Areas of expertise: physiotherapy; women's and men's health physiotherapy; rural health;; planetary health; diversity and inclusive practice; curriculum design
Email: kemcpherson@acu.edu.au
Location: ACU North Sydney Campus
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-4893-573
Kerstin has varied clinical physiotherapy experience, across clinical areas and locations in both Australia and UK. She is a senior lecturer at the Australian Catholic University, North Sydney. She has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) from University of Sydney, Masters in Physiotherapy from University of Melbourne and has completed a PhD from the University of Canberra titled Pelvic organ prolapse knowledge, women's and men's health physiotherapy in entry-level education and in regional, rural, and remote Australia, and also has a Graduate Certificate in University Learning and Teaching from Charles Sturt University. Her research has two broad overlapping streams- curriculum design and physiotherapy practice. Curriculum design focuses on two areas - diversity and inclusion and planetary health; and physiotherapy practice focuses on women's and men's health physiotherapy and rural physiotherapy.
Select publications
Women's and men's health Physiotherapy
Publications
- McPherson, K., Nahon, I., & Waddington, G. (2023). 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, 25(1), 27-32.
- McPherson, K., Nahon, I., & Waddington, G. (2022). Entry level women's health physiotherapy curricula in Australia. European Journal of Physiotherapy, 24(1), 16-20.
- 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.
- 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
Conference presentations
- McPherson, K., Nahon, I., & Waddington, G, (2023) Women's and men's health physiotherapy in regional, rural and remote Australia 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., Nahon, I., & Waddington, G. (2021) Men's Health Physio entry level in Australia World Congress of Physical Therapists (WCPT).
- McPherson, K., Nahon, I. & Waddington, G. (2019) What is taught to Graduate Entry Physiotherapists in Australia about Women's Health Physiotherapy? ANZAPHE Conference free paper presentation.
- McPherson K, Nahon I, Waddington G (2019) What do Australian universities teach entry level graduates about men's health physiotherapy Australian Physiotherapy Association Scientific conference, Adelaide 5x5 paper.
- McPherson K, Nahon I, Waddington G (2019) Strengths based Approach to Pelvic Organ prolapse physiotherapy Australian Physiotherapy Association Scientific conference, Adelaide e poster.
- McPherson K, Nahon I, Waddington G (2019) Are motor control tests routinely used in physiotherapy assessment of women with pelvic organ prolapse symptoms? Australian Physiotherapy Association ACT research symposium - free paper.
Planetary health
Publications
- 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 (2024) Climate Change in entry-level Physiotherapy education in Australia. APA Focus 2024 Conference, Perth https://az659834.vo.msecnd.net/eventsairaueprod/production-physiotherapy-public/70a4be22fb8043368359d595238421e0
- McPherson, K (2024) Is Climate Change included in entry-level Physiotherapy education in Australia? ANZAPHE Conference 2024, Adelaide
- 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
- 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/)
Inclusive practice - LGBTQIA+, First Nations Health
- 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., & 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.
- 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.
Conference presentations
- McPherson, K (2024) Introducing LGBTQIA+ content into an entry-level physiotherapy subject. APA Focus 2024 Conference, Perth https://az659834.vo.msecnd.net/eventsairaueprod/production-physiotherapy-public/70a4be22fb8043368359d595238421e0
- McPherson K., Andrews, K., Doley K., Dobson K. (2023) Introducing LGBQITA+ into the Physiotherapy program podcast - CSU ed X https://edx.csu.domains/podcast/podcast-introducing-lgbtiq-content-into-the-physiotherapy-program/
- Smith, K, Camerson, S, Lewis, C McPherson K, Steart-Allan, R (2022) Connected and Curious: teaching for inclusion and engagement CSUEdX https://edx.csu.domains/
- Skinner, K., O'Connor, S., McPherson, K., Andrews, K., Lewis, M., & Robinson, C. (2019) Insights into indigenous cultural capability journeys for physiotherapy students: Navigation, socialisation and reframing the meaning of success. 269. Abstract from Australian Physiotherapy Association Transform 2019 Physiotherapy Conference, Adelaide, Australia.
Curriculum design
Presentations
- 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
- 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
- McPherson, K. (2021) Vlogs and Togs CSU EdX presentation
- McPherson, K., O'Connor, S., Skinner, K., Andrews, K., Corrigan, R., Newstead, C., Matheson, M. and Garner, J., 2019. Cross campus physiotherapy education: Increasing access to physiotherapy training in regional NSW. In Australian & New Zealand Association for Health Professional Educators 2019 Conference-ANZAHPE 2019- National Convention Centre, Canberra, Australia https://anzahpe.org/resources/Documents/Conference/Past%20Conference%20documentation/2019%20Proceedings.pdf
- O'Connor, S., Paton, I., McPherson, K., Skinner, K., & Garner, J. (2019) Problem based learning and the development of collaborative practice skills in student physiotherapists. 287-288. Poster session presented at ANZAHPE 2019 Conference, Canberra, Australia. https://anzahpe.org/resources/Documents/Conference/Past%20Conference%20documentation/2019%20Proceedings.pdf
- Guisard, Y., Skinner, K., Simpson, M., Hyde, S., & McPherson, K. (2017) Preparedness for practice - what are we really measuring? Abstract from ANZAHPE Conference, Adelaide, Australia.
Awards
- 2023 - Charles Sturt University - Change one thing award -Introducing LGBQITA+ into the Physiotherapy program McPherson K., Andrews, K., Doley K., Dobson K.
- 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, Charles Sturt University
Appointments and Affiliations
- ACU Senior Lecturer -Physiotherapy 2024-
- Charles Sturt University - Lecturer - Physiotherapy 2010-2024
Physiotherapy discipline lead 2016-2019
- Australian Physiotherapy Association
- Environmental Physiotherapy Assocation
International journal review panels
- New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy
- Australian and New Zealand Continence Journal
- Canadian Physiotherapy Journal
