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Rachelle Martin thumbnailDip Phys(Otago), MHSc(Otago), PhD(Otago)

Email rachelle.martin@otago.ac.nz
Tel +64 21 223 3362

Rachelle works as a Lecturer with the Rehabilitation Teaching and Research Unit (RTRU) in the Department of Medicine at the University of Otago, Wellington.

Rachelle is a physiotherapist who has completed her Master of Health Science (endorsed in rehabilitation) in 2014, and her PhD in 2018. Both of these programmes of study were undertaken at the RTRU. She has worked clinically in the area of acquired brain injury in acute and community rehabilitation settings. Alongside her role at the RTRU, Rachelle also works as Research and Knowledge Translation Lead at the Burwood Academy Trust, based in Christchurch.

Rachelle aims to develop equitable health-optimising policies and programmes, enabling people who experience disability to live well across their lifespan. Her research is conducted in a way that supports the development of empowering mana-enhancing health services - acknowledging and building on people's capabilities and strengths.

Rachelle optimises research real-world impact by ensuring that new evidence and knowledge is directly translated into improved ways of working – often within the process of research itself. She is committed to participatory methods that listen to and enhance the voices of disabled people, ensuring their perspectives influence health-related policy, programme and service delivery decisions, and works in partnership with Māori researchers to ensure kaupapa Māori responsiveness.

Rachelle often use realist review, research or evaluation methods to unpack the 'black box' of complex health programmes by developing a theoretically based understanding of 'what works for who, in which contexts, to what extent, and how?' As such, her research supports a nuanced understanding of how people are able to (or not) respond to intervention resources and/or programme mechanisms, and how different contexts (i.e. personal, environmental and societal) may impact on equitable health outcomes.

Publications

Hamer, J. E., Graham, F., Ranta, A., & Martin, R. A. (2025). Caregivers' experiences of sleep systems for children with complex neurodisability: A qualitative study. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/01942638.2024.2419642 Journal - Research Article

Machalicek, W., Gross, D. P., Armijo-Olivo, S., Ferriero, G., Kiekens, C., Martin, R., … 5th Cochrane Rehabilitation Methodological Meeting participants, including Every-Palmer, S., & Levack, W. M. (2024). The role of single case experimental designs in evidence creation in rehabilitation. European Journal of Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine. Advance online publication. doi: 10.23736/s1973-9087.24.08713-6 Journal - Research Other

Bourke, J., Johns, J., & Martin, R. A. (2024). Unpacking how trust, communication and flow interact to sustain quality relationships between disabled people, family and support workers: A realist qualitative study. Disability & Rehabilitation. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2024.2390049 Journal - Research Article

Grainger, R., Bourke, J., Martin, R., & Caldwell, J. (2024). The need for active allies: A narrative analysis of disable medical students' perspectives of their medical school in Aotearoa New Zealand. Proceedings of the Australian & New Zealand Association for Health Professional Educators (ANZAHPE) Conference. 143. Retrieved from https://www.anzahpe.org/ Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Sumner, B., Martin, R., Gladman, T., Wilkinson, T., & Grainger, R. (2024). Understanding the gap: Stakeholder views informing a contemporary digital health competence framework for a medical degree. Proceedings of the Australian & New Zealand Association for Health Professional Educators (ANZAHPE) Conference. 147. Retrieved from https://www.anzahpe.org/ Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

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