Exercise Science, Studies Show

On this episode, Em & I chatted through her recent paper 'Social determinants of health equity for people with pain: from understanding to action', which she led as a clinical update for the IASP global year in review for 2025. Em walks us through what are the Social Determinants of Health, how these can impact ouctomes, a framework for clinicians and then lots of really interesting chat. This is an excellent episode that will (hopefully) help you to slow down and reflect! Paper: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41450708/ Emily's bio & where to find her: Emily Walker is a PhD candidate at UNSW and Neuroscience Research Australia, using process evaluation to explore patient-led goal setting and pain science education for people with chronic low back pain. She also spends her time reading about social determinants of pain, health equity, and critical qualitative approaches to health research. Clinically, she works as an exercise physiologist in a multidisciplinary clinic, mainly supporting people with musculoskeletal concerns. She is also an Associate Lecturer at UNSW, where she is involved in subjects on research methods, musculoskeletal health, and special populations. Insta: emwalker_exphys LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-walker-exphys/⁠Blue Sky: emwalkerexphys.bsky.social

It was great to have Soph back on for another chat! This was a great discussion around what complexity means, and how systems thinking can help us navigate that. This convo definitely made me think and I hope it does the same for you. This should serve as somewhat of an intro and a bit to chew on for systems thinking and Soph has been so kind as to provide some resources for further reading, which you can find below beneath her bio: Soph is a queer, Autistic/ADHD woman living andworking on Wiradjuri country (Wagga Wagga). She is an APA Titled Pain Physiotherapist, Pain Revolution Local Pain Educator & Mentor, and Clinical Director of Vive Pain & Fatigue, a niche telehealth practice established to support those living with complex persistent pain, chronic fatigue, and invisible illnesses. Soph is also a researcher and current PhD candidate, with interests spanning pain and fatigue management, health equity, rural health, neurodivergence,psychologically-informed care, and suicide prevention within physiotherapy. An experienced educator and speaker, Soph has presented nationally and internationally, including invited lectures for the Australian Physiotherapy Association, the College of Physiotherapists of Alberta, and University ofLondon (City). Her expertise has also been recognised with invited presentations at both the 2025 Global Ehlers-Danlos Conference and the 2025 Australian Pain Society Conference. In her spare time she also hosts a podcast, Beyond Pain & Fatigue.@vivepainandfatigueResources: Arnold, R. D., & Wade, J. P. (2017). A complete set of systems thinking skills. Insight, 20(3), 9-17.Snowden, D. J. (2004). Managing for Serendipity or why we should lay off "best practice” in KM. Ark Group’s Knowledge Management Magazine, 8.Doll Jr, W. E., & Trueit, D. (2010). Complexity and the health care professions: Complexity and health care professions. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 16(4), 841–848. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2753.2010.01497.xZinsstag, J., Schelling, E., Waltner-Toews, D., & Tanner, M. (2011). From “one medicine” to “one health” and systemic approaches to health and well-being. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 101(3–4), 148–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2010.07.003

Welcome back! Kicking off 2026 with a chat with Ewan 'The ADHD EP' - Please find Ewan's bio and links below. This was a good chat about how exercise practitioners should consider ADHD in clinical interactions. Ewan discusses the first two of his PhD studies and some really great clinical take aways!Bio:Ewan, also known as Chris, is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist and PhD candidate at the University of Sydney (USYD) studying Exercise in Adults with ADHD. He draws on his experience in clinical practice and his own lived experience of ADHD to inform his research and, combined with his research knowledge, provide accurate, accessible and applicable information at The ADHD EP.  He is a member of the Australian ADHD Professionals Association (AADPA) and has presented to a variety of groups and events including providing training and education for teams of clinicians and consumers as well as lecturing on ADHD to Exercise Physiology students at USYD. His passion and research focus is centred around improving our understanding and implementation of exercise to improve the health and wellbeing of Adults with ADHD. Links:Instagram - @the_adhd_epWebsite - [email protected] 

