Researcher

Dr Belinda Parmenter

My Expertise

Exercise and cardiovascular risk factors, exercise prescription to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and exercise training for people with cardiovascular disease.

Fields of Research (FoR)

Exercise Physiology, Cardiology (incl. Cardiovascular Diseases), Human Movement and Sports Science

Biography

A/Prof Belinda Parmenter is a clinical academic, accredited exercise physiologist (AEP), and the Head of UNSW Lifestyle Clinic, located at the School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health. Belinda is a UNSW Medicine and Health Cardiac, Vascular and Metabolic Medicine Steering Committee member.  She is also the co-founder and national co-chair of the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance (ACvA) Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) Working...view more

A/Prof Belinda Parmenter is a clinical academic, accredited exercise physiologist (AEP), and the Head of UNSW Lifestyle Clinic, located at the School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health. Belinda is a UNSW Medicine and Health Cardiac, Vascular and Metabolic Medicine Steering Committee member.  She is also the co-founder and national co-chair of the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance (ACvA) Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) Working Group. Belinda has over 25 years of clinical experience prescribing and delivering exercise for people at risk of or with cardiovascular disease. Her experience includes specialising in assessing, prescribing, implementing and supervising exercises for this population. Her PhD investigated the use of high-intensity progressive resistance training for patients with intermittent claudication from PAD, for which she was awarded the Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA) Medal for the most outstanding thesis in the field of Exercise and Sports Science. Belinda is an invited member of the NHMRC-funded National Centre for Research Excellence for PAD and continues her research in this field with a primary interest in the effect of cardiovascular disease on aerobic capacity and muscle strength and endurance, as well as the effect of exercise on reducing symptoms from those with and at risk of cardiovascular disease across the lifespan. Some of her current projects include investigating ways to improve regular incidental physical activity and promote continued sports and exercise participation across adolescence and into adulthood. She is working with the Matilda Centre at Sydney University to develop eHealth interventions for adolescents to increase physical activity levels and reduce sedentary behaviour, and she is developing similar programs for adult populations. She continues to investigate optimal exercise prescriptions for the amelioration of cardiovascular risk, as well as for the treatment of peripheral artery disease.


My Grants

  1. UNSW School of Health Sciences Seed Grant Scheme Improving access to exercise services for people with cancer CI $7,490.00
  2. UNSW School of Health Sciences Seed Grant Scheme Meta-Health Clinic: A pilot randomised controlled trial to improve cardiometabolic health, quality of life and reduce pain in people living with type 2 diabetes and osteoarthritis CI $7,392.00
  3. UNSW Neuroscience, Mental Health and Addiction Seed Grant Scheme Healthy Body & Mind Program: A pilot randomised controlled trial to improve quality of life, reduce pain, and reduce dementia risk in people living with cognitive decline and osteoarthritis. CI $38,807.00
  4. 2023 UNSW CVMM Collaborative Grant Scheme Using wearable activity monitors to increase physical activity in women with a recent history of gestational diabetes – A cross-over randomisation trial. PI $28,674.00
  5. 2023 MRFF Effective Treatments and Therapies MRFF#2023934 Patient-led goal setting and pain education to reduce blood pressure and increase physical activity in low back pain (CAPACITY) CI $1,400,000.00
  6. 2023 MRFF Maternal Health and Healthy Lifestyles MRFF#2021535 Health4Life Parents & Teens: a co-designed and scalable eHealth intervention to reduce modifiable cancer risk factors among socio-economically disadvantaged adolescents CI $1,619,922.00
  7. 2022 MRFF Cardiovascular Health Mission MRFF#: 2015817 Supervised Home Exercise for Peripheral Artery Disease (SHAPE) CI $1,000,000.00
  8. 2022 MRFF Dementia Aging and Aged Care Mission MRFF# 2015979 Metformin for treating peripheral artery disease Related walking Impairment Trial (MERIT) CI $1,215,367.00
  9. 2021 Faye Williams Philanthropic Gift Improving quality of life and reducing pain levels in persons with arthritis or osteoporosis at the UNSW Medicine & Health Lifestyle Clinic CI $775,000.00
  10. 2021 National Heart Foundation Strategic Grant CIB A randomised controlled trial to test if a novel remotely supervised program (PAD-medical) improves delivery of key secondary prevention treatments, risk factor control and health-related quality of life of people with peripheral artery disease CI $1,000,000.00
  11. 2021 UNSW CVMM Theme Big Ideas Grant Uptake and effectiveness of a UNSW Lifestyle Clinic exercise physiologist intervention for improving physical activity and reducing high blood pressure: A pilot randomised controlled trial CI $150,000.00
  12. 2021 Tyree Institute of Health Engineering Catalyst Award: Improving Exercise Physiology Outcomes Through Reinforcement Learning $30,000.00
  13. 2021 Deans of Health Science Grant: Building Allied Health Tertiary Education Curriculum in Infection Control $50,000.00
  14. 2020 Maridulu Badyari Gumal Implementation Science Strategic Platform Seed Grant Funding Scheme: Virtual Cardiac Rehabilitation on Development and Initial User Testing $30,000.00
  15. 2020 Maridulu Badyari Gumal Implementation Science Strategic Platform Seed Grant Funding Scheme: Implementation of WalkingTall against Vascular Disease for at-risk patients in a vascular clinical practice $20,000.00
  16. 2020 Maridulu Badyari Gumal COVID19+ Beyond Rapid Response Scheme: A clinical trial of a scalable Virtual Outpatient Rehabilitation program for cardiac patients. $30,000.00
  17. 2019 UNSW Sydney E/MCR Medicine Seed Funding: Lower Limb Rehabilitation for Peripheral Artery Disease $50,000.00
  18. 2019 UNSW Sydney Major Research Equipment and Infrastructure Grant $539,980.00
  19. 2018 UNSW and University of Sydney Seed Funding: Progressive Resistance Training as Adjunctive Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder and Mental Health Co-morbidity $20,000.00
  20. 2017 The Paul Ramsay Foundation (2017-2022): Health Lifestyles program: An innovative online primary and secondary prevention intervention $6,230,000.00.
  21. 2016 UNSW Sydney Major Research Equipment and Infrastructure Grant $218,097.00
  22. 2015 Exercise and Sports Science Australia Industry Grant: Exercise Physiology in Practice: Evidence Based Practice Grant for Type 2 Diabetes $116,925.00
  23. 2015 UNSW Sydney Major Research Equipment and Infrastructure Grant $207,236.00
  24. 2014 NHMRC Project Grant APP1063476 Brief behavioural intervention for peripheral arterial disease Associate Investigator $662,912.00
  25. 2013 Australian Catholic University Faculty Research Grant $16,000.00
  26. 2010 Exercise and Sports Science Australia Tom Penrose Grant: Resistance Exercise for Peripheral Arterial Ischaemia: a Randomised controlled Trial (REPAIR IT) $10,000.00

