
I am an Accredited Exercise Physiologist and Senior Lecturer in the School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health. I was awarded my PhD from UNSW Sydney in 2017. My clinical, research and teaching expertise concern the role of exercise for the management of chronic pain and chronic fatigue.
Through my research, I aim to improve health outcomes and quality of life for people with low back pain, knee osteoarthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome and post-cancer fatigue. Underpinning my research is a commitment to Open Science principles to improve research transparency and openness and a strong desire to improve the methodological rigor of research in my field.
I lead several research groups that aim to investigate:
- Exercise-induced hypoalgesia - the phenomenon through which a single session of exercise reduces pain
- Ways to optimise exercise and education interventions for people with chronic low back pain, knee osteoarthritis and chronic fatigue syndrome
- Exercise physiologists' management of pain and fatigue, and ways to improve this
- Ways to improve transparent and open research practices in the field of sports and exercise medicine
2022: School of Health Sciences Award for Researcher of the Year
2022: School of Health Sciences Award for Course of the Year
2021: School of Health Sciences Award for Early Career Educator of the Year
2021: School of Health Sciences Award for Early Career Researcher of the Year
2020: Faculty of Medicine Education Award for Excellence in Innovation (Team - Exercise Physiology Practicum)
2020: Faculty of Medicine Education Award for Excellence in Innovation (Team - UNSW Lifestyle Clinic Exercise Physiologists)
2020: School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine New Research of the Year
I am an Accredited Exercise Physiologist and investigate the role of exercise for the management of chronic pain and chronic fatigue. Pain and fatigue are closely related sensations which, when persistent, have debilitating effects on health and quality of life. More specifically, my research focuses on the role of exercise for improving outcomes for people with low back pain, knee osteoarthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome and post-cancer fatigue, as well as improving the way Exercise Physiologists manage people with these conditions.
I lead a research group that seeks to better understand how a single bout of exercise affects pain and how this can be modified to enhance the pain-relieving effect of exercise. I contribute to other research groups that use experimental, clinical and translational methods to develop and test new interventions to manage chronic pain and chronic fatigue. My research also seeks to understand gaps in Exercise Physiologists' delivery of guideline care for people with chronic pain and fatigue, and designing and evaluating ways to address this.
Media
Jones, MD (December 17, 2020). Specialised exercise could be key to reducing chronic back pain. ABC News Radio Live. Retrieved from https://www.abc.net.au/radio/newsradio/specialised-exercise-could-be-key-to-reducing/12994818
Jones, MD (August 13, 2014). How exercise helps us tolerate pain. The New York Times (Well – PhysEd). Retrieved from https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/13/how-exercise-helps-us-tolerate-pain
Memberships
Practice
My Research Supervision
PhD candidates:
MSc candidates:
Honours students:
My Teaching
My clinical experience as an Exercise Physiologist has had a large impact on my teaching activities, which align closely with tasks that Exercise Physiologists would routinely perform in real-world clinical settings. This includes a strong emphasis on critical thinking and problem solving through student-centred learning modalities that require students to take a deeper approach to their learning. In recognition of the many different ways students learn, I use a variety of teaching styles and resources to support this. I also place considerable emphasis on fit for purpose assessment to better guide students' development regarding relevant clinical skills and competencies.
I am also a strong believer in students as 'scientist practitioners' - being able to critically appraise and use scientific evidence to inform their care delivery. Accordingly, I place strong emphasis on developing students' research skills as I believe this will make them a better clinician. Ultimately, my goal is to help students develop into competent and confident new graduate Exercise Physiologists who can adopt an evidence-based, person-centred approach in their care delivery.
Further information regarding my teaching can be found here