This was a great chat with Jess, who I was lucky enough to teach in my first ever year of teaching back at WSU. Jess and I catch up on what she has been doing in the meantime & it sounds like an awesome journey. From Arizona State University to working at Google and all of the lessons along the way - this is a fantastic episode and a must listen for anyone keen on how translational the S&C skillset really is!Jess' bio & links: Jess De Silva is a Performance Coach for EXOS @ Google, specialising in bridging the gap between research and practice across various populations. While her day-to-day focuses on corporate performance, Jess brings a robust history of hands-on athletic experience, including leading the S&C program for the Sydney University American Football Club (U20's and Men's). A dedicated professional with a Master’s degree in Strength and Conditioning and experience interning at Arizona State University, Jess is uniquely positioned to discuss adaptable, evidence-based training methods.LinkedIn - Jess De SilvaInstagram - @jess_desilva 

This was a fantastic chat with emily about this paper (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40987621/), which was a mediation analysis of a previous trial (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30808666/). Emily was the lead author and walks us through what mediation is and why it is important for clinical trials, what this study found, what it means for clinical practice, and what is next! Emily and I get into some great discussion around relevant clinical strategies that can be derived from this paper (and other relevant literature) as well as some healthy banter along the way. This episode is a great listen & make sure to keep posted for a follow up ep that we talk about toward the end! Emily's bio & where to find her: Emily Walker is a PhD candidate at UNSW and Neuroscience Research Australia, using process evaluation to explore patient-led goal setting and pain science education for people with chronic low back pain. She also spends her time reading about social determinants of pain, health equity, and critical qualitative approaches to health research. Clinically, she works as an exercise physiologist in a multidisciplinary clinic, mainly supporting people with musculoskeletal concerns. She is also an Associate Lecturer at UNSW, where she is involved in subjects on research methods, musculoskeletal health, and special populations. Insta: emwalker_exphys LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-walker-exphys/Blue Sky: emwalkerexphys.bsky.social

I was fortunate to sit down with Soph and chat all things Telehealth. Soph's bio below shows exactly why you should tune into this chat! There are some absolute gems of advice in here about how to get set up and navigate the online space! I will definitely be having Soph back on to talk more about her research so stay tuned for another chat :) Soph's Bio: Soph is a queer, Autistic/ADHD woman living andworking on Wiradjuri country (Wagga Wagga). She is an APA Titled Pain Physiotherapist, Pain Revolution Local Pain Educator & Mentor, and Clinical Director of Vive Pain & Fatigue, a niche telehealth practice established to support those living with complex persistent pain, chronic fatigue, and invisible illnesses. Soph is also a researcher and current PhD candidate, with interests spanning pain and fatigue management, health equity, rural health, neurodivergence,psychologically-informed care, and suicide prevention within physiotherapy. An experienced educator and speaker, Soph has presented nationally and internationally, including invited lectures for the Australian Physiotherapy Association, the College of Physiotherapists of Alberta, and University ofLondon (City). Her expertise has also been recognised with invited presentations at both the 2025 Global Ehlers-Danlos Conference and the 2025 Australian Pain Society Conference. In her spare time she also hosts a podcast, Beyond Pain & Fatigue.@vivepainandfatigue

This was a great chat with Nathan who is the current Strength & Power coach at the St George Dragons & leads Strength-IQ. In his spare time, he is also doing a PhD - so you can imagine, we had a lot to talk about. Nathan talks us through his experience in elite sport from the NRL to the NBA and his lessons along the way. There is some cool chat about interpreting research and statistics, which is extremely valuable for coaches, clinicians, and students. Get around it and have a listen! You can find Nathan's bio below, and learn more about him at the following links (be sure to follow him, the stuff he puts out on Linkedin is top shelf!)Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-spencer-a6856299/Instagram: @performancecoach_spencerNathan' bio:Nathan Spencer is a Strength & Power Coach and PhDcandidate whose career spans over a decade in elite sport both internationally and domestically. He has coached and consulted in the NRL, NBA, and Olympic pathways, with a focus on strength and power diagnostics, velocity-based training, and applied sports science. Nathan is currently Strength & Power Coach at the St George Illawarra Dragons and leads Strength-IQ, a consultancy dedicated to helping coaches and organisations gain clarity in athlete performance through diagnostics-driven prescription. His research explores mentoring and coach pedagogy, aiming to design evidence-based frameworks that support thenext generation of strength and conditioning professionals.

