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Professor Venerina Johnston

Professor Venerina Johnston
Name Venerina Johnston
Pronoun She/Her/Hers
Position Professor (Physiotherapy)
Section School of Health and Medical Sciences
Office P105
Location Ipswich Campus
Phone +61 7 3812 6406
Extension 6406
Email
Qualifications BPhty Qld , BPhtyHons Qld , GCertMgt USQ , GDWDP Sherbrooke , PhD Qld

Biography

Dr Johnston is a registered health practitioner (Physiotherapy), Professor (Physiotherapy) at the University of Southern Queensland and Honorary Associate Professor with The University of Queensland. She has qualifications in occupational health and safety and work disability prevention. Venerina has a strong national and international reputation in the prevention and management of compensable musculoskeletal injuries. She is an active member of the Australian Physiotherapy Association serving in leadership roles and advocates for the role of physiotherapists in promoting work participation for those with compensable injuries. Venerina has a strong research profile with >130 scholarly works including internationally peer reviewed original research and refereed conference papers. She has received a career total of 7 million in research funding with the majority from industry. Her research has demonstrated that the burden of neck pain in office workers can be reduced and prevented with a combined ergonomics and exercise intervention while maintaining productivity directly influencing the way industry approaches strategies to improve the well-being of staff. Her work informs policy related to return to work after compensable injuries and influenced guidelines for line supervisors to support staff returning to work after a mental health or musculoskeletal injury. She has a rich background in occupational rehabilitation and injury management from the perspective of the insurer, provider and employer continues to drive her commitment to identify pragmatic solutions to keep people healthy and productive at work. Recently, her research portfolio has diversified to include improving work participation for older workers and those with chronic health conditions such as cancer survivorship and osteoarthritis.

Research Career


  • Public Health ( 420600 )
  • Health Promotion ( 420603 )
  • Rehabilitation ( 420109 )
  • Injury Prevention ( 420604 )
  • Allied Health And Rehabilitation Science ( 420100 )
  • Physiotherapy ( 420106 )

Venerina’s research focuses on investigating strategies to enhance work participation for those with compensable musculoskeletal injuries. A new area of research interest is work participation for those facing challenges remaining at work due to ageing or chronic diseases such as cancer and osteoarthritis. The end goal of her research is to minimise the negative impact of the health condition on the individual, the employer and society. Her research portfolio includes studies exploring the impact of workplace ergonomic and exercise interventions on musculoskeletal pain and productivity and strategies to assist individuals self-manage their recovery after a non-catastrophic compensable motor vehicle accident injury. Venerina’s published work takes an inter-disciplinary approach collaborating with public health researchers, exercise scientists, organisational psychologists, occupational therapy, nursing, health economists, ergonomists, and medical specialities.


Australian Physiotherapy Association
Australian Rehabilitation Providers Association
World Physical Therapy Network for Occupational Health and Ergonomics


  • Centre for Health, Informatics and Economic Research (CHIER)

Teaching


Program Director Bachelor of Physiotherpay (Honours)


13 Years

Supervision


  • Public Health ( 420600 )
  • Health Promotion ( 420603 )
  • Rehabilitation ( 420109 )
  • Injury Prevention ( 420604 )
  • Allied Health And Rehabilitation Science ( 420100 )
  • Physiotherapy ( 420106 )