Volunteer for a research study
Volunteer for research
RECOVER Injury Research Centre is conducting a number of research studies to improve the health outcomes of people injured in road traffic crashes.
Musculoskeletal injury studies
Focus
The Improving health outcomes after musculoskeletal injury research team at RECOVER develops effective diagnosis, assessment and treatment for people with musculoskeletal injury following a motor vehicle crash. Our research includes many different aspects of recovery.
Criteria
We are often looking for volunteers for different studies.
- You must be over 18 years of age; and
- Experiencing musculoskeletal pain, for example neck or back pain
What is involved?
Each study has slightly different requirements - some require the completion of online questionnaires, others involve telephone or face-to-face interviews, whilst some include participation in activities or treatment.
How can I volunteer or find out more?
Do you have chronic whiplash pain (more than 3 months)
Do you have long-term neck pain after a whiplash injury or neck strain?
Interested in having the nerves in your eye examined?
Study title:
Small nerve fibre pathology in chronic whiplash – a corneal confocal microscopy study
What is this research about?
This study seeks to learn about sensory nerves in people with long-term whiplash neck pain. After a whiplash injury, some people recover, and others develop long-term pain. The reasons for ongoing pain after whiplash are not fully understood, however recent research suggests that sensory nerves (that transmit information about pain) may be implicated.
What will you do?
Participation involves undergoing a microscope assessment of the eye by an optometrist, completing some questionnaires, and sensory testing at the neck and leg, which will take no longer than 90 minutes.
This study is done at the Queensland University of Technology School of Optometry and Vision Science at Kelvin Grove. Participants are offered a $50 gift voucher to reimburse for time and travel expenses.
Who can participate?
We are seeking male and female participants aged 18-70 years, with neck pain after a whiplash injury lasting more than 3 months.
How do I participate?
To find out more information, please contact Dr Scott Farrell and the research team on (07) 3346 4791 or scott.farrell@uq.edu.au
Have you had a whiplash injury in the past 3 weeks?
Study title:
Development of small nerve fibre pathology in chronic whiplash-associated disorder
What is the purpose of this research?
Some people recover from a whiplash or neck strain injury, while for other people neck pain can become a long-term problem. Recent research findings suggest that in some people who develop long-term whiplash neck pain, there are changes in the structure and function of small sensory nerve fibres responsible for transmitting information about temperature and pain. This is a phenomenon also noted in other pain conditions such as fibromyalgia. This may be related to the biological mechanisms underlying long-term pain in this condition, so we need to learn more about this to help improve diagnosis and treatment.
The aims of this study are: i) to determine when after a whiplash injury these nerve findings can be observed, and ii) to better understand their clinical significance and possible causes.
Who can participate
We are looking male and female participants aged 18-70 years who are either:
- Pain free, or
- Have neck pain following a whiplash or strain injury, such as from a car crash, within 3 weeks of injury.
What does participation in this research involve?
Participation in this research involves attending the Tess Cramond Pain & Research Centre, RBWH (STARS Building, 296 Herston Road, Herston) for data collection (60-90 minute appointment).
During the appointment we will ask you to complete some questionnaires regarding neck pain (if applicable), general health and psychological symptoms, undertake skin biopsies at the finger and ankle, and collect blood from a vein in your arm.
To reimburse for time and travel expenses, participants will be provided a $50 gift voucher for each appointment attended.
Register your interest
To register your interest, or find out more about this study, please contact Dr Nayomi Ranathunga on 048 602 0691 or email n.ranathunga@uq.net.au
This study has been approved by The University of Queensland Human Research Ethics Committee [Approval No.2022/HE000921].
Have you had a whiplash injury in the past 3 months?
Individuals who have recently experienced whiplash from a road traffic injury are invited to participate in a workshop to help co-design a text message intervention.
Current treatments for whiplash often miss the emotional impact of trauma and aren’t always affordable or easy to access. Our team has co-designed RISE, a new and easy-to-access support program delivered by text message.
About this workshop
Part of this project involves working with people who have recent lived experience of whiplash from a road traffic incident (in the past 3 months) to help co-design the text message intervention.
Responsibilities:
In the workshop, you will take part in group discussions and activities where you can share your ideas and feedback. This feedback will guide us in improving the intervention before it is ready for the pilot study.
Time commitment:
The workshop goes for 2 hours and will be run online.
Remuneration:
To thank you for your time, all participants will be reimbursed $50/hour for the workshop.
Eligibility:
To be eligible to participate, you must be:
18 years or older
a resident of Queensland, and
have recent lived experience of whiplash after a motor vehicle incident (within the past 3 months).
Register your interest
To register your interest, or if you have any questions, please email Jessica Formosa
j.formosa@uq.edu.au.
This project has received ethics approval through the University of Queensland (Project ID: 2023/HE002164).
Do you have driving anxiety after a motor vehicle crash
Join the INSPIRE Clinical Trial and access free, online or in-person treatment for driving anxiety from a clinical psychologist.
Up to 1 in 5 people experience driving anxiety after a motor vehicle crash. This can cause strong anxiety and fear of driving. The INSPIRE Trial is testing a new treatment for driving anxiety using immersive virtual reality (IVR) combined with cognitive behavioural therapy.
Find out more about the INSPIRE project and register your interest
Physiotherapists - tell us your perspectives on N-of-1 trials and single case designs
Project title:
What is this research about?
Most treatment guidelines are developed based on research that focuses on how groups of patients respond to a treatment on average (i.e., findings from a randomised controlled trial). However, response to treatment may vary substantially from one patient to another. Due to a focus on the average response, studies using traditional research designs may not identify patients who do not respond or who are harmed by a particular treatment. N-of-1 trials and single-case designs have emerged as a rigorous scientific method that can be used to identify individual patient response to treatments. This study aims to explore stakeholder perspectives about the barriers and facilitators for conducting N-of-1 trials and single-case studies in clinical practice.
What will you do?
You will complete an interview in person or via telephone or video call (e.g., Zoom or Teams). Prior to the interview, you will sign a participant consent form, complete a brief online questionnaire collecting information about you, and watch a video describing what N-of-1 trials and single-case designs are. This will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. You will then take part in an interview. During the interview the researcher will ask you a series of questions about your views on N-of-1 trials and/or single-case designs. The interview will be audio-recorded. The interview will take approximately 30-40 minutes to complete. After the interview audio-recording has been transcribed, we will offer you the opportunity to review your interview transcript for data accuracy.
Who can participate?
We are looking for Australian Physiotherapists of any age with at least one year's experience in clinical practice in the musculoskeletal field.
How do I participate?
The interviews will be conducted via telephone or video call at a time convenient to you.
To find out more information, please contact Associate Professor Jane Nikles by email: catherine.nikles@uq.edu.au or mobile phone 0408 599 033.
Men living in remote areas - share your thoughts on digital support for men doing it tough
Do you get stressed or anxious sometimes? If you are a man living in a remote area, I’d like to hear your thoughts on offering digital support for men doing it tough.
Apps, websites and online services like MensLine Australia or MindSpot can help you when life is stressful. These services offer helpful advice and strategies to assist you to take better care of yourself.
Often, men don’t use these services, and I want to understand why. I would like to hear your thoughts, experiences, or those of your mates, in a confidential interview. Your insights will be helpful to other men having a tough time.
Who can participate?
I would like to talk to men who:
- are living in a remote area
- have been stressed, anxious, or depressed sometimes in their life
You don’t need to have used digital health technology before.
What is involved?
A confidential chat with me for up to one hour, either:
- online
- or in-person.
Your personal identity will not be shared.
Reimbursement
You will receive a $75 gift card for your time.
Questions
Please get in touch with Raphael Ohms, UQ PhD Student and nurse, at r.ohms@uq.edu.au
Get involved
Click the link below to go to the registration form.
Men over 45: Share your thoughts on digital support for men doing it tough.
Apps, websites and online services like MensLine Australia or MindSpot can help you when life is stressful. These services offer helpful advice and strategies to assist you to take better care of yourself.
Often, men don’t use these services, and I want to understand why. I would like to hear your thoughts, experiences, or those of your mates, in a confidential interview. Your insights will be helpful to other men having a tough time.
Who can participate?
I would like to talk to men who:
- are 45 years or older
- have been stressed, anxious, or depressed sometimes in their life
You don’t need to have used digital health technology before.
What is involved?
A confidential chat with me for up to one hour, either:
- online
- or in-person.
Your personal identity will not be shared.
Reimbursement
You will receive a $75 gift card for your time.
Questions
Please get in touch with Raphael Ohms, UQ PhD Student and nurse, at r.ohms@uq.edu.au
Get involved
Click the link below to go to the registration form.
Stay in touch
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