Dr Daina Louise Sturnieks

My Expertise

Fall risk and fall prevention in older people.

Keywords

Fields of Research (FoR)

Human Movement and Sports Science, Neurosciences, Public Health and Health Services

SEO tags

Neurodegenerative Disorders Related to Ageing

Skeletal System and Disorders (incl. Arthritis)

Clinical Health (Organs, Diseases and Abnormal Conditions)

Allied Health Therapies (excl. Mental Health Services)

Disability and Functional Capacity

Injury Control

Preventive Medicine

Biography

I obtained a PhD in human biomechanics (UWA) and undertook a Post-doctoral Research Fellowship at the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute. I have spent most of my career as a research scientist in the Falls, Balance and Injury Research Centre at Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and recently joined the School of Medical Sciences at UNSW in a teaching and research role. My research focuses on understanding biomechanical, sensorimotor and neurocognitive contributions to balance and falls in older people and clinical groups, and randomised controlled trials of novel interventions to prevent falls involving balance, stepping and cognitive training. I am active in translating research findings as Executive Board Member of the Australian and New Zealand Falls Prevention Society.

Research Interests:
Research interests include studies to understand human balance, walking and falls in the elderly, including sensory, motor and cognitive contributions. Randomised controlled trials of motor and cognitive training to improve balance and prevent falls in elderly and clinical populations. Fall prevention intervention translation to community, aged care and hospital settings.

Broad Research Areas:
Neuroscience, Ageing, Physiology, Balance, Gait, Biomechanics, Fall Prevention, Exercise Training, Cognitive Training

Qualifications:
BAppSci, PhD

My Grants

Menant, Sturnieks, et al. NHMRC Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies Grant: Cognitive-motor step training to reduce chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) symptoms in cancer survivors, 2024-2027. $808,943.
Menant, Goldstein, Lord, Mizhari, Park, Sherrington, Sturnieks. World Cancer Research Fund, Feasibility studies grant scheme. Integrated balance and cognitive training to improve symptoms, balance and quality of life in cancer survivors with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: a feasibility study, 2024-2026, $115,000.
Vakulin et al. ResMed Foundation, Clinical Research Grant. Reducing fall risk by treating obstructive sleep apnea in older people, 2023-2026, $400,000.
Sturnieks, Menant, Valenzuela, Delbaere. NHMRC Project Grant: A randomised controlled trial of cognitive-only and cognitive-motor training to prevent falls in older people: understanding physical, neuropsychological and neural mechanisms, 2015-2020. $1,558,415.
Lord, Cameron, Close, Sherrington, Smith, Sturnieks, Delbaere, Tiedemann. NHMRC Partnership Grant: Implementing Falls Prevention Research into Policy and Practice, 2011-2015, $1,499,888.
Modenese et al., UNSW Research Infrastructure Scheme, 2022, $ 130,000.
McDonald et al., UNSW Research Infrastructure Scheme, 2022, $ 83,045.
Sturnieks, et al. Allity Corporate Partnership, 2019-2021, $200,000.
Butler et al., UNSW Research Infrastructure Scheme, 2020, $ 151,845.
Lord, Sturnieks et al., SPHERE AAA Clinical Group Seed Funding, 2018-2020, $44,433.
Sturnieks. Bushel Foundation Rising Star Award, 2017-2020, $500,000.
Lord, Sturnieks, et al. Parkinson’s NSW Grant, 2017-2018, $48,149.
Okubo, Sturnieks et al. Cromwell Foundation Grant, 2017, $28,000.
Okubo, Sturnieks, et al. MS Research Australia Incubator Grant, 2017, $24,700.
Lord, Sturnieks et al. UNSW Research Infrastructure Scheme, 2018, $404,120.
Okubo, Sturnieks et al. Meiji Yasuda Life Foundation Research Grant (Japan), 2016, $12,600.
Menant, Sturnieks, Lord, UNSW UNSW Goldstar Award, 2015, $40,000.
Lord, Sturnieks et al. UNSW Major Research Equipment & Infrastructure Scheme, 2015, $220,000.
Sturnieks, Sherrington, Brousseau. Arthritis New South Wales Research Grant, 2014, $10,000.
Lord, Sturnieks, et al. NHW Health Tenders, 2014, $470,000.
Brousseau, Sturnieks, et al. Canadian Institutes of Health Research seed funding, 2013, $10,000.
Fitzpatrick, Sturnieks. NHMRC Project Grant: Human Stepping Reflexes, 2010-2012, $301,125.
Lord, et al. NSW Health NHMRC Partnership Grant co-funding, 2010, $375,000.
Sturnieks. Ramaciotti Foundation Grant, 2009, $29,945.
Lord, Sturnieks, Fitzpatrick, Rogers, Sherrington, NHMRC Project Grant: Impaired stepping as a risk factor for falls in older people, 2008-2010, $564,727.Lord SR, Sturnieks DL, Fitzpatrick RC. NHMRC Equipment Grant, 2007. $28,197.
Finch, Sturnieks, et al. Dept Health and Ageing Community Grants Program, 2007-2008, $188,212.
Fitzpatrick, Lord, Butler, Sturnieks, Gandevia. Ramaciotti Foundation Grant, 2004, $20,000.
Fitzpatrick, Lord, Butler, Sturnieks, Gandevia. NHMRC Equipment Grant, 2004, $30,000.

My Qualifications

2004	Ph.D., The University of Western Australia, Perth.
1997	B.App.Sc. (Hons 1A), RMIT University, Melbourne.

My Research Activities

https://www.neura.edu.au/staff/dr-daina-sturnieks/

My Research Supervision

Supervision keywords

Areas of supervision

I am available to supervise ILP, Honours, Masters, PhD in topics related to balance control, fall risk in older and clinical populations, fall prevention interventions, translation of balance training and fall prevention programs in community, hospital, aged care settings.