Genny Dwyer

Contact Information
Qualifications
Research Interests
other Biographical Information
Publications
Grant activities
Research Student Supervision

Position Lecturer

Qualifications

BAppSc (Phty) Cumberland College of Health Sciences 1980

PostGradDip (Phty)
(Paediatrics/Hydrotherapy)Curtin University of Technology1989

PostGradCert (Adult Education & Training)University of New England 1998

MAppSc (Phty)University of Sydney 1999

Principal Teaching Responsibilities

Paediatric physiotherapy
Professional physiotherapy practice
Motor performance and learning

Research Interests

Physical activity in children
Childhood obesity
Paediatrics
Education in physiotherapy

Faculty & University Responsibilities Faculty Flexible

Currently on leave from Committee positions whilst undertaking PhD full-time

Memberships

1. Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA)

1.1 Board of Directors

Director of APA 2005-2008

1.2 National Advisory Council (NAC)

National Paediatric Group Representative on the NAC 2000-2004

1.3 National Paediatric Group (NPG)

(1) NPG 1999 Conference Organising and Scientific Committees

(2) NPG 2009 Conference Scientific Committee

Titled member (awarded 2008)
Chair, NPG 1997-1999
APA NPG website master
Chair, Conference Organising Committee
Member, Scientific Committee
Member, Scientific Committee

1.4 Editorial Board of the Australian Journal Of Physiotherapy (AJP)

BOD nominee to the Editorial Board of the AJP 2005-2008

1.5 Australian Physiotherapy Association Practice Accreditation Standards Committee

Committee member 2005-present

2. Australian Academy of Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology

3. National Australian Haemophilia Association Physiotherapy Group

Founding coordinator of Group 1989-1990

Biography

Clinical practice
Genevieve has worked as a paediatric physiotherapist since 1982 in various parts of Australia, attaining senior positions at both the John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle and at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children, Camperdown. She left the public hospital system in 1996 to take up an academic appointment at the University of Sydney but has continued to work part-time in private clinical practice in Newcastle.

Professional membership

Genevieve was recently awarded titled membership of the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) National Paediatric Group in recognition of the level of her clinical expertise in paediatric physiotherapy (one of only 6 such titled members). Genevieve has held a range of high-level positions within the APA, including Chair of the National Paediatric Group (1997-1999), member of the National Advisory Council as the NPG representative (2000-2005) and member of the Board of Directors (2004-2008),

Educational interests
In addition to her part-time position as a Lecturer in the Discipline of Physiotherapy at the University of Sydney, she is also a casual lecturer at the Discipline of Physiotherapy at the University of Newcastle. Genevieve has a particular interest in problem-based learning and has received recognition for the paediatric physiotherapy educational resources developed for both conventional and online learning at the University of Sydney. The Paediatrics unit of study was nominated ay the AUTC Physiotherapy Project Committee as an example of good physiotherapy teaching practice (maximum of three units of study were nominated per School/Discipline)

Research interests
Genevieve is currently a PhD student within the Discipline of Paediatrics & Child Health at the University of Sydney, supervised by Prof Louise Baur, Prof Joy Higg and Dr Louise Hardy. Her thesis topic, entitled "Measurement of physical activity in preschool-age children", has included a qualitative study of parents' and carers' attitudes and knowledge regarding physical activity in preschooler-aged children, and the development and evaluation of the Preschool-age Physical Activity Questionnaire (Pre-PAQ). This work is supported by an NHMRC Public Health (Allied Health Professional) Scholarship and funds from a Telstra Community Developmental Fund Grant and the Coles Community Grant Scheme.

Genevieve is the first physiotherapist who has been invited to participate in the Australasian Childhood Adolescent Obesity Research Network (ACAORN) Physical Activity Interest Group and Prevention Group meetings held in 2007 and 2008. ACAORN is a multidisciplinary research collaborative network involving leading Australian and New Zealand researchers in the area of childhood http://www.acaorn.med.usyd.edu.au.

Research Student Supervision

Physiotherapy Honours students
2004-5: Ms Zheng Cao: "The outcomes of a six week activity program for obese children aged 5-12 years"

2001-2003: Ms Sarah Simon: "The validity and reliability of a scale of perceived exertion for children aged 6-7 years" (awarded the University Medal)

Ms Jen Young: "Parents' experiences when their child was diagnosed with cerebral palsy"

Awards and Grants

2007

Baur LA, Dwyer GM and Hardy LL. Patterns and predictors of physical activity in young children, $49,745, Coles Community Grants Program

2006

NHMRC Biomedical (Dora Lush) Postgraduate Scholarship (2006-2010)

Baur LA, Higgs J & Dwyer GM. The measurement of physical activity in preschool-age children and its relationship to communities at risk of childhood obesity, $45,000, Telstra Community Development Fund

1999

University of Sydney Institute of Teaching and Learning (ITL) Fellowship to develop new paediatric physiotherapy problem-based learning curriculum in the undergraduate program.

