Facts & figures
We have achieved:
- 3,059 publications
- $61.4 million in grant funding
- 153 HDR student completions
Centres and institutes_
Sydney Musculoskeletal Health
Global improvements in musculoskeletal health & physical activity
Sydney Musculoskeletal Health is a partnership between University of Sydney, Sydney Local Health District and Northern Sydney Local Health District. We work with leaders in health on research, clinical services and training.
Poor musculoskeletal health, fall-related injury, physical inactivity and ageing are the leading causes of disease burden globally.
Approximately 1.71 billion people worldwide have musculoskeletal conditions. Low back pain, osteoarthritis, neck pain, rheumatoid arthritis and gout are some of the major musculoskeletal disorders and are the leading contributors to disability worldwide. Fall-related injuries significantly increase the risk of developing a disability.
This burden will increase in coming decades unless action is taken now.
Our goal is to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals by undertaking high quality research that promotes the delivery of efficient, patient-centered, evidence-based care. We aim to discover new ways to prevent, manage and cure these debilitating musculoskeletal conditions and injuries, and to promote healthy ageing and physical activity.
Less than 50% of the world’s population undertake physical activity known to improve health at an estimated cost of 1 billion dollars per year. We aim to address and change this.
We will achieve these objectives by partnering with clinicians, industry, government, and professional organisations to co-design research that transforms the lives of billions worldwide. Our mission is to be the world leader in musculoskeletal health through science, research, education, treatment and prevention.
Sydney Musculoskeletal Health builds on the University of Sydney’s long history of impactful research in musculoskeletal conditions and health, rehabilitation, healthy ageing, and physical activity.
We work with Sydney Health Partners, as well as clinicians, researchers, consumers and policymakers, to facilitate rapid translation into local health districts and primary health networks.
Directors
Major research themes
Aims to improve the prevention, diagnosis, management and health service delivery for arthritis and related disorders.
Aims to improve prevention and clinical care, prevent overdiagnosis and optimise intervention testing and surgery.
Aims to reduce the global impact of injuries, ageing and inactivity through prevention and rehabilitation.
Aims to integrate multiple levels of patient relevant data for tele/mobile health strategies, artificial intelligence and nanotechnology programs.
Aims to optimise the delivery of healthcare through innovation, applying implementation science and supporting knowledge transfer.
Aims to foster research in new diagnostics, new therapeutics and mechanistic research. Discovery enterprises include research into biospecimens banking, multi-omics, bioengineering, material sciences, imaging and artificial intelligence.
Aims to foster research that is relevant and influential to end-users.
Partners
We are a partnership between the University of Sydney, Sydney Local Health District and Northern Sydney Local Health District. We also have cross-disciplinary collaboration across multiple faculties, research centres, clinics and local health districts.
- Charles Perkin Centre
- Institute for Musculoskeletal Health
- NHMRC Clinical Trial Centre
- Sydney Health Partners
- A3BC biobank
- Sydney Policy Lab
- Pain Management Research Institute
- John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation
- ARC Training Centre for Innovative BioEngineering
- Digital Health and Informatics Network
- The Kolling Institute
- Neuro Musculoskeletal Research Collaborative
- Global Alliance for Musculoskeletal Health
Our people
Professor David Hunter, Florance and Cope Chair of Rheumatology, Professor of Medicine, The University of Sydney.
Professor Chris Maher, Director, Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, The University of Sydney and Sydney Local Health District.
