Bovalino initially undertook training in Sports Medicine, he has since deviated in his career, opting to practice as an accredited General Practice Registrar instead. He now works locally at Bendigo Primary Care Centre and has aspirations of medical practice ownership as well as continuing academic research.

If you are especially interested in reading more about recreational, distance running and foot strike patterns you can read Dr Bovalino’s submitted thesis here.

Keep an eye on your inbox next Monday for Part two of our 8-part blog series. We will be following up with Dr Craig Staunton, a former PhD candidate of the HRI who is applying his research outcomes to winter discipline sports as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Mid Sweden University.

The post Dr Stephen Bovalino appeared first on Holsworth Research Initiative.

The HRI Director and Stream Leaders have had the privilege of supervising a number of higher degree by research students since the Holsworth Research Initiative began in 2019. These students now work across a broad range of industries including academia, applied sports science and clinical practice.

In this new series, we will update our subscribers on where our past HDR students are now and how their research degree with the La Trobe Health School and the Holsworth Research Initiative helped shape their career.

The Holsworth Research Initiative are incredibly proud of the students we supervise to completion and look forward to highlighting their success in this 8-part blog series.

Part 1: Dr Stephen Bovalino, General Practitioner, Bendigo Primary Care Centre

Part 2: Dr Craig Staunton, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Mid Sweden University

Part 3: Dr Emma Macdonald, Allied Health Education & Research Manager, Goulburn Valley Health

Part 4: Dr Stephen Barrett, Allied Health Research and Knowledge Translation Lead, Bendigo Health

Part 5: Miss Jodie Palmer, High Performance Manager, Old Scotch Football Club

The post New HRI blog series ‘Where Are They Now?’ appeared first on Holsworth Research Initiative.