President
Prof. Kim Delbaere, Neuroscience Research Australia
Professor Kim Delbaere is a Senior Principal Research Scientist at NeuRA, supported by NHMRC, and Professor at UNSW, Sydney. Kim graduated in 2001 with a master in Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy from Ghent University in Belgium and in 2005 completed her PhD on falls in older people. In 2006, she moved to Australia to work at NeuRA on reducing fear of falling in older people. Her research has contributed to the understanding of physical, psychological and cognitive factors that cause falls. Her multidisciplinary approach to preventing falls and promoting healthy ageing incorporates elements from physiotherapy, psychology, brain imaging and software engineering.
Vice President
Prof. Debra Waters, University of Otago
Professor Debra Waters is the Director of Gerontology Research at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. She also holds a Research Professor appointment at the University of New Mexico, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is the co-director of the Otago Falls Network (Tu Ora), and on the steering committee of the International Conference on Sarcopenia and Frailty Research (ICFSR). Debra’s research career has been focused on maintaining physical function and preventing sarcopenia, frailty and falls in older adults.
Treasurer
Dr Morag Taylor, University of New South Wales
Doctor Morag Taylor is a Senior Lecturer, Physiotherapy, School of Health Sciences, UNSW Sydney and a Conjoint Senior Research Fellow at Neuroscience Research Australia. She completed her PhD (Understanding fall risk in cognitively impaired older people) in 2014 (Medicine, UNSW). Morag was awarded a prestigious NHMRC-ARC Dementia Research Development Fellowship 2016 – 2020. Her research focuses on understanding and preventing falls and fall-related injury in older people with dementia. Morag is a physiotherapist with 15 years clinical experience in predominantly Aged Care Rehabilitation and was the inaugural senior physiotherapist in the Falls, Balance and Bone Health clinic at Prince of Wales Hospital.
Secretary
A/Prof. Anna Hatton, The University of Queensland
Associate Professor Anna Hatton is Program Director of the Master of Physiotherapy Studies, and Co-Director of the Centre for Neurorehabilitation, Ageing and Balance Research, at The University of Queensland. Anna was awarded a BSc(Hons) Physiotherapy (2005) and PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences (2010) from Teesside University, UK. Her program of research (in partnership with multinational med-tech industry) focuses on the development and evaluation of innovative footwear technology to enhance balance, mobility, physical activity, and prevent falls, in healthy and clinical populations. Her research related to foot sensory function and balance control has attracted funding from prestigious organisations including the National Health and Medical Research Council, British Geriatrics Society, and Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering. She is an Associate Editor for Gait & Posture, and board member for the International Society of Posture and Gait Research.
Communications Manager
A/Prof. Jasmine Menant, Neuroscience Research Australia
Associate Professor Jasmine Menant is a Senior Research Fellow within the Falls, Balance and Injury Research Centre at NeuRA and a Conjoint Lecturer within the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at UNSW. She has a PhD in applied physiology / biomechanics from UNSW. Her research aims to investigate and improve balance, mobility, physical function and falls in ageing and clinical populations with motor and cognitive impairments. To this aim, she conducts experimental trials, longitiudinal studies and randomised-controlled trials.
Jasmine is also actively engaged in research translation. She is currently co-leading the update of the Best Practice National Falls Prevention Guidelines. She also sits on the Scientific Committee of the International Society for Posture and Gait.
Student Member
Ms Charlotte McLennan, The University of Sydney
Charlotte McLennan is a Physiotherapist and Inpatient Falls Research Manager at Sydney Local Health District. She has a masters degree in Health Service Management and is currently undertaking her PhD at the University of Sydney. Her PhD focuses on understanding, evaluating and implementing falls prevention strategies in inpatient hospital settings. Charlotte works closely with clinicians, consumers, health executives and academics to design, conduct and translate falls prevention research.
Past President
Prof. Cathie Sherrington, The University of Sydney
Professor Cathie Sherrington FAHMS, FACP, PhD, MPH, BAppSc is a Professor at the School of Public Health and Institute for Musculoskeletal Health University of Sydney/ Sydney Local Health District where she leads the Physical Activity, Ageing and Disability Research Stream. Her research focuses on the design and evaluation of falls prevention and exercise interventions for older people and those with disabilities. She has authored 320 refereed journal articles, including reports of 33 clinical trials, and has been a Chief Investigator on NHMRC and MRFF grants totaling over $28 million. Cathie has a clinical background as a physiotherapist in aged care and rehabilitation.
