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National Industry PhD Award recognises ground-breaking research into sport injuries

A prestigious government grant will support pioneering ACU-led research into hamstring injuries in professional sport.

Professor David Opar has received a National Industry PhD award that will fund a doctoral candidate working on a research project with ACU and industry partner Springbok Analytics.

Professor Opar, the director of ACU’s Sports Performance, Recovery, Injury and New Technologies (SPRINT) Research Centre, said hamstring injuries were among the most common sports-related issue, impacting athletes at every level, from weekend warriors to professionals.

Despite decades of investigation, the rate of these injuries has remained stubbornly high, with hamstring injuries associated with prolonged recovery times and high recurrence rates.

Professor Opar said collaborating with Springbok Analytics and bringing on an industry researcher would accelerate the translation of research into practical solutions, benefiting athletes from grassroots to elite competitions.

“We are incredibly excited to further our collaboration with Springbok Analytics with the support of the National Industry PhD award,” he said.

“This will allow our collaborative and multidisciplinary team to further understand why some types of hamstring injuries are more problematic than others and provide information to practitioners about how best manage these trouble injuries.”

The project will apply AI injury prediction tools to a range of local sporting codes, including AFL and soccer, and develop exercise intervention and rehabilitation programs.

It follows a four-year collaboration between ACU and Springbok Analytics, which has included using Springbok’s advanced artificial intelligence (AI)-driven platform to analyse MRI data from the largest observational study into hamstring injuries.

“There is a need for a fresh approach and our research will use AI and state-of-the-art imaging technology to analyse not just the muscle but the associated tendons,” Professor Opar said.

“We can use these cutting-edge technologies to map the structural and morphological traits that contribute to different hamstring injuries.

“Ultimately, this will allow us to reshape training programs, improve practices and inform injury management guidelines.”

ACU exercise science alumnus Declan Carmichael worked closely with Professor Opar during his undergraduate studies and is now working as a researcher with Springbok Analytics.

The grant will fund his PhD at ACU, allowing him to gain valuable research skills and hands-on experience while continuing to work at Springbok Analytics.

“I have been surrounded by world-leading researchers at ACU for some time now, many of whom have gone on to become valued mentors and role models,” he said.

“This has led to a deep motivation to pursue a PhD, and I think the opportunity presented with Professor Opar, Springbok Analytics, and the National Industry PhD Program is an incredibly exciting one.”

“My industry experience with Springbok Analytics has deepened my understanding of the questions often faced by practitioners, highlighting key gaps in the current literature. Leveraging this experience, I aim to lead a clinically meaningful and impactful program of research that bridges scientific discovery with real-world application.”

Springbok Analytics has collaborated with ACU researchers on several research projects, and its Australian headquarters are co-located on the Melbourne campus.

Director of Business Development David Lane said the company was excited to deepen its ties with ACU through the National Industry PhD grant program.

“Embedding our operations at ACU’s Melbourne campus has allowed for continued engagement on key research and development initiatives and co-designed research,” Mr Lane said.

“The work we do at Springbok perfectly aligns with ACU’s research priorities in athlete health and performance.”

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise Professor Abid Khan said industry linkage projects were a focus for the university, and the centrepiece of ACU's long-term strategic plan Vision 2033.

“The biggest challenges facing us as a society require research that is connected to industry. That’s exactly what this program delivers,” Professor Khan said.

Graduate Research School Director Michelle Lopez said the grant reflected the career pathways developed through ACU's Graduate Research School.

“It is fantastic to see one of our alumni bridging the gap between industry and academia as part of this program,” Ms Lopez said.

“Industry linked PhDs show our students what is possible when research moves beyond the lab and into the community.”

The National Industry PhD Awards are a $300 million government initiative that brings together researchers to solve challenges across medical research, environmental sustainability, manufacturing and AI.

The program is designed to promote collaboration and provides opportunities for high-achieving PhD candidates to gain skills in knowledge translation and research impact.