This was a very insightful chat with Amelia Yarwood, a Learning Success Advisor from USYD. In this podcast we chat all things communication, tricky clinical scenarios, and the complexity of navigating complex clinical communication. This is the episode I would have loved to listen to as an undergrad prior to going on my clinical placements - but there are also so many great insights in here for established clinicans also. Be sure to give this one a listen! Amelia's bio:Amelia Yarwood is annexperienced Learning Success Advisor of 7 years. She currently works at the University of Sydney where she supports students' academic success through workshops and 1:1 consultations. Amelia works closely with Allied Health students and has been responsible for delivering clinical communication workshops for disciplines with the Faculty of Medicine and Health since 2023.

This was a great opportunity to sit down with Scarlett to chat about her experiences as a new grad EP in rural settings. I had the privledge of teaching Scarlett only a year ago and she always had brilliant insights and a bunch of experience - so when I heard she was working in rural settings I was very excited to pick her brain. This was a great chat and I hope you all enjoy!Scarlett's bio:"I am a 2024 graduate of the University of New South Waleswith a Bachelor of Exercise Physiology, awarded with distinction. During mystudies, I completed part of my practical placement in rural New South Wales, which led me to my current role as an Accredited Exercise Physiologist serving Dubbo and the Central West. Over the past eight months, I’ve had the opportunity to apply and refine the skills I developed at university across a diverse range of clients. In addition to my work as an Exercise Physiologist, Ialso work as a Personal Trainer. I’m passionate about supporting both general and clinical populations to challenge themselves and achieve their health and performance goals."

This was a great chat with Kate about her experience working in hospital settings as well as her PhD and MRes research. Kate shares an abundance of insights in this episode about clinical work, research, placements, and much more. This was also just a genuinely fun chat where I learned a lot about so be sure to check this one out! About Kate and where you can follow her work:Kate is a clinician scientist with a background in cardiopulmonary exercise physiology and critical care nursing. She is currently pursuing a PhD to understand how exercise testing can uncover clues about why people become breathless. Kate has over a decade of experience working in the Australian public healthcare system, taking on roles across the entire spectrum of clinical acuity, including emergency, clinical trials, and outpatient rehabilitation.Twitter and BlueSky: @physiologistk8’Effects of intensity and training on cardiovascular responses to the Valsalva manoeuvre’ in Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology

This was a great chat with PhD candidate, Yannick Gilyani. Yannick walks us through Process Evaluation, which is something that may not be super familiar as it is emerging in the exercise/pain space. But, if you have ever read a clinical trial and wondered how this may replicate in your clinic or, what the elements you need to 'extract' from that trial to achieve the same (or better) effect this episode is for you! Please see Yannick's bio below: Yannick is a PhD candidate at the University of New South Wales and Neuroscience Research Australia in the Centre for Pain IMPACT. Yannick’s research interests include complex pain conditions, investigating treatment mechanisms, understanding the lived experiences in the healthcare system, and translating research into practice. For his PhD, he is conducting a process evaluation of the MEMOIR trial for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome to optimise and translate mechanistic and experiential findings into clinical practice and policy. Yannick has experience working clinically as an Accredited Exercise Physiologist with young people in the mental health space. In his spare time, he enjoys playing golf, rock climbing, cooking and live music.

