Dr Christopher Papic

Lecturer in Clinical Exercise Physiology , Clinical Exercise Physiology - School of Science and Technology

Christopher Papic

Phone: +61 2 6773 1133

Email: christopher.papic@une.edu.au

Twitter: @chris_papic

Biography

Chris is a Lecturer in Clinical Exercise Physiology at the University of New England, Armidale, an Honorary Research Fellow at the John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research, Kolling Institute, University of Sydney, and a consultant for the Australian Institute of Sport.
Chris completed his PhD in biomechanics and motor skill development in swimming at the University of Sydney. Chris has a decade of clinical exercise rehabilitation experience in a hospital setting, treating patients with neurological, musculoskeletal, and cardiopulmonary conditions.
Current research projects include:
1) Project lead: Australian clinical guidelines for the management of whiplash associated disorders.
2) Project lead: Parent and little Movers (PALMs) Project: Building childrens' lifelong physical literacy.
3) Health and social outcomes following road traffic injuries.
4) Facilitating biomechanical analysis in sport using neural networks.

Qualifications

  • Accredited Exercise Physiologist and Exercise Scientist
  • NSW State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) Workers Compensation and CTP Allied Health Provider (Exercise Physiologist)

Awards

  1. New Investigator Award Finalist (3rd Place) (07/2019), International Society of Biomechanics in Sports Conference, Oxford, Ohio, USA
  2. Dean’s Citation for Learning and Teaching (2019), University of Sydney, Australia
  3. Research Training Program (RTP) PhD Scholarship (2017-2020), University of Sydney, Australia

Teaching Areas

Exercise for musculoskeletal rehabilitation and cancer management; prescription of exercise for special and clinical populations

Research Interests

Primary Research Area/s

  • whiplash associated disorders;
  • health and social outcomes following road traffic injuries;
  • biomechanical analysis of swimming using neural networks;
  • recovery following traumatic brain injury

Industry Collaborations

Developing national guidelines for the management of whiplash associated disorders for health professionals (https://www.clinicalguidelines.gov.au/register/clinical-guidelines-management-whiplash-associated-disorders-health-professionals-4th).
Collaboration with the John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research, University of Sydney, the NSW State Insurance Regulatory Authority, health professional organisations, injury insurance stakeholders, and consumer organisations (e.g., Pain Australia).

Research Groups and Networks

Ongoing research networks:

  1. John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research, Kolling Institute, University of Sydney
  2. Brain Injury Research Team, Westmead Hospital
  3. Aquatics Lab, University of Granada, Spain

Research Supervision Experience

  • Honours project supervisor (first class honours): “The relationship between kick plate position, anthropometric characteristics, and block start performance in junior swimmers”. University of Sydney
  • Adjunct supervision of PhD students to provide methodological guidance:

    - Griffith University, Queensland (PhD project): “Investigation of individualised patterns in limb trajectories and velocity in elite breaststroke swimmers”.

    - Aquatics Lab, University of Granada, Spain (PhD project): “The relationship between muscle strength and dolphin kicking performance in swimming”.

Publications

Papic, C., Andersen, J., Naemi, R., Hodierne, R., & Sanders, R.H. (2021). Augmented feedback can change body shape to improve glide efficiency in swimming. Sports Biomechanics, advance online publication, 1-20.

Papic, C., Sanders, R. H., Naemi, R., Elipot, M., & Andersen, J. (2021). Improving data acquisition speed and accuracy in sport using neural networks. Journal of Sport Sciences, 39(5) 513-522.

Papic, C., McCabe, C., Gonjo, T., & Sanders, R. H. (2020). Effect of torso morphology on maximum hydrodynamic resistance in front crawl swimming. Sports Biomechanics, advance online publication, 1-15.

Morais, J. E., Sanders, R. H., Papic, C., Barbosa, T. M., & Marinho, D. A. (2020). The influence of the frontal surface area and swim velocity variation in front crawl active drag. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 52(11), 2357-2364.

Papic, C., Sinclair, P., Fornusek, C., & Sanders, R. (2018). The effect of auditory stimulus training on swimming start reaction time. Sports Biomechanics, 18(4), 378-389.

Clinical Skills and Experience

Clinical Exercise Physiologist (Westmead Rehabilitation Hospital)

  • Inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation therapist in a sub-acute hospital setting.
  • Land, aquatic, and community-based exercise therapy.

Assessment and treatment of patients presenting with musculoskeletal, orthopaedic, neurological, and cardiopulmonary conditions.

Cardiac Rehabilitation Program Coordinator (“Your Heart Matters”) and Outpatient Hydrotherapy Program Coordinator (“Keep you Active”)

Memberships

  • Exercise and Sport Science Australia
  • International Society of Biomechanics in Sports