Professor Michele Sterling

Professor and Whiplash Program

RECOVER Injury Research Centre
Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences
m.sterling@uq.edu.au
+61 7 334 64793

Overview

Michele Sterling is Professor in the Recover Injury Research Centre, Program Lead of the Designing Better Therapies research program and Director of the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) in Better Health Outcomes for Compensable Injury. She is a Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist and a Fellow of the Australian College of Physiotherapists. She is internationally recognised for her research on whiplash-associated disorders. Michele’s research focusses on the mechanisms underlying the development of chronic pain after injury, predictive algorithms for outcomes and developing effective interventions for musculoskeletal injury and pain. She has received over $13M in research funding from the NHMRC, ARC and industry partners, including 7 NHMRC project grants, 2 CRE's - the most recent as CIA. She has editorial roles with several leading journals and textbooks, and is a widely published author. She has received numerous awards for her research including the University of Queensland Foundation Research Excellence Award in 2005. Michele is an elected member of the leadership Council of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP).

Research Impacts

Professor Sterling's research findings related to the prediction of outcome following whiplash injury are now included in both national and international Clinical Guidelines for this condition (State Insurance Regulatory Authority, NSW- 2007,2014) and Clinical Pathway for Whiplash Management (South Australia, NHMRC approved). She also aims to translate research to injured people and has achieved this via the development of a consumer information website on whiplash. The website is endorsed by the RACGP and insurance commissions of all states. She has published a consumer information booklet for recovery following whiplash injury. "Whiplash Injury Recovery: a Self Help Guide", published by MAIC (Qld)

Qualifications

  • Masters (Coursework), The University of Queensland
  • Postgraduate Diploma, Curtin University of Technology

Publications

View all Publications

Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

  • Doctor Philosophy

  • Doctor Philosophy

View all Supervision

Publications

Book

Book Chapter

  • Nikles, J., Hams, A., Sterling, M. and Evans, K. (2023). N-of-1 research designs. Grieve's modern musculoskeletal physiotherapy. (pp. 1-20) London, United Kingdom: Elsevier.

  • Jull, Gwendolen, Sterling, Michele, Rivett, Darren A. and Jones, Mark A. (2019). A lawyer with whiplash. Clinical Reasoning in Musculoskeletal Practice. (pp. 241-258) London, United Kingdom: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-7020-5976-6.00019-X

  • Sterling, Michele (2016). Neck pain. Mechanisms and management of pain for the physical therapist. (pp. 351-362) Philadelphia, United States: Wolters Kluwer Health Adis (ESP).

  • Sterling, M. and Curatolo, M. (2015). Whiplash injury pain. Musculoskeletal pain: basic mechanisms and implications. (pp. 1-1) Washington, DC, United States: Wolters Kluwer Health Adis (ESP).

  • Sterling, Michele (2014). The problem of whiplash injuries: aetiology, assessment and treatment. Handbook of musculoskeletal pain and disability disorders in the workplace. (pp. 121-142) edited by Robert J. Gatchel and Izabela Z. Schultz. New York, NY, United States: Springer New York. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-0612-3_7

  • Sterling, Michele M. (2012). Pain, whiplash disorder and traffic safety. Handbook of pain and palliative care: biobehavioural approaches for the life course. (pp. 213-229) edited by Rhonda J. Moore. New York, USA: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4419-1651-8_15

  • Sterling, Michele and Kenardy, Justin (2011). Acknowledgments. Whiplash: evidence base for clinical practice. (pp. xi-xi) Chatswood, NSW, Australia: Elsevier Australia. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-7295-3946-3.10024-7

  • Sterling, Michele, Rebbeck, Trudy and Kenardy, Justin (2011). Case descriptions. Whiplash: Evidence base for clinical practice. (pp. 180-186) edited by Michele Sterling and Justin Kenardy. Chatswood, NSW, Australia: Elsevier Australia. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-7295-3946-3.10017-x

