This Research College Knowledge Exchange (CKE) session will provide feature presentations from two ACP Fellows who have recently been awarded the Specialist Research Physiotherapist credential. Presenters will share their area of research, followed by an opportunity for questions, discussion, and peer engagement. Physiotherapists with an interest in research, research translation and advancing clinical practice are encouraged to attend.
Professor Alicia Spittle - Digital Health to Optimise Neurodevelopment for Preterm Infants
Preterm children show heterogeneous risks across cognitive, motor, language, social–emotional and sensory domains, influenced by gestational age, neonatal complications and social determinants. This lecture reviews developmental outcomes for children born preterm and examines digital health approaches for early screening, including artificial intelligence. In addition, two ongoing randomised controlled trials focusing on interventions to improve developmental outcomes in infancy and physical activity for preschool age children will be discussed including barriers and facilitators to implementation
Dr Megan Banky - Redefining spasticity assessment: Research, Relevance and Reach
Dr Megan Banky will present her research journey in the clinical assessment of spasticity, spanning nearly 15 years of work alongside an active clinical career. She will explore key findings from her PhD and how this work has evolved through post-doctoral research into impactful, practice-based initiatives. Dr Banky will highlight the translation of her research into clinical tools and approaches aimed at improving outcomes for individuals living with spasticity following neurological injury, offering insights into bridging the gap between evidence and everyday practice.
Professor Alicia Spittle, FACP, is a clinician researcher, and a current National Health Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Grant recipient, within the Melbourne School of Health Sciences (MSHS) and Murdoch Children's Research Institute. She is chief investigator on the NHRMC Centre of Research Excellence in Extremely Preterm Infant Care and CP-DRIVE and leads several grants focused on early detection and early intervention for infants at high-risk of neurodevelopmental impairments including infants born preterm and/or with cerebral palsy. In addition to her research she works clinically at the Royal Women's Hospital
Dr Megan Banky is a clinically active post-doctoral research fellow and established clinical researcher. She completed her PhD in 2020 and has authored 25 peer-reviewed publications with over 900 citations. Megan was awarded Fellowship of the Australian College of Physiotherapy in 2025. An internationally recognised leader in spasticity research, she co-developed an open-access assessment resource with international reach and serves as a content expert for the Stroke Living Guidelines. She co-leads an international initiative to develop a core outcome set for spasticity and is committed to translating research into clinical practice.
9/6/2026
1.5 hours
