Section: Research

Injury prevention

Overview
People
Partnerships
Impact

Leading multidisciplinary research

Program leader Professor Graham Kerr founded and leads the Movement Neuroscience Research group at the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, which enables multidisciplinary clinical and research programs in ageing and neurodegenerative disease.

Most injuries requiring hospitalisation in Australia happen as a result of falls, car crashes, sporting and recreational activities, interpersonal violence and in work settings. Our injury prevention program is committed to preventing injury and promoting optimal rehabilitation.

We're researching and developing strategies to:

modify human behaviour
define policy that encourages appropriate responses within industry and the community.

Our injury prevention researchers work in a variety of fields including:

psychology
public health
human movement studies
exercise science
neuroscience
optometry
epidemiology
road safety
medical physics
information technology
biomedical and civil engineering.

Infrastructure

The injury prevention program has successfully evolved into a number of groups and centres. The Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety - Queensland (CARRS-Q), established as a joint initiative between the Motor Accident Insurance Commission and QUT, operates within the program and has become fully self-sustaining.

The program will continue to build groups, such as the sleep and neuroscience group, to strengthen our capabilities as a leading program at IHBI and to facilitate the transfer of knowledge between researchers.

Injury prevention executive committee

The executive committee works to create links with areas of similar research within our program, our institute, our university and with external groups to expand our research capacity, improve access to funding and ensure that research is translated into practice.

Executive committee members

Each member provides valuable knowledge and expertise from their field of research and represents the diversity of interests in injury prevention at QUT. They have a keen interest in furthering research and collaborations in their respective areas and organise development meetings of interested people throughout the year.

Associate Professor Kirsten Vallmuur

Associate Professor Kerry Armstrong

Dr Christopher Watling

Dr Gabriel Siqueira Trajano

The committee is involved in:

decision making
developing the program
identifying major priorities
promoting our research within IHBI and through extensive partnerships with professional and broader communities.

International linkages

UK
USA
Indonesia
Canada
Germany
France

Cross-disciplinary engagement

Psychology
Counselling
Information technology
Clinical sciences
Addiction
Social work
Sleep therapy

Consultancies

Ergon Energy challenge: work related driving intervention

Investigators: Dr Darren Wishart
Scheme: Ergon Energy Corporation Limited, $60,000
Summary: The 'CARRS-Q Work Related Road Safety Program: The challenge to change' is designed as a commercial research behaviour change intervention program. The intervention program has a primary aim of improving the work related road safety of organisational drivers. This program encourages participants to explore some of the dangers associated with driving for work in conjunction with examining their own driving behaviour within their own organisational setting. The program culminates with an overall evaluation of the impact of the intervention on work driving safety.

Quad bike-related injuries in Queensland

Investigators: Associate Professor Kirsten Vallmuur, Dr Angela Watson
Scheme: Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, $46,620
Summary: This project provides a comprehensive summary of the quad bike-related injury pattern and trends in Queensland, highlighting in particular those that occur in a work/farm context as distinct from a recreational context.

Recreational quad bike-related injuries in Australia: patterns and contributory factors

Investigators: Associate Professor Kirsten Vallmuur, Dr Angela Watson
Scheme: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, $38,501
Summary: This study examined factors involved in cases that occurred in a recreational context and those incidents which involved children. An understanding of such factors will provide important insights which may inform future work in relation to potential safety campaigns.

Integrating technological and organisational approaches to enhance the safety of roadworkers

Investigators: Professor Narelle Haworth, Associate Professor Herbert Biggs, Associate Professor Andry Rakotonirain, Dr Mark King, Mr Martin Peelgrane, Mr James Ulyate, Mr Bob Overall, Ms Susie Bridle
Scheme: Queensland Government - Department of Transport and Main Roads, $75,000
Summary: This multidisciplinary project will enhance the safety of roadworkers by providing practical and theoretical contributions to inform and provide direction at industry and academic levels for developing effective interventions/strategies to improve safety in road construction.

Enhancing workforce health at Downer Mining

Investigators: Professor Tony Parker, Dr Cynthia Cliff, Dr Ian Stewart, Associate Professor Herbert Biggs
Scheme: Downer EDI Mining, $2,145,319.05
Summary: A seven-year health program that aims to review the current occupational health and safety (OHS) systems and practices, develop a whole of company framework for OH management, implement intervention strategies targeted to health and injury priorities, and achieve measurable and sustainable health outcomes.

Evidence of impact

Interlock drink driving program
Under the Limit program
Fleet safety services
Health monitoring and injury prevention in the mining industry
Development of deep brain stimulation techniques in Parkinson's disease and orthostatic tremor
Informing policy and interventions to reduce mortality and burden of disease associated with injury, including road accidents and workplace safety

Research enquiries