Dwyer GM, Butler J and Crosbie J. Awarded University of Sydney ITL Grant to re-develop existing educational resources for online delivery. $20,000

1997

University of Sydney NeTTL (New Technologies in Teaching and Learning) grant to develop multimedia program on "Growth and Development of the Musculoskeletal System". $10,000

Publications

Refereed Journal Articles

Dwyer GM, Baur LA, Higgs J and Hardy LL (2009) Promoting children's health and wellbeing: broadening the therapy perspective. Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics (in press)

Dwyer GM, Hardy LL and Baur LA (2008) The challenge of understanding and assessing physical activity in preschool-age children: thinking beyond the framework of intensity, duration and frequency of activity. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport doi: 10.1026/j.jsams.2008.10.005

Dwyer GM, Higgs, J, Baur LA and Hardy LL (2008) What do parents and preschool staff tell us about young children's physical activity: a qualitative study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-5-66

Hunt A, Dwyer G, Higgs J and Adams R (2006) Acquiring professional skills in paediatric physiotherapy through problem-based learning. Focus on Health Professional Education: a Multidisciplinary Journal 7(1): 15-33.

Other Articles, Reviews and Book Chapters

Dwyer G (2008) Physiotherapy: an evidenced-based profession, or only when it suits? Guest editorial for In Motion (Australian Physiotherapy Association publication)

Dwyer G and O’Connor J (2006) Battling the bulge in our children. Invited article for Physiotherapy and You (Australian Physiotherapy Association publication)

Dwyer G (2005) The challenge of childhood. Guest editorial for In Motion (Australian Physiotherapy Association publication)

Dwyer GM (2000) The challenge of writing problem cases. Synergy. (University of Sydney publication)

Dwyer G and Higgs J Profiling health science students. In Higgs J and Edwards H (Eds.) (1999) Educating Beginning Practitioners: Challenges for health professional education. Butterworth Heinnemann: Oxford pp125-135.

Dwyer G (1998) Spotlight on paediatrics. Physiotherapy Moves 7: 23. (Australian Physiotherapy Association publication)

Dwyer G and Hoskings A (1988) Physiotherapy in Haemophilia: Exercises to do at home. Publication of the Haemophilia Association of SA.

Conference presentations

2008

Dwyer GM, Baur LA, Hardy LA and Higgs J (2008) Assessing the validity of Pre-PAQ: a work in progress. Poster presentation presented at the University of Sydney Cell to Society 6 Conference, Leura.

2007

Dwyer GM, Baur LA, Higgs J and Hardy LL (2007) The development of Pre-PAQ: construction of a questionnaire to measure physical activity in preschool-age children. Platform presentation presented at APA National Paediatric Physiotherapy Conference, Cairns.

Dwyer GM, Baur LA, Hardy LA and Higgs J (2007) What do parents and carers tell us about physical activity and small screen recreation in young children. Poster presentation presented at the Australian Society for the Study of Obesity (ASSO) Conference, Canberra.

Dwyer GM, Baur LA, Hardy LA and Higgs J (2007) The development of Pre-PAQ: construction of a questionnaire to measure physical activity in preschool-age children. Poster presentation presented at the International Conference on Physical Activity and Obesity in Children, Toronto Canada

2005

Cao Z, Dwyer G, Adams R, Hunt A, West K and Baur L (2005) The outcome of a supervised activity program on the physical activity levels of obese children aged 5-12 years. Platform presentation at APA National Paediatric Physiotherapy Conference, Alice Springs

Cao Z, Dwyer G, Adams R, Hunt A, West K and Baur L (2005) The outcome of a supervised activity program on the physical activity levels of obese children aged 5-12 years. Platform presentation at The Children's Hospital Westmead Nursing and Allied Health Paediatric Research Seminar

2004

Youngs J, Dwyer G and Lansbury G (2004) Parents' experiences when their child is diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Platform presentation presented at the Australian Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Conference, Melbourne

2003

Simon S, Alison J, Dwyer G and Follett J (2003) Validation of a perceived exertion scale for children. Platform presentation presented at APA National Paediatric Physiotherapy Conference, Perth

Youngs J, Dwyer G and Lansbury G (2003) Parents' experiences when their child is diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Platform presentation presented at APA National Paediatric Physiotherapy Conference, Perth

2001

Dwyer G, McCoy A and Bower E (2001) Peer support: can mentor programs be a new focus? A 45 minute invited paper presented at the Australian Physiotherapy Association National Paediatric Physiotherapy Conference, Melbourne (2001)

2000

Dwyer G and Higgs J (2000) PBL: changing cultures. Paper presented at the 2nd International Problem-Based Learning Conference at Linkoping, Sweden