My Qualifications

2012 PhD University of Sydney, NSW, Australia

1996 Bachelor of Health Science (Exercise and Sports Science) Griffith University Gold Coast, Qld, Australia


My Awards

    2023 UNSW Sydney School of Health Sciences Researcher of the Year

     2022 UNSW Sydney Faculty of Medicine & Health Education Innovation Award

  • Health Professionals Programs

2022 The MHS Learning Network Inc Award in Therapeutic and Clinical Services

  • The Keeping Body in Mind program

2020 UNSW Faculty of Medicine & Health: Faculty Heroes Award

  • Improving the student experience at UNSW Medicine & Health Lifestyle Clinic

2020 UNSW Faculty of Medicine & Health: Faculty Excellence in Education & Innovation

  • Improving the student experience in prac during COVID

    2020 Supervisor of UNSW Exercise Physiology Best Student Research Awardee

    • The effectiveness and safety of isometric resistance training for adults with high blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis

    2019 Paper of the Month  UNSW Sydney: School of Medical Sciences

  • Paper of the month for Mayt 2019 for the publication “Resistance training as treatment for older persons with peripheral arterial disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    2016 Supervisor of UNSW Exercise Physiology Best Student Research Awardee

  • Aerobic vs. Resistance Exercise for Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

    2015 Best Research Poster award World Congress on Active Aging, Melbourne

  • Effects of Progressive Resistance Training on Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Older Adults

2015 Supervisor of UNSW Exercise Physiology Best Student Research Awardee

  • Validating Commercial Physical Activity Monitors: Which Monitor should you use?

    2012 ESSA Medal  ESSA: Exercise and Sports Science Australia

  • Most Outstanding PhD Thesis submitted in the field of Exercise and Sports Science

My Research Activities

 Health4Life (Parents & Teens): A co-designed and scalable eHealth intervention to reduce modifiable cancer risk factors among socio-economically disadvantaged adolescents

 MERIT: Metformin for treating Peripheral Arterial Disease-related walking impairment

 SHAPE: The Supervised Home-based Exercise Program for Peripheral Artery Disease

 Diabetes Clinic: Feasibility and Acceptability of an Exercise Physiology delivered type 2 diabetes group service for older adults

 Iso Ex: The effects of isometric strength exercise on blood pressure in adults.

 The BEST Study: Exercise Physiology in Practice: Evidence-Based Practice for persons with Type 2 Diabetes

 


My Research Supervision


Supervision keywords


Areas of supervision

Exercise for the prevention or treatment of cardiovascular disease


Currently supervising

Diabetes Clinic: Feasibility and Acceptability of an Exercise Physiology delivered type 2 diabetes group service for older adults

STREss less Exercise for Blood Pressure: The effects of isometric STREngth Exercise for blood pressure in adults.

UPLIFT: Progressive resistance training as an adjunctive treatment for alcohol use disorder and mental health co-morbidity.

The BEST Study: Exercise Physiology in Practice: Evidence-Based Practice for persons with Type 2 Diabetes

 

 

 

 


My Teaching

Course Convenor: HESC3504 Physical Activity and Health 

Bachelor of Exercise Physiology

Course Outline: The focus of this course is on the effects of exercise on apparently healthy populations and those with increased cardiovascular risk across the lifespan. Psychological aspects of exercise, including the application of behaviour change and self-management strategies, comprise a significant component of this course. The literature addressing the impact of physical activity on cardiovascular risk reduction and the prevention of disease will be discussed in detail by examining the mechanisms by which exercise alters metabolic, vascular, muscular and cognitive function, both chronically and acutely. Health-based screening and intervention techniques (including basic nutrition assessments) will be applied with students undertaking a supervised lifestyle change project. 

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Location

Discipline of Exercise Physiology
School of Health Sciences
Faculty of Medicine and Health
Room 211, Level 2 West
Wallace Wurth Building
UNSW Sydney
Randwick NSW 2031



Map reference (Google map)

Contact

+61 2 9065 7411