Associate Professor Jeanette Margaret Thom

Fields of Research (FoR)

Exercise Physiology, Human Movement and Sports Science

SEO tags

Skeletal System and Disorders (incl. Arthritis)

Biography

I am a committed, experienced Exercise Physiologist with extensive higher education teaching and educational leadership experience since 1993 in Australia and the UK. I have a strong record of quality, international high impact publications in a range of exercise physiology related areas. I completed my PhD in 2001 (USyd) and after completing a postdoctoral position at MMU on ‘Better Ageing’, my research focused on exercise in rheumatoid arthritis and in people with dementia at Bangor University, where I was also the Deputy Head of School for Innovation and Engagement. I arrived at UNSW in 2014 and was soon appointed to Head the Exercise Physiology Department a position that I held until 2020.

My Grants

Since 2014:

Matthew Jones (CI), John Booth, Jeanette Thom & Chris Tzarimas. What are Exercise Physiologists saying? – Developing targeted pain neuroscience education to improve exercise outcomes for knee osteoarthritis. (Tom Penrose Community Service Grant, ESSA). 2018. $5,566.
Jeanette Thom (CI), Arnold R, Booth J, Boutcher Y, Jones M, Kwai N, McAuley J, Parmenter B, Simar D, Ward R, Housley G, Birznieks I, Potas J, Vickery R, Smith G, Herbert R, Bolsterlee B, Cederholm J, Khamis H. SoMS Human Participant Laboratories Level 1 Wallace Wurth. UNSW Research Infrastructure Scheme. 2018 $539,980.
Hassett G (PI)… (co-investigators listed alphabetically, incl. Thom). The Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise (SPHERE) “Sydney Translational Research and Education Alliance for Musculoskeletal Health” (STREAM Health) Clinical Academic Group. total $500,000.
Lord S (PI). … (co-investigators listed alphabetically, incl. Thom). UNSW Major Research Equipment and Infrastructure Initiative Scheme (MREII) 2016, $218,097.
Marissa Lassere (CI), P Smerdley, G Pickard, D Glenn, C Bryant, J Thom & K Johnson (2015). A comparative effectiveness randomised placebo controlled pilot trial of the management of acute lumber radicular pain. Seed Grant: St George and Sutherland Medical Research Foundation, $50,000.
Thom J. (PI), Anderson J., Barry B., Brodaty H., Broderick C., Curtis J., Eapen V., Gibson K., Hardeman E., Harvey S., Lloyd A., Maloney C., Morris M., Nelson L., Parmenter B., Rosenbaum S., Sachdev P., Samaras K., Simar D., Smith G., Steel Z., Trollor J., Turner N., Vollmer-Conna U., Ward P., Shannon Weickert C. & Yang R. (co-investigators listed alphabetically). UNSW Major Research Equipment and Infrastructure Initiative Scheme (MREII) 2015. Body Composition and Metabolic Suite. Ref RG142848 $207,236.00.
Vajdic C. (PI), Ward R, Thom J, Applegate T, Lamoury F, Ainsworth M & Hettiaratchi A. UNSW Major Research Equipment and Infrastructure Initiative Scheme (MREII) 2015. Automated biospecimen preparation and ASSAY instrument (QIAsymphony SP). $186,716.00.
ESRC: L. Clare (PI), JV Hindle, IR Jones, R Jones, M Knapp, M Kopelman, A Martyr, R Morris, S Nelis, J Pickett, C Quinn, J Rusted, N Savitch, J Thom, C Victor & R Whitaker (co-investigators listed alphabetically). Living Well with dementia (IDEAL project). Project cost £4,999,988, funded £4,230,929. Start date 1/1/2014 (5+1 years).

My Qualifications

PhD University of Sydney 2001

My Awards

Distinction in Higher Education teaching qualification (tHE).

Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Award for Teaching Excellence, 2018.

My Research Activities

My research activities have encompassed the benefits and optimisation of the musculoskeletal and neuromuscular effects of physical activity in healthy humans (including older people) and in patients with chronic diseases, from basic to translational research. One of my longstanding research specialities is in determining the underlying mechanisms of skeletal muscle function (muscle physiology) especially regarding disuse atrophy and ageing and the practical application of exercise interventions in these groups. My main expertise is in exercise rehabilitation and training in ageing and clinical groups (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis & dementia) to increase muscle mass and function; where I have led postgraduate research teams as well as working as the only exercise expert in effective and productive collaborative research projects. Currently continuing to develop research into effects of exercise on joint health.

My Research Supervision

Supervision keywords

chronic kidney disease

ageing

Areas of supervision

Jeanette's current research expertise covers the evaluation and optimisation of the musculoskeletal and neuromuscular effects of physical activity in healthy humans (including older people) and in patients with chronic diseases. One of my longstanding research specialities is in determining the underlying mechanisms of skeletal muscle function (muscle physiology) especially in regards to disuse atrophy and ageing and the practical application of exercise interventions in these groups. My main expertise is in exercise rehabilitation and training in ageing and clinical groups (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, dementia) to increase muscle mass and function; where I have led postgraduate research teams as well as working as the exercise expert in effective and productive collaborative research projects (e.g SPHERE Musculoskeletal CAG and the IDEAL project UK on the quality of life in people with dementia). Currently continuing to investigate the effects of exercise on joint health.

Currently supervising

Adrian Ram: What are Exercise Physiologists saying? – Developing targeted pain neuroscience education to improve exercise outcomes for knee osteoarthritis (with John Booth & Matthew Jones)

Kelly McLeod: EXCITE: Exercise to decrease Cardio-Metabolic Disease Risk (with Belinda Parmenter & Matthew Jones)

Rebecca Livings: Translation of a community based, physiotherapy led, multidisciplinary model of care for the management of knee osteoarthritis (with Siobhan Schabrun, Justine Naylor & Kathy Gibson)

Meg Letton: Evaluation of the effectiveness of a classical ballet training intervention to improve biomechanical aspects of functional ability in older adults (with Rachel Ward)

Alex Kovats: My knees are creaky: have I got arthritis? An exercise and education intervention to support self-management of knee joint symptoms (with Matthew Jones)

Michael Ling: Application of Advanced Signal Processing Techniques to Mechanomyography (with David Kellerman, Garth Pearce & Rachel Ward)

Current Honours/ Research Project students:

the perceptions of exercise on knee joint health in healthy older adults
A retrospective analysis of frailty in a stage 5 chronic kidney disease population
How growth hormone, testosterone, & EPO doping affects differently aerobic/anaerobic exercise capacity: a meta-analysis

My Engagement

Jeanette is the immediate past President of the Council of Heads of Exercise, Sport and Movement Sciences (CHESMS). CHESMS aims to promote Exercise, Sport and Movement Sciences as areas of higher education study and research for the benefit of the Australian community. CHESMS works closely with Exercise and Sport Science Australia to ensure quality graduates in Exercise Physiology, Exercise and Sports Science across all Australian Universities.