Our people

Dr Sarah Kobayashi

Lecturer in Anatomy
School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

Areas of expertise: osteoarthritis; musculoskeletal health; nonpharmacological and nonsurgical management programs

Phone: +61 2 9465 9060

Email: Sarah.kobayashi@acu.edu.au

Location: ACU North Sydney Campus

ORCID ID: 0000-0001-7816-2198

Sarah Kobayashi is a Lecturer in Anatomy and an early career researcher. She also currently holds a research appointment at the University of Sydney, under the supervision of Prof David Hunter and Dr Jillian Eyles and is the academic co-lead in developing and implementing an eLearning osteoarthritis (OA) program for healthcare professionals. Her research focuses on implementing and translating best-evidenced OA care.

Sarah's main area of interest lies in clinical OA research, primarily in the area of knee OA. Her PhD focused on the prevalence, clinical presentation and trajectory of patellofemoral OA in people who participated in a trial for glucosamine and chondroitin. Recently her focus has shifted towards OA management programs, and healthcare professional education.

Sarah has co-authored 8 papers that have received a total of 84 citations (Scopus, June 2022), including 3 as first author. She has also co-authored two chapters in the recently published Osteoarthritis Health Professional Training Manual (published October 2022, Elsevier). Her first published paper has been cited in 64 papers including a clinical practice guideline on patellofemoral pain and a consensus statement on patellofemoral osteoarthritis. Sarah has received funding for both education ("Quick Wins" Student Life Grant, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, $2665) and research (Kickstarter Allied Health Research Grant, Western Sydney Local Health District, $5000; Faculty of Health Sciences Research Project Grant Scheme, Australian Catholic University, $10000).

Sarah has co-supervised three Honours physiotherapy students to completion (2019, 2020 and 2022) at the University of Sydney in projects related to osteoarthritis and Achilles tendon rupture. She is currently co-supervising a PhD student at Macquarie University with Dr Cliffton Chan, Dr Emre Ilhan and A/Prof Leslie Nicholson in pain education for people living with the hypermobility subtype of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

View academia profile

Select publications

• Kobayashi S, Allen K, Bennell K, Bowden JL, Briggs AM, Burgess A, et al. A Framework to Guide the Development of Health Care Professional Education and Training in Best Evidence Osteoarthritis Care. Clin Geriatr Med. 2022;38(2):361-84.
• Bowden JL, Kobayashi S, Hunter DJ, Mills K, Peat G, Guillemin F, et al. Best-practice clinical management of flares in people with osteoarthritis: A scoping review of behavioral, lifestyle and adjunctive treatments. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2021;51(4):749-60.
• Kobayashi S, Pappas E, Fransen M, Refshauge K, Simic M. The prevalence of patellofemoral osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2016;24(10):1697-707.
• Kobayashi S, Peduto A, Simic M, Fransen M, Refshauge K, Mah J, et al. Can we have an overall osteoarthritis severity score for the patellofemoral joint using magnetic resonance imaging? Reliability and validity. Clin Rheumatol. 2018;37(4):1091-8.
• D'Souza N, Charlton J, Grayson J, Kobayashi S, Hutchison L, Hunt M, et al. Are biomechanics during gait associated with the structural disease onset and progression of lower limb osteoarthritis? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2022;30(3):381-94.
• Hutchison L, Grayson J, Hiller C, D'Souza N, Kobayashi S, Simic M. The relationship between knee biomechanics and pain in people with knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken).n/a(n/a).
• Cohen L, Kobayashi S, Simic M, Dennis S, Refshauge K, Pappas E. Non-radiographic methods of measuring global sagittal balance: a systematic review. Scoliosis and Spinal Disorders 2017;12.
• Bayartai M-E, Kobayashi S, Ferreira PH, Pappas E, Pinheiro MB, Sullivan J. Heritability of motion in healthy people: A systematic review and multi-level meta-analysis. Physical Therapy in Sport. 2020;43:8-18.

Projects

• Arthritis Health Professional Education and Training Project, 2020-present, funded by Department of Health and Pfizer
• Pathways of Care (PACE) trial for people with neck pain, low back pain and knee osteoarthritis, 2021, NHMRC
• Reducing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use in people with knee osteoarthritis: A repeated measures study for risk minimization, 2018-2020, funded by ANZMUSC CRE Seeding Grant
• Medication use amongst people with knee osteoarthritis and low back pain at the Westmead outpatient physiotherapy department, 2019, funded by Westmead Hospital Kickstarter Grant

Appointments and Affiliations

• Project Officer, Kolling Institute, Sydney Musculoskeletal Health Flagship, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney

International journal review panels

• The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific
• TRIALS
• BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
• Osteoarthritis & Cartilage
• Clinical Rheumatology

Grant agency review panels

• NHMRC Postgraduate Research Scheme 2021