If you are serious about an academic career in rehabilitation or an associated discipline, or are passionate about research and want to contribute to new knowledge in your field, then a PhD is for you. It represents a significant body of work over 2.5 to 4 years of full-time study (or equivalent part-time study).
One of the most important decisions to make is choosing a supervisor. Staff members available for PhD supervision are listed below. If your topic of interest is not mentioned, contact one of us anyway, since we might often be able to help or co-supervise with another department.
PhD students from the RTRU have been consistently successful in winning the University of Otago Wellington Clinical Science PhD Prize.
Professor William Levack – interests include goal-setting, self-identity after TBI, Wii-habilitation, pulmonary rehabilitation and others. William is based on the Wellington campus.
Associate Professor Will Taylor – interests include diagnosis, rehabilitation process, outcome measurement and instrumentation, gout, inflammatory arthritis and clinical trials. Will is based on the Wellington campus.
Dr Jean Hay-Smith – interests include health beliefs, behaviour change and treatment adherence, continence and women's health, spinal cord injury, all forms of review methodology, and qualitative research (especially phenomenology). Jean is based on the Dunedin campus.
Dr Fiona Graham – interests include child and family centred practice, child development, enabling participation & evidence-based practice. Fi has experience in qualitative and mixed methods research and is based on the Christchurch campus.
Dr Rebecca Grainger – interests include inflammatory arthritis, gout, scleroderma. Rebecca is based on the Wellington campus.
Professor Mark Weatherall – interests include continence, clinical trial methodology, falls in the elderly and biostatistics. Mark is based on the Wellington campus.
For further information or enquiry
Please contact Associate Professor William Taylor to discuss possible projects and supervisors.
Previous and current PhD students under RTRU supervision
Catherine Vingerhoets (2020 ongoing) PhD. The Integration of Patient Values in Evidence-Based Practice by Interprofessional Teams in Stroke Rehabilitation. Jean Hay-Smith and Fi Graham.
Carla Strubbia (2019 ongoing) PhD. Testing and exploring the application of technologies in clinical practice. William Levack and Rebecca Grainger.
Kadri Englas (2018 to ongoing) PhD. Rehabilitation for traumatic brain injury (TBI): an overview of systematic reviews. William Levack and Jean Hay-Smith.
Melinda Lee E Silva (2017 ongoing) PhD. The effectiveness of 24 hour postural management supported by eHealth in improving /maintaining ROM, reducing pain, and supporting achievement of child and caregiver goals for children aged 5 - 12, GMFC III – IV. Fi Graham, William Levack and Jean Hay-Smith.
Jenny Prentice (2014 to 2019) PhD, part-time. Undertaking motivation in aged care workers. Mark Weatherall, Rebecca Grainger, William Levack.
Rachelle Martin (2013 to 2018) PhD, Evaluation of the effectiveness of Riding for the Disabled. Fiona Graham, William Taylor, William Levack, Lois Surgenor.
Emily Davidson. (2012 to 2017). PhD, Measurement of change in self-identity after traumatic brain injury. William Levack, Will Taylor.
Pauline Boland, (2012 to 2016) PhD, full-time. Prescription and management of assistive technology for people with stroke. William Levack, Fiona Graham.
Elizabeth Mayland (2009 to 2016). PhD, full-time. A conceptual exploration of psychological distress following mild to moderate traumatic upper limb injuries. Gareth Treharne, Jean Hay-Smith. Supported by a University of Otago Postgraduate Award.
Janet Macdonald (2011 to 2015). PhD, full-time. The process and experience of family carers managing nursing procedures at home. William Levack, Sally Keeling. Supported by the Health Research Council, Disability Research Placement Programme.
Anna Ranta (2011 to 2014) PhD, Transient ischaemic attack and stroke electronic decision support to improve stroke care in New Zealand. Susan Dovey, John Campbell, Mark Weatherall.
Lynne Clay (2010 to 2014). PhD, full-time. "There are risks to be taken and some just push it too far": A mixed methods exploration of human risk factors in agricultural quad-bike incidents in New Zealand. A. Stephen Milosavljevic, Jean Hay-Smith, Gareth Treharne. Supported by a University of Otago PhD Scholarship.
Moazzam Zaidi (2008 to 2014). PhD, full-time. Participation in a blood and body fluid exposure programme in a multinational healthcare facility in an emerging country. Rob Griffith, William Levack, Mark Newson-Smith, Peter Larson, and Salem Beshyah.
Ines Becker (2009 to 2013). PhD, full-time. Anatomy of the symphysis pubis joint and symphysis pubis pain in first pregnancy. University of Otago. Mark Stringer, Stephanie Woodley and PhD Committe from the Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology. Jean Hay-Smith (Advisor).
Esther Woodbury (2008 to 2013). PhD, Auto-mobile: The impact of driving on the health and well-being, social participation and economic situation of work-aged people with long term physical disabilities in New Zealand. Sunny Davies, Philippa Howden-Chapman, William Levack.
Ramona Tiatia (2007 to 2013). PhD, Family-centred healing at home: a Samoan epistemology of Samoan families' experiences of home dialysis and home detention in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Philippa Howden-Chapman, Sarah Dean.
Matire Harwood (2001 to 2012). PhD, Understanding and Improving Stroke Recovery for Maori and Their Whanau. William Taylor, Kathryn McPherson, Harry McNaughton, Papaarangi Reid, Bridget Robson.
Jennifer Dunn (2007 to 2011). PhD, Upper limb reconstructive surgery in persons with tetraplegia. University of Otago. Jean Hay-Smith, Sally Keeling, Lisa Whitehead. Supported by the Health Research Council, Disability Research Placement Programme.
Meredith Perry (2007 to 2011). PhD, Activity and change in weekly activity levels over time in people with low back pain. Sarah Dean, David Baxter, Leigh Hale.
Deborah Snell (2006 to 2010). PhD, Neuropsychological remediation following mild traumatic brain injury. University of Otago. Jean Hay-Smith, Lois Surgenor, Richard Siegert. Supported by the University of Otago, Fanny Evans Scholarship.
William Levack (2004 to 2008). PhD, Goal planning in rehabilitation for people with acquired brain injury: a grounded theory investigation. Kath McPherson, Sarah Dean, Richard Siegert.
Sue Lord (2000 to 2006). PhD, The relevance, measurement and attainment of community ambulation after stroke. Kath McPherson, Harry McNaughton, Lynn Rochester.