2023 Past Conference Host
Prof. Anne-Marie Hill, The University of Western Australia
Professor Anne-Marie Hill FACP, PhD, M Physio, Grad Cert Uni Teaching, Post Grad Dip, BAppSc is Senior Principal Research Fellow in the School of Allied Health and the WA Centre for Health & Ageing, The University of Western Australia. Her research interests are in improving older people’s health and well-being and she leads clinical translational research in hospital, community and residential care settings. She is a titled Gerontological Physiotherapist and Fellow of the Australian College of Physiotherapists, with over 30 years clinical experience working with older people. Anne-Marie has held successive NHMRC Investigator grants focusing on Fall prevention, in particular studying the role of education to engage older people in falls prevention strategies. She has been awarded over $15M in research funding.
2025 Upcoming Conference Host
Prof. Anne Tiedemann, The University of Sydney
Professor Anne Tiedemann is Professor of Physical Activity and Health at the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, a research partnership between The University of Sydney and Sydney Local Health District. Professor Tiedemann completed her PhD on falls in older people in 2007 at UNSW. Her research has contributed to the understanding of fall risk assessment and evidence-based exercise for preventing falls in older age and her current research develops and evaluates scalable, cost-effective physical activity-based strategies to promote health and prevent falls in middle to older age. Anne co-leads the older adults work package for the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity.
General Member – New Zealand
Prof. Ngaire Kerse, The University of Auckland
Professor Ngaire Kerse is a GP, Professor of General Practice and Primary Health Care, Joyce Cook Chair in Ageing Well, President New Zealand Association of Gerontology and Co-director Co-Created Ageing Research Centre at the University of Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. She has a long history of falls prevention research and been part of the Cochrane review of fall prevention in care homes. Ngaire’s work focuses on gerontology research that transforms society, promotes independence, activity, autonomy in ageing and falls prevention. She has authored over 350 refereed journal articles.
General Member – Australia
A/Prof. Daina Sturnieks, University of New South Wales
Associate Professor Daina Sturnieks has a PhD in human biomechanics from The University of Western Australia. She is a Senior Lecturer in Anatomy at UNSW and a Conjoint Senior Research Scientist at NeuRA. Her research focuses on understanding biomechanical, sensorimotor and neurocognitive contributions to balance and falls in older people and clinical groups, and randomised controlled trials of novel interventions to prevent falls involving balance, stepping and cognitive training. Daina is active in translating research findings into community, aged care and hospital settings. She is an Executive Board Member of the NSW Fall Prevention and Healthy Ageing Network.
General Member – Australia
A/Prof. Kristie Harper, Curtin University / Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
Associate Professor Kristie Harper is a clinician researcher and an occupational therapist with over 23 years of experience. Kristie holds a conjoint position between Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Curtin University, Western Australia. Kristie’s research has worked to build an evidence base for falls prevention and management in the Emergency Department (ED) setting. Her current trials have focused on supporting older adults after a fall, exploring the prevalence and outcomes of patients with frailty, delirium management and improving pressure care outcomes.
General Member – Australia
A/Prof. Frances Batchelor, National Ageing Research Institute
Associate Professor Frances Batchelor is a Senior Principal Research Fellow and Clinical Gerontology Director at the National Ageing Research Institute in Melbourne. She completed her PhD on Falls Prevention After Stroke in 2010 and since then has focused on leading impactful research across 4 key areas: falls and fall prevention, healthy ageing, health and aged care systems, and technology in health and aged care. We look forward to Frances bringing her research, clinical and policy expertise to strengthen partnerships, support the society’s activities, and promote the multidisciplinary study and implementation of falls prevention in older people.
Project Officer
Mr Cameron Hicks, Neuroscience Research Australia
Cameron Hicks is a PhD candidate and Research Assistant at NeuRA. He previously trained as an Exercise Physiologist working in Residential Aged Care Facilities before moving into Fall Prevention Research. His PhD focusses on determining optimal balance and gait assessments for predicting falls in community-dwelling older people. Cameron previously worked as a project officer for the NSW Fall Prevention and Healthy Ageing Network.