Associate Professor Mandy Plumb

Biography

I have two key areas of interest, the first being paediatric neurodevelopmental disorders trying to gain a better insight and understanding of the underlying motor issues in children with ADHD, Autism and DCD, to then enable appropriate interventions. We are exploring this through work looking at brain activity using fNIRS, assessing motor competence, exploring mental health parameters and looking at sleep

The second area is emerging and elite female athletes with The Female Co, where I am a board member and the lead for athletic performance. Our mission is to inspire and empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls, and women and girls from minority backgrounds who live, or come from discrete, remote, and regional areas of Australia. The model involves providing testing, education, strength and conditioning programs, and athlete monitoring throughout the pre-season, which includes baseline athlete testing, sleep monitoring, and recovery

Qualifications

2023 – Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology – University of New England

2005 – PhD Orthopaedic Surgery – Mechanical and chemokine factors in osteoarthritis – University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK

2000 – BSc (Hons) Sports Science – University of Wales, Bangor, UK

Awards

Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy

Teaching Areas

Neuromuscular

Primary Research Area/s

Motor Control, learning and development in neurodevelopmental disorders in children; Female athlete development

Research Supervision Experience

3 PhD, 50 MSc and 46 Hons completions

Currently supervising 1 MPhil and 1 MSc

Publications

Plumb, M. S., Timler, A. & Rigney, G. (2024). Does motor proficiency influence sleep, physical activity, and mental wellbeing in Australian children. Journal of Clinical Exercise Physiology, 13 (s2):448

Kodikara, D., Twomey, D.M., Plumb, M.S. (2023). Concussion assessment and management – What do community-level cricket participants know? Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2023.07.009

Plumb, M.S., Charity, M., Millia, K., Bodt, B., Getchell, N. (2023). Pre-frontal cortex activity in siblings with and without Developmental Coordination Disorder. Journal of Motor Learning and Development.11(1): 188-208. https://doi.org/10.1123/jmld.2021-0065

Bakhshipour, E., Plumb, M.S., Koiler, R., Milla, K., Getchell, N. (2022). Neural and Kinematic Metrics of Handwriting in Neurotypical Adults. Journal of Behavioural and Brain Science. 12: 433 – 454. https://doi.org/10.4236/jbbs.2022.129025

Beseler, B., Mesagno, C., Spittle, M., