Senior Lecturer
Dr Rachel Ward
Doctor of Philosophy, UNSW
Master of Clinical Exercise Physiology, CSU
Master of Biomedical Engineering, UNSW
Graduate Certificate in University Learning and Teaching, UNSW
Bachelor of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney
Graduate Certificate in the Pilates Method, UTS
Diploma of Exercise Studies, CSU
Diploma of Dance Teaching and Management, Australian Teachers of Dance (ATOD)
Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies, Royal Academy of Dance (RAD)
Medicine & Health
School of Health Sciences
I obtained a PhD in Biomechanics from UNSW in 2012, before taking up a full-time academic position in the UNSW School of Medical Sciences.
I am currently a Senior Lecturer in the UNSW School of Health Sciences. My primary areas of tertiary teaching and research include biomechanics, motor learning and skill acquisition. I have a strong interest in investigating the biomechanics of dance and other movement practices, and assessing the therapeutic effects of dance for people of all ages and abilities.
I have worked as a clinical biomechanist in gait analysis laboratories at the Sydney Children’s Hospital and Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, and have over 14 years of experience as a dance educator.
Phone
+61 2 9065 8926
E-mail
Location
School of Health Sciences
Exercise Physiology Department
Room 203, Level 2 Walluce Wurth Building
UNSW Sydney, NSW 2052
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
2019-20: Goldstein D, Park S, McCrary MJ, Simar D, Ward R. The effect of exercise training on neurophysiologic, functional, and quality of life deficits in cancer survivors with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. World Cancer Research Fund International, AU$99,958.
2018: Thom J (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, AU$539,980.
2016: Lord S (PI). … (co-investigators listed alphabetically, incl. Ward R). UNSW Major Research Equipment and Infrastructure Initiative Scheme (MREII), AU$218,097.
2018 UNSW Medicine Faculty Teaching Award: Teaching Excellence
2018 UNSW School of Medical Sciences Award: Community Engagement
2016 UNSW Vice Chancellor’s Award: Teaching Excellence - Contributions to Student Learning
2016 UNSW School of Medical Sciences Award: Teacher of the Year
2015 UNSW School of Medical Sciences Award: Contribution to the Student Experience
My research activity relates to analysis of human movement, with an aim to contribute to the development of guidelines for therapeutic exercise prescription, injury prevention, and assessment of methods for effective motor skill acquisition. My scope of research ranges from assessment of motor skill development in paediatric populations through to detailed analysis of the highly skilled movement of dancers and athletes. I am very interested in investigating the therapeutic effects of dance as an exercise modality for people of all ages and abilities, and promoting safe dance techniques for elite dancers.
Broad Research Areas:
Biomechanics, Movement Analysis, Motor Learning, Motor Skill Aquisition, Dance
Specific Research Keywords:
Biomechanics, Human Movement Analysis, Motor Skill Aquisition
In addition to my role as a tertiary educator and researcher, I am a former professional dancer, and currently a Registered Teacher and Practical Teaching Supervisor of the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), and Certified Teacher of the Dance Health Alliance (DHA). I teach classical ballet and contemporary dance for children and adults at various locations across Sydney, and regularly deliver dance classes tailored specifically for older adults, including those with dementia and Parkinson's Disease.
I am currently an active member of the national and international dance medicine and dance science community. At the national level, I am on the Executive Committee (currently Treasurer) of the Australian Society for Performing Arts Healthcare (ASPAH), and am Chair of Dance Research Collaborative (DaRC), a group of dance researchers, clinicians, educators and students from tertiary institutions across Australia. The group focuses on dance-related research in the areas of health, education, performance, injury and epidemiology. Internationally, I am a member of the Dance for Health Committee of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS), and also contribute to IADMS through review of conference abstracts and adjudication of conference awards. I am also currently an Associate Editor of the Journal of Dance Medicine and Science.
My Research Supervision
- Meg Letton - MSc - "Classical ballet training for apparently healthy older adults: evaluation of biomechanical and functional outcomes"
- Eliza MacDonald - MSc - "Ballet After Breast Cancer" - Assessing the feasibility and acceptability of a 16-week classical ballet intervention for breast cancer survivors, with secondary aims to assess the quality of life, upper-body function, muscular strength, and cardiorespiratory fitness of breast cancer survivors.
- Michael Ling - PhD candidate - "Application of advanced signal processing techniques to mechanomyography".
My Teaching
Course Convenor and Lecturer for HESC2452 Movement Assessment and Instruction (2012 - present)
Lecturer for HESC3592 Neuromuscular Rehabilitation (2012 - present)
Lecturer for HESC1501 Introductory Exercise Science (2011 - present)
Program Authority for the UNSW Bachelor of Exercise Physiology (2014 - 2021)
Academic Advisor for the UNSW Bachelor of Exercise Physiology (2013 - 2021)