Arthritis, inflammation and autoimmune conditions
- Professor David Hunter
- Professor Lyn March
- A/Professor Meilang Xue
- A/Professor Milena Simic
- A/Professor Sean O’Neil
- Dr Jocelyn Bowden
- Dr Jillian Eyles
- Dr Sarah Robbins
- Dr Leticia Deveza
- Dr Sarah Kobayashi
- Dr Marita Cross
- Dr Premarani Sinnathurai
- Dr Shirley Yu
- Professor Nicholas Manolios
- Dr Davinder Singh-Grewal
- Clinical Professor Peter Youssef
- Dr Ana Ananda
Back and Neck Pain
- Professor Chris Maher
- Professor Manuela Ferreira
- Professor Paulo Ferreira
- Professor Jim Elliott
- Professor Steve Kamper
- A/Professor Trudy Rebbeck
- Dr Gustavo Machado
- Dr Giovanni Ferreira
- Dr Joshua Zadro
- Dr Adrian Traeger
- Dr Mary O’Keeffe
- Dr Steve Gilbert
- Dr Bethan Richards
- Dr David Anderson
Rehabilitation and healthy ageing
- Professor Cathie Sherrington
- Professor Vasikaran Naganathan
- Professor Fiona Blyth
- Professor Ian Cameron
- Professor Lisa Harvey
- A/Professor Anne Tiedemann
- Dr Leanne Hassett
- Dr Marina Pinheiro
- Dr Paula Beckenkamp
- Dr Juliana Oliveira
- Dr Abby Haynes
Digital health and virtual healthcare
- Professor Chris Maher
- Professor Cathie Sherrington
- Dr Bethan Richards
- Dr Leanne Hassett
- Dr Gustavo Machado
- Dr Joshua Zadro
- Professor Paulo Ferreira
- Professor Manuela Ferreira
Higher value healthcare
- Professor Ian Harris
- Professor Christine Lin
- Professor Andrew McLachlan
- Professor Peter Youssef
- Professor Chris Maher
- Dr Bethan Richards
- Dr Stephanie Mathieson
- Dr Christina Abdel Shaheed
- Dr Danijela Gnjidic
- Dr Rose Cairns
- Dr Adrian Traeger
- Dr Mary O’Keeffe
- Dr Marina Pinheiro
Discovery
- Professor Chris Little
- Professor Bill Walters
- Professor Marcus Seibel
- Professor Kathryn Refshauge
- Professor Lyn March
- Professor Chris Jackson
- A/Professor Liz Clarke
- A/Professor Meilang Xue
- Dr Carina Blaker
- Dr Tegan Cheng
- Dr Jiao Jiao Li
- Dr Cindy Shu
- Dr Sanaa Zaki
- Dr Lara Bereza-Malcolm
Policy and advocacy
- Professor Steve Kamper
- Professor Lyn March
- A/Professor Anne Moseley
- Dr Carmen Huckel Schneider
- Dr Marita Cross
- Mr Matt Jennings
- Professor Chris Maher (NHMRC Leadership 3 Fellow)
- Professor Marcus Seibel (NHMRC Leadership 3 Fellow)
- Professor David Hunter (NHMRC Leadership 2 Fellow)
- Professor Manuela Ferreira (NHMRC Career Development Fellow)
- Professor Paulo Ferreira (NHMRC Career Development Fellow)
- Professor Steve Kamper (NHMRC Emerging Leadership 2 Fellow)
- Professor Christine Lin (NHMRC Emerging Leadership 2 Fellow)
- A/Professor Trudy Rebbeck (NHMRC Career Development Fellow)
- Dr Tegan Cheng (NHMRC Emerging Leadership 1 Fellow)
- Dr Joshua Zadro (NHMRC Emerging Leadership 1 Fellow)
- Dr Geovanni Ferreira (NHMRC Emerging Leadership 1 Fellow)
- Dr Gustavo Machado (NHMRC Early Career Fellow)
- Dr Marina Pinheiro (NHMRC Early Career Fellow)
- Dr Adrian Traeger (NHMRC Early Career Fellow)
- Dr Stephanie Mathieson (NHMRC Early Career Fellow)
- Dr Danijela Gnjidic (NHMRC Dementia Leadership Fellow)
Arthritis, inflammation and autoimmune conditions
- Ms Naomi Behera
- Ms Vicky Duong
- Ms Bimbi Gray
- Ms Ka Martina
- Dr Nicholas Murphy
- Dr Shirley Yu
- Dr Thomas Lynch
Back and neck pain
- Ms Danielle Coombs
- Mr Simon Davidson
- Mr Tarcisio de Campos
- Ms Priscilla de Silva
- Ms Priti Kharel
- Ms Alla Melman
- Ms Laura Montgomery
- Ms Tash Pocovi
- Ms Qiuzhe Chen
- Mr Chris Han
- Mr Simon Vella
- Mr Lingxiao Chen
- Ms Carolina Gassen
- Ms Emma Ho
Rehabilitation and healthy ageing
- Ms Meghan Ambrens
- Ms Amanda Bates
- Ms Venisa Kwok
- Mr Connor Gleadhill
- Ms Ima Strkljevic
- Ms Kerry West
- Ms Siobhan Wong
- Ms Reem Rendell
- Ms Geraldine Wallbank
- Mr Rik Dawson
Digital health and virtual healthcare
- Ms Nisha Aravind
- Ms Louise Pearce
Higher value healthcare
- Ms Caitlin Jones
- Mr Chang Liu
- Ms Melanie Hamilton
- Mr Sascha Karunaratne
- Ms Aili Langford
- Ms Sarah Manewell
- Mr Albert Dalao
Related news
