Biography
I am a Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy at UNSW Sydney. I have extensive and varied experience as a clinical physiotherapist in Australia and UK in metropolitan and rural areas and as a Physiotherapy lecturer at Charles Sturt University and Australian Catholic University. I have research interests in pelvic health physiotherapy, rural physiotherapy practice, planetary health and curriculum design. I am passionate about preparing future...view more
I am a Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy at UNSW Sydney. I have extensive and varied experience as a clinical physiotherapist in Australia and UK in metropolitan and rural areas and as a Physiotherapy lecturer at Charles Sturt University and Australian Catholic University. I have research interests in pelvic health physiotherapy, rural physiotherapy practice, planetary health and curriculum design. I am passionate about preparing future physiotherapists to deliver high-quality, inclusive, and environmentally sustainable healthcare through innovative curriculum design and assessment.
My Qualifications
• Doctor of Philosophy, University of Canberra - 2023. Pelvic organ prolapse knowledge in women’s and men’s health physiotherapy in entry-level education and in regional, rural, and remote Australia
• Senior Fellow Higher Education UK
• Graduate Certificate in University Learning and Teaching, Charles Sturt University
• Graduate Australian Institute of Company of Directors Company Directors Course
• Master of Physiotherapy, University of Melbourne
• Bachelor of Applied Science Physiotherapy, University of Sydney
My Awards
- 2023 - Charles Sturt University – Change one thing award Introducing LGBQITA+ into the Physiotherapy program
- 2019 - Charles Sturt Excellence Award for Strong University CSU Indigenous Education Strategy and CSU Indigenous Content in Courses Policy
- 2019 - NSW Branch Awards Shortlisted nominee for Contribution to the Physiotherapy Profession
- 2014 - Vice Chancellor award - First year experience School of Community Health
My Research Activities
Publications
- McPherson K, Myers C. Preparing Rural Physiotherapists : Addressing Climate Change Through Entry-Level Education. The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice. 2025 Oct 15;23(4), Article 25.
- Ross, M. H., McPherson, K., & Walters, J. (2023). Inclusion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and Other Related Identities Content in Australian Physical Therapy Curricula: Perceived Barriers and Priorities for Inclusive Education. Journal of Physical Therapy Education, 10-1097.
- McPherson, K., Black, J. Byrne, A., Frost, B. Elder, M. & Olver, P. (2023) Punk it up – Introducing physiotherapy students to climate change Punk it up inspirational case report and the first-ever Physiopunk MiniZine https://environmentalphysio.com/project/punk-it-up-introducing-physiotherapy-students-to-climate-change/.
- McPherson, K., & Nahon, I. (2022). Culturally responsive women’s and men’s health physiotherapy for Indigenous people living in regional, rural, and remote Australia. Physical Therapy Reviews, 27(6), 407-413.
- McPherson, K., & Nahon, I. (2021) Telehealth and the provision of pelvic health physiotherapy in regional, rural, and remote Australia. Australian & New Zealand Continence Journal, 27, 66-70.
- McPherson, K., Nahon, I., & Waddington, G. (2021) Women's and men's health physiotherapy, the content covered and it's perceived importance within entry-level physiotherapy programs in Australia–an observational study. European Journal of Physiotherapy, 1-7.
- McPherson, K., Nahon, I., & Waddington, G. (2020) Entry level women’s health physiotherapy curricula in Australia. European Journal of Physiotherapy, 1-5.
- Te, M., Blackstock, F., Fryer, C., Gardner, P., Geary, L., Kuys, S., McPherson, K., Nahon, I., Tang, C., Taylor, L. & Van Kessel, G. (2019) Predictors of self-perceived cultural responsiveness in entry-level physiotherapy students in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. BMC Medical Education, 19(1), 56.
- Thomson E.A., Auhl, G., Hicks, K., McPherson, K., Robinson, C. & Wood, D. (2017) Course design as a collaborative enterprise: Incorporating interdisciplinarity into a backward mapping systems approach to course design in Higher Education. In R. Walker, & S. Bedford (Eds.), Research and development in higher education: Curriculum transformation, Volume 40: Refereed papers from the 40th HERDSA Annual international conference (pp. 356-367). Article Paper 85 Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia. http://www.herdsa.org.au/research-and-development-higher-education-vol-40-356
- Andrews, L., McPherson, K., O'Shea, S. & Nahon, I. (2017) Physiotherapist-guided Pelvic floor muscle therapy: Referral behaviours of urologists for radical prostatectomy patients. BJU International, 120, 17
- McPherson, K., Nahon, I., Waddington, G., & Fearon, A. (2016) Pelvic organ prolapse–Would you move differently if your uterus was falling out–A narrative review. Manual Therapy 100 (25), e125
- Skinner, K., Hyde, S., McPherson, K., & Simpson, M. (2016). Improving students’ interpersonal skills through experiential small group learning. Journal of Learning Design, 9(1), 21-36.
Conference presentations ( last 5 years)
- McPherson K, Meyer C (2025) Preparing Rural Physiotherapists: Addressing Climate Change Through Entry-Level Education Planetary Health Collaborative Symposium UTS Sept 2025
- McPherson, K (2025) Climate Change in entry-level Physiotherapy education in Australia. WCPT
- McPherson, K (2024) Climate Change in entry-level Physiotherapy education in Australia. APA Focus 2024 Conference, Perth
- McPherson, K (2024) Introducing LGBTQIA+ content into an entry-level physiotherapy subject. APA Focus 2024 Conference, Perth
- McPherson, K (2024) Is Climate Change included in entry-level Physiotherapy education in Australia? ANZAPHE Conference 2024, Adelaide
- McPherson, K., Nahon, I., & Waddington, G, (2023) Women's and men's health physiotherapy in regional, rural and remote Australia APA Ignite 2023 Conference
- McPherson, K., Black,J. Byrne, A., Frost,B. Elder, M. & Olver, P. (2023) Punk it up – Introducing physiotherapy students to climate change APA Ignite 2023 Conference
- Falzarano, E., O’Connor, S., O’Rourke, O., McPherson K. (2023) Effect of (vertical loading) impact activities on measures of pelvic floor function/activity in adult females: a systematic review APA Ignite 2023 Conference
- O’Rourke, O., Falzarano. E., O’Connor, S., McPherson K. (2023) Effects of Resistance Loading on the Female Pelvic Floor: A Systematic Review APA Ignite 2023 Conference
- McPherson, K., Black,J. Byrne, A., Frost,B. Elder, M. & Olver, P. (2023) Punk it up – Introducing physiotherapy students to climate change Inaugural Environmental physiotherapy Association International Festival (https://environmentalphysio.com/events/ept-festival2023/)
- McPherson K., Andrews, K., Doley K., Dobson K. (2023) Introducing LGBQITA+ into the Physiotherapy program podcast – CSU ed X
- McPherson, K., Nahon, I., & Waddington, G. (2021) Men’s Health Physio entry level in Australia World Congress of Physical Therapists (WCPT).
My Engagement
Professional affiliations
- Australian Physiotherapy Association
- Environmental Physiotherapy Association
- Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied health
- ANZAHPE - The Australian & New Zealand Association for Health Professional Educators
- Higher Education UK