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Tara is a senior physiotherapist currently undertaking a PhD at Curtin University with the OPUS Centre for Research Excellence. She is working to assess the utility of wearable sensors in measuring pain-related disability (movement quality) in patients with knee osteoarthritis that also have lower back pain. She will also explore the association between movement and pain-related beliefs and emotions in individuals with knee OA and examine how movement, beliefs and emotions change over time relative to each other, in individuals with knee OA undergoing a physiotherapy intervention. She hopes to develop an intervention that can target all these factors, to enable better long-term pain and disability outcomes in this population.

Tara also lectures at Curtin Universityand has previously conducted research into knee injuries. Prior to embarking on a career in physiotherapy, Tara was a professional international volleyball player. She captained the Australian Women’s Indoor Volleyball Team before moving to a successful career on the beach including partnering 5 time Olympian and Sydney 2000 Gold Medallist Natalie Cook on the World Beach Tour.  She now combines this with her physiotherapy skills to look after the Western Australian Volleyball Teams including their injury prevention and conditioning programs. 

SCHOLARSHIPS:

Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend Scholarship

Curtin Research Scholarship (CRS)

OTHER KEY ROLES:

Star Physiotherapy Clinic: Senior Physiotherapist

Curtin University: Sessional Academic