Professional development sessions

ACU’s School of Allied Health is pleased to offer free professional development sessions, or ‘speed sessions’, to our placement providers, university students and alumni.

These brief recordings cover clinical practice and research topics relating to allied health. The sessions are pre-recorded by ACU academics and researchers and will be emailed to subscribers each month.

This professional development program is for allied health professionals, university students and ACU alumni, and aims to support ongoing learning throughout their careers and studies.

How to get involved

Would you like to receive access to ACU Allied Health Speed Sessions? Subscribe to receive new recordings by email.

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Session schedule for 2025

MONTH TOPIC PRESENTER

April

Supporting young people experiencing psychosis with their employment.

Dr Melissa Aguey-Zinsou 
Lecturer, Occupational Therapy, ACU

May

Vaping in adolescents.

Dr Nia Luxton
Senior Lecturer, Physiotherapy, ACU

May

Mental health and social work.

Dr Aniqa Farwa
Senior Lecturer, Social Work and Assistant Deputy Head of School Strathfield, ACU

June

Charting a Model of Educational Success: Bridging Access, Retention, and Workforce Readiness for Allied Health Students

Ms Lisa Dent
Lecturer, Speech Pathology, ACU 

July

The application of the CO-OP Approach to improve occupational performance of children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).

Ms Catherine Hilly
Lecturer, Occupational Therapy and PhD Candidate, ACU

July

Prevalence and risk factors for chronic lower limb oedema in the older population – a community cohort study.

Ms Maree O’Connor
Physiotherapist and Higher Degree Research Candidate, ACU

July

Aphasia camps in Australia: Empowering communities to support sustainable services.

Dr Megan Trebilcock
Lecturer, Speech Pathology, ACU

August

Gait disorders in Parkinson’s disease: What do we know and how can we manage them?

Professor Michael Cole
Associate Dean, Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, ACU

August

Build your toolkit: Treating speech errors in children with cleft palate.

Dr Leah Henley
Senior Lecturer and Course Coordinator, Bachelor of Speech Pathology Canberra, ACU

September

The Role of Occupational Therapists in Supporting Individuals with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Long COVID.

Ms Julie Hughes
Lecturer, Occupational Therapy, ACU

September

“De-implementation of Bobath therapy (and what to replace it with)”.

Associate Professor Simone Dorsch
Associate Professor, Physiotherapy, ACU

October

First Nations health and anti-racist research and practice.

Associate Professor Jessica Russ-Smith
Deputy Head of School Canberra and Chair, Indigenous Research Ethics Advisory Panel, ACU

October

Training the future aged care workforce and the role for speech pathology.

Associate Professor Erin Conway
School of Allied Health Research Coordinator and Chairperson, Human Ethics Research Committee, ACU Associate Professor

 

Kieran Flanagan
Deputy Head of School Brisbane and National Course Coordinator Speech Pathology, ACU

November

What factors do allied health students take into account when making employment decisions?

Ms Chloe Schlatter
Speech Pathologist and 2023 graduate, ACU

November

Methods for describing a child's visual ability.

Dr Belinda Deramore Denver
Lecturer, Occupational Therapy, ACU

November

Are you what your dad eats? The role of fathers in early life nutrition.

Dr Adam Walsh
Senior Lecturer, Nutrition and Dietetics and National Course Coordinator, Master of Dietetic Practice, ACU

December

Update on the FAIR consensus from the IOC (Female, women, and girl Athletes: Injury prevention).

Dr Shreya McLeod
Senior Lecturer, Physiotherapy, ACU

December

Rethinking co-design: Using adapted Delphi methods to engage hard-to-reach populations in ethical, inclusive knowledge creation.

Professor Helen McLaren
Professor and Head of Discipline, Social Work, ACU

Note: Topics and presenters are subject to change.

SoAH Speed Sessions (PDF, 360 KB)

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