Julie Bernhardt

Professor Julie Bernhardt, PhD, is an Australian physiotherapist, a Principal Research Fellow at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and an NHMRC Senior Research Fellow and Clinical Head of the Stroke Division at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne. Bernhardt is Principal Investigator of the 'A Very Early Rehabilitation Trial' (AVERT) and a world leader in the field of stroke recovery.

Early life and education

Professor Bernhardt has a Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy from the Lincoln Institute of Health Sciences, La Trobe University where she also received her Masters and finally her PhD in 1999. The focus of her PhD research was on the hemiplegic upper limb, and she has developed new methods of testing the accuracy of observational kinematic assessment of upper limb dysfunction. She has worked as a Physiotherapy Research Coordinator at Melbourne Health since 1989.[1]

After completing her PhD, Professor Bernhardt went on to become a senior physiotherapist at the Austin and Royal Melbourne Hospitals from 1999-2008. She has worked for over 20 years with stroke survivors and their families as a therapist and patient advocate.[2]

Work

She was a non-executive director for the National Stroke Foundation from 2006 to 2014 and became Principal investigator of the AVERT trial in 2004.[3]

As Director of AVERT, Bernhardt leads a large multidisciplinary team of researchers who develop, test and implement treatment models that promote recovery and reduce the burden of stroke on affected individuals, their families and the community. The models aim to harness the brain’s potential for change and adaptation after neurological injury. AVERT is the largest acute stroke rehabilitation trial, which includes over 2000 stroke patients, the recruitment for which was completed October 2014. The studies focus on understanding how early exercise-based interventions after stroke may work to alter bone, muscle and brain.[4] The results of the AVERT trail were presented at the European Stroke Organisation Conference in Glasgow, April, 2015.

Professor Bernhardt is also Head of Stroke Division at Florey Institute, and has been on the Steering Committee of the Australian Stroke Research Network since 2012. She is also a Co-Chair for Australian Stroke Trials Network since January 2014 and was voted by her international peers onto the board of the World Stroke Organisation in July 2014.

Professor Bernhardt has published over 116 papers and nearly 200 abstracts, as well as book chapters, editorials and opinion pieces, most of these in the field of stroke rehabilitation.

Personal

Professor Julie Bernhardt lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband and teenage son.[5] You can find her on Twitter @AVERTtrial.[6]

Awards and honors

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Neurosciences Centre of Research Excellence: Staff". Neurosciences Centre of Research Excellence. Neurosciences Centre of Research Excellence. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  2. ↑ "No Chicks No Excuses: Expert women for every event: Julie Bernhardt". No Chicks No Excuses. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  3. ↑ "Julie Bernhardt". LinkedIn. LinkedIn. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  4. ↑ "Julie Bernhardt". LinkedIn. LinkedIn. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  5. ↑ "Life as a scientist can mean directly helping those who suffer". Women's Agenda. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  6. ↑ "Twitter". 6 November 2014.

External links

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