  • Sterling, Michele (2011). Clinical presentation of whiplash associated disorders. Whiplash: Evidence base for clinical practice. (pp. 9-15) edited by Michele Sterling and Justin Kenardy. Chatswood, NSW, Australia: Elsevier Australia. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-7295-3946-3.10002-8

  • Sterling, Michele and Kenardy, Justin (2011). Future directions. Whiplash: Evidence base for clinical practice. (pp. 187-191) edited by Michele Sterling and Justin Kenardy. Chatswood, NSW, Australia: Elsevier Australia. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-7295-3946-3.10018-1

  • Sterling, Michele and Vicenzino, Bill (2011). Pain and sensory system impairments that may be amenable to Mobilisation with Movement. Mobilisation with Movement: The art and the science. (pp. 86-92) Chatswood, N.S.W., Australia: Elsevier Australia.

  • Curatolo, Michele and Sterling, Michele (2011). Pain-processing mechanisms in whiplash associated disorders. Whiplash: Evidence base for clinical practice. (pp. 40-51) edited by Michele Sterling and Justin Kenardy. Chatswood, NSW, Australia: Elsevier Australia. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-7295-3946-3.10005-3

  • Sterling, Michele and Kenardy, Justin (2011). Primary care management of acute whiplash injury. Whiplash: Evidence base for clinical practice. (pp. 108-119) edited by Michele Sterling and Justin Kenardy. Chatswood, NSW, Australia: Elsevier Australia. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-7295-3946-3.10011-9

  • Sterling, Michele (2011). Prognostic indicators of non-recovery following whiplash injury. Whiplash: Evidence base for clinical practice. (pp. 101-107) edited by Michele Sterling and Justin Kenardy. Chatswood, NSW, Australia: Elsevier Australia. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-7295-3946-3.10010-7

  • Sterling, Michele M. (2011). Whiplash associated disorders. Neck and Arm Pain Syndromes. Evidence-informed screening, diagnosis and management. (pp. 112-122) edited by César Fernández de las Peñas, Joshua A. Cleland and Peter A. Huijbregts.. Maryland Heights, MO, U.S.A.: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-7020-3528-9.00008-X

  • Sterling, Michele M. (2009). Pain, Transportation Issues and Whiplash. Biobehavioural Approaches to Pain. (pp. 447-471) edited by Moore, Rhonda J.. USA: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-0-387-78323-9_18

  • Sterling, M.M. (2008). Factores fisicos y psicologicos implicados en el latigzo cervical. La Columna Cervical: Sindromes Clinicos y su Tratamiento Manipulative. (pp. 373-388) edited by Rafael Torres Cueco. Spain: La Columna Panamericana de Fisioterapia.

  • Vicenzino, B., Souvlis, T. and Sterling, M. (2008). Neurophysiologic Effects of Spinal Manipulation. Tension-Type and Cervicogenic Headache. Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Management. (pp. 213-220) edited by Huijbregts, P. A., Fernadez-de-las-penas, C., Arendt-Nielsen, L. and Gerwin, R. D.. United State of America: Jones and Bartlett.

  • Jull, Gwendolen, Sterling, Michele, Falla, Deborah, Treleaven, Julia and O'Leary, Shaun (2008). Whiplash-associated disorders. Whiplash, headache, and neck pain. (pp. 101-115) Chatswood, NSW, Australia: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-443-10047-5.50012-6

  • Jull, G. A., Falla, D. L., Treleaven, J. M., Sterling, M. M. and O'Leary, S. P. (2004). A therapeutic exercise approach for cervical disorders. Grieve's Modern Manual Therapy. (pp. 451-470) edited by J. Boyling and G. Jull. Edinburgh, UK: Churchill Livingstone - Elsevier Science.

  • Sterling, M. M., Treleaven, J.M. and Jull, G. A. (2004). Mechanisms underlaying pain and dysfunction in whiplash associated disorders: Implications for physiotherapy management. Grieve's Modern Manual Therapy. (pp. 275-289) edited by J. Boyling and G. Jull. Edinburgh, UK: Churchill Livingstone - Elsevier Science.

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Other Outputs

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

Completed Supervision