This was a huge episode with someone I have connected with online for quite some time now, Justin Martino, DPT. Before I intro this episode and Justin, the audio got a little spotty in the first 5mins, but we sorted it and the rest was back to normal audio quality. In this ep, we set out to chat exercise and mental health, which we did... but we also covered much more. We chatted about the psychosocial side of pain, siloed research, BJJ, pragmatic exercise options in the context of pain management, and of course all about Justin's journey to where he is today. In the context of mental health and exercise, Justin takes us through the evidence and some breadcrumbs as to how we can set out to engage people we are working with in this exercise in meaningful and achievable ways. Justin is a full-time clinician (see below) but also puts out some great research in really cool areas and at the end of the episode gives some insight to what he is currently working one.This was an absolute pleasure to record, and I highly encourage everyone to check this one out - there are a tonne of golden nuggets in there from Justin. Justin's Bio: "Justin Martino is an outpatient orthopedic physical therapist with Duke University Health System in Durham, North Carolina in the United States. He emphasizes evidence-based care and shared decision-making to empower patients through movement optimism—helping them recognize their body’s resilience and the benefits of conservative care. He earned his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from High Point University in 2024 and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Wake Forest University in 2019. When he's not at work or doing research, Justin enjoys spending time with his girlfriend and goldendoodle, Brazilian jiu jitsu, lifting weights, and cooking."Research discussed by Justin:⁠https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35416941/ ⁠⁠https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36731907/⁠⁠https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38355154/⁠⁠https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34398577/⁠⁠https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36369663/⁠⁠https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33497853/

It was great to chat with Dr MillieMardon about her journey into academia, her brilliant work around pelvic pain and pain education, and her current post-doctoral work. This was a super enjoyable one to record and there are lots of gems in there as well - be sure to have a listen!Millie's bio"Dr Amelia Mardon is a postdoctoral research fellow in reproductive health at NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University. She has a PhD in pelvic pain and a research interest in the conservative management of endometriosis and pelvic pain, including pain education. Through her research she hopes to reduce the stigma associated with the pelvis and improve the wellbeing of those living with pelvic pain."Papers discussed:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38452219/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39968159/

Was great to sit down with Claire and Chris and talk about the ASTEROID trial. We get into the self-report outcomes, the objective IVD outcomes, and the qualitative outcomes of the trial. Claire and Chris are both PhD candidates (at the end of their candidature) at Monash. Their Bios, where to find them, and links to the trial and protocol are below:Claire Samanna:Claire Samanna is a PhD Candidate from Monash University and an Accredited Exercise Physiologist for the last eight years. Claire’s desire to continually grow and learn tied in with her deep passion for understanding andhelping those experiencing chronic low back pain led her to undertake a PhD in low back pain and specifically in how intervertebral discs respond to exercise. She is a member of the Australian Pain Society and recently presented herresearch findings at the Australian Pain Society conference and the Exercise Sports Science Research to Practice conference. Claire’s hobbies include keeping active with race walking and running and traveling as much and as oftenas she can. Claire’s personal experiences with her own injuries drive her desire to improve the healthcare standards and narratives patients in pain receive, to create better pathways for those experiencing chronic pain. Instagram: Claire_thelowbackpain_epX: @ClaireLSamannaChris Neason:Chris Neason is an exercise physiologist and the owner of the Healesville Wellness Factory. He is passionate about helping people with back pain overcome pain and injuries and is currently undertaking a PhD exploring running in people withlow back pain. Chris also teaches and supervises students at Deakin University. X: @chris_neasonASTEROID: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/59/2/99.fullProtocol: https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/9/1/e001524

This was a fantastic chat with newly minted PhD, Dr Imtiaz Desai. Imtiaz has recently finished his PhD at UNSW looking at some really cool research around the effect of resistance training and creatine on the gut microbiome. He is now a post-doctoral researcher and trial manager at the Centre for Pain Impact working on the Capacity trial. Imtiaz also recently published a systematic review on the effect of creatine on RT-based body composition changes (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39074168/). Imtiaz provides some great insights to academia and we get into some cool chat around his research. Enjoy the show!Imtiaz's bio:“Imtiaz is a health and performance expert with global experience in the management and development of small businesses—who loves being on two wheels—and has PhD-level experience in managing clinical research. He has a passion for guiding people and organisations to success and is dedicated to improving human health.”

This was a great chat about all things placement in exercise-based degrees. Alex gives some practical advice for both students and supervisors!Alex's bio:"I am an Accredited Exercise Scientist and Exercise Physiologist and Lecturer in the School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health. . I was awarded my PhD from UNSW Sydney in 2020 in the area of Fundamental Motor Skills in Preschool Children. My clinical and teaching expertise concern the role of exercise for the management and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries and conditions. I am also the Clinical Practice Lead for Exercise Science & Exercise Physiology, where I oversee all work-integrated learning/placement activities for the discipline."

