Post-doctoral research Fellows
Dr Ben Chadwick PhD Psych
Jim Elliott PhD PT
PhD Students
Andy Chien
Ashley Smith
Sureeporn (Jinny) Uthaikhup
Rachael Dunne
Cynan Lewis
Steve Kramp (USyd)
Research Associates
Justin Kenardy PhD BSc
Gwendolen Jull PhD FACP MPhty
Luke Connelly PhD MEcSt BA
Bill Vicenzino PhD BPhty MPhty
Tina Souvlis PhD BPhty(Hons)
Julia Treleaven PhD BPhty
Graham Galloway PhD
Peter Cabot PhD BPharm
Shaun O'Leary PhD BPhty MPhtyStud
Research Staff
Ashley Pedler
Lynette Kaergaard
Yaheli Bet-Or
Contact Information:
A/Prof Michele Sterling
Chief Investigator, CCRE Spine
School of Health & Rehab Sciences
The University of Queensland
Brisbane Qld 4072
Tel: (07) 3365 5344
Intl: +61 7 3365 5344
Fax: (07) 3346 4603
Intl: +61 7 3346 4603
E-mail: m.sterling@uq.edu.au
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Short Biography
A/Prof Michele Sterling’s work aims to understand the physical and psychological processes underlying whiplash injury and neck pain, to develop predictive algorithms for outcome following whiplash injury and to develop effective management strategies for both acute and chronic whiplash pain.
Over the last 5 years, Michele and her team have been able to identify important physical and psychological factors that are associated with poor outcome following whiplash injury. These include the presence of sensory hypersensitivity indicative of augmented central pain processing mechanisms and posttraumatic stress symptoms. It was demonstrated that the presence of these factors in the early post injury stage predicted poor functional recovery at both 6 month and 2 year follow-up periods. These factors are now included in current Guidelines for Whiplash Management.
At the present time the prognostic capacity of these factors is being validated in a large multicentre study involving whiplash injured cohorts from Australia, Canada, Iceland and USA. A randomized controlled trial of physiotherapy interventions for chronic whiplash has shown that these factors may also be predictors of a lack of responsiveness to physical treatment approaches. Recent investigation has focused on identifying the relative contribution of physical and psychological processes to the pain and disability of whiplash.
Michele has been awarded numerous prizes from various professional bodies for her work. These include: International Federation of Orthopaedic Manual Therapists (David Lamb Award); Australian Physiotherapy Association; Australian Society for Traumatic Stress; Australian Pain Society. In 2005, she was awarded a University of Queensland Foundation Research Excellence Award.
Michele has ongoing collaborations with laboratories in Sydney, Melbourne, USA, Switzerland, Iceland and Canada. She has co-authored a book on neck pain and has published over 50 peer reviewed papers and book chapters. Michele has received over $AU 4 million in research grants from the NHMRC, ARC as well as significant industry funding.
Selected Recent Publications
Sterling M, Jull G, Vicenzino B, Darnell R (2003) Development of motor system dysfunction following whiplash injury Pain103: 65-73.
Sterling M, Jull G, Vicenzino B, Kenardy J (2003) Sensory hypersensitivity occurs soon after whiplash injury and is associated with poor recovery. Pain 104: 509-517. Winner David Lamb Memorial Award (IFOMT) 2004.
Sterling M, Kenardy J, Jull G, Vicenzino B (2003) The development of psychological changes following whiplash injury Pain 106(3): 481-489.
Sterling M (2004) A Proposed New Classification System for Whiplash Associate Disorders – Implications for Assessment and Management. Manual Therapy 9(2): 60-70
Sterling M, Jull G, Kenardy J, Vicenzino B, Darnell R (2005) Physical and psychological factors predict outcome following whiplash injury Pain 114: 141-148
Sterling M, Jull G, Kenardy J. (2006) Physical and psychological factors maintain predictive capacity at two years post whiplash injury. Pain 122:102-108
Jull G, Sterling M, Kenardy J, Beller E (2007) Does the presence of sensory hypersensitivity influence outcomes of physical rehabilitation for chronic whiplash? - A preliminary RCT. Pain 129:28-34
Sterling M, Pettiford C, Hodkinson E, Souvlis T, Curatolo M. (2008) Psychologic factors are related to some sensory pain thresholds but not nociceptive flexion reflex threshold in chronic whiplash. Clinical Journal of Pain. 2008 Feb;24(2):124-30.
Sterling M & Kenardy J. (2008) Physical and psychological aspects of whiplash: important considerations for primary care assessment. Manual Therapy 13 (2); 93-102.
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