Academic Department
Monash Department of Clinical Epidemiology at Cabrini Hospital - Staff
Director
Professor Rachelle Buchbinder
Director, Monash Department of Clinical Epidemiology at Cabrini Hospital
MBBS (Hons), MSc, PhD, FRACP
Email: rachelle.buchbinder@med.monash.edu.au
Rachelle is Director of the Monash Department of Clinical Epidemiology at Cabrini Hospital. She is a rheumatologist and clinical epidemiologist. She graduated in Medicine from Monash University in 1981 and received a Masters of Science in Clinical Epidemiology from the University of Toronto in 1993 for research in the classification of soft tissue disorders of the neck and upper limb.
Her current research program covers the management of soft tissue disorders - particularly the shoulder, elbow, knee and heel and she has been involved in clinical trials of innovative new therapies in each of these areas. She also has interests in risk of malignancy in rheumatic diseases, treatment and prevention of low back pain, magnetic resonance imaging in rheumatoid arthritis, quality of life, patient education, complementary medicine and outcome measurement. Various local, national and international bodies have been supported her work.
Rachelle currently coordinates and teaches the postgraduate course in Measurement. She also supervises postdoc, BMedSci, MPH and PhD students.
Staff
Dr Andrew Briggs BSc(Physio), Hons, PhD
Research Fellow
Andrew Briggs works as project coordinator on the Australian Rheumatology
Association Database (ARAD) project with Professor Rachelle Buchbinder and
her team in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology at Cabrini Hospital.
Andrew completed a PhD degree at the University of Melbourne in the
School of Physiotherapy and Department of Medicine in the area of spinal biomechanics
and osteoporosis. Andrew also works as a clinical physiotherapist in private
practice and a tutor in the School of Physiotherapy at the University of Melbourne.
Ms Miranda Cumpston BA(Hons)
Australian Satellite Coordinator, Cochrane Musculoskeletal
Group
Miranda is the Australian Satellite Coordinator of the Cochrane Musculoskeletal Review Group with the Department of Clinical Epidemiology at Cabrini Hospital, and also works as a Research Officer for the Australasian Cochrane Centre at the Monash Institute for Health Services Research.
Miranda has recently returned from three years working with the Canadian Cochrane Network and Centre at the University of Ottawa, and has a background in public health policy. Miranda is currently studying for a Masters of Public Health.
Dr Peter Kent BAppSc(Chiro), BAppSc(Physio),
GradDipManipTher, PhD
NHMRC
Health Practitioner Research Training Fellow
Peter commenced a NHMRC Health Practitioner Research Training Fellowship this year, working with Professor Rachelle Buchbinder and her team in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology at Cabrini Hospital, and also with Professor Jenny Keating and her team at the Department of Physiotherapy, Monash University. He retains a clinical involvement as a musculoskeletal physiotherapist.
Peter's PhD was in the clinical epidemiology of low back pain and in the utility of standardising clinical assessment. His principal research interests are clinical epidemiology and prediction in back pain, dissemination strategies of best evidence and data-mining.
Dr Margaret Staples PhD
Biostatistician, Clinical Epidemiology, Cabrini
Dr Margaret Staples is a Biostatistician in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology
located at Cabrini Hospital. She is working with Professor Rachelle Buchbinder
and her team on musculoskeletal research projects within the department as
well as providing statistical support to other research groups at Cabrini.
For the past 16 years Margaret has worked in cancer epidemiology
and research at The Cancer Council Victoria and the National Cancer Control
Initiative. Her main research interests have been in skin and prostate cancers
and she is looking forward to the change in focus of her work. Margaret has
a Master’s degree in statistics and a PhD in the epidemiology of familial
prostate cancer from The University of Melbourne.
Mrs Lavonne Collins
Administration Assistant
Lavonee divides her time between administration for the Department and as Prof Buchbinder’s medical secretary.
Brdie Murphy
BFormSci (Hons) MPharmSci
Bridie works as a project manager on an NHMRC multi-centre clinical
trial examining the safety and efficacy of the Vertebroplasty procedure for
treating osteoporotic spinal fractures. She is also the Victorian and South
Australian state coordinator for the Australian Rheumatology Association
Database, a national arthritis registry. She
began working with Professor Rachelle Buchbinder and her team in May 2007 in
the Department of Clinical Epidemiology at Cabrini Hospital.