This episode Mitch chats with Tim Trevail about all things rehab and jiu jitsu. The episode begins with some great insights from Tim around his journey through research and practice, before getting into some great talk around rehab models, training modes, and social context of returning to jiu jitsu. Be sure not to miss this one! Please see Tim's bio & links below: Tim is the Program Director for Physical Health at Torrens University and private practice clinician in Melbourne, Australia. He is an experienced health and educationprofessional with an extensive clinical and academic background in musculoskeletal healthcare. Tim holds an honours degree in Sports Therapy from the UK, Post-graduate Diploma in Learning and Teaching, a Masters Degree in Sports and Exercise Medicine, and is currently aPhD candidate where he is researching the link between physical activity and persistent pain, supporting more people to lead physically active lives. Tim is an active grappler, a black belt under Lachlan Giles at Absolute MMA in Melbourne. Having competed nationally and internationally, he now focuses on supporting the grappling and combat sports community to decrease the impact of injuries and spend more time on the mats doing the sport they love.A couple of relevant links to the discussion: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/blackbeltrehab/ Return to Play Framework for Jiu-Jitsu Athletes https://www.timtrevail.com/post/grappling-with-the-chaos Am I mentally ready to compete after injury?https://www.timtrevail.com/post/am-i-mentally-ready-to-compete

This was a great chat with another newly minted PhD - Dr Jared Powell. Here Mitch asks Jared about the why and how of getting into research as an experienced clinician and how it has influenced his approach to practice. We also get into some golden nuggets of wisdom around understanding shoulder pain. Below, you will find links to Jared's latest paper and his bio. @Shoudler_Physio on instagram and ShoulderPhysio.com are the best places to connect with Dr Powell. https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2024.12676 Dr Powell's bio: I am an experienced musculoskeletal physiotherapist based in Queensland, Australia Since qualifying in 2012, I have had a special interest in the shoulder joint. I’ve undertaken significant study and research in this area and am currently completing a shoulder-pain-related PhD at Bond University.   My shoulder research and educational materials have been published in high-quality, peer-reviewed journals, along with several orthopaedic and musculoskeletal textbooks. I lean strongly on scientific evidence in my clinical practice and research, leading to many early mornings and late nights geeking out on the latest research!

In this episode Mitch sits down with Dr Adrian Ram to chat through his PhD thesis and all things knee OA and pain education - this one is a must listen! See Adrians Bio below: Dr. Adrian Ram, an Accredited Exercise Physiologist whose work is improving best practices in musculoskeletal care. With a PhDfocused on advancing exercise physiology practices for knee osteoarthritis, Adrian has made significant contributions to the field, particularly in pain education and the application of painful exercise. Dr. Ram specialises in the effective management of chronic pain conditions, including post-surgical pain, musculoskeletal injuries, widespread pain, and chronic disease. His approach is rooted in the biopsychosocial model, emphasising individualized care that integrates physical, psychological, and social factors for optimal outcomes. Beyond his clinical expertise, Adrian is a dedicated educator and mentor. With extensive experience teaching musculoskeletal rehabilitation at the university level, he combines academic knowledge with practical insights to advance the field and support the development of future exercise physiologists.

This episode, Dr Mitch sits down with his former boss, Sean O'Shea. Sean is an extremely accomplished coach and owner of PPT (Performance Personal Training) in the Macarthur area. Sean works with UFC fighters Rob Whittaker, Jacob Malkoun, One FC fighter Isi Fitikefu, Olympic wrestler Jayden Lawrence, and many, many more. Sean takes us through his tier 1 assessment and some underlying philosophies around assessing the combat athlete and broader coaching in MMA. This episode is a must listen!! Sean's insta is @sospersonaltrainer

In this episode, Dr Mitch sits down with former student Tea Maros to discuss her experience going from undergrad to elite sport/research. Tea is currently finishing her honours with the Sydney Swans and has completed many internships in professional and semi-professional organisations alongside her coaching experience. This is a must listen for students and practitioners/coaches alike for as Tea shares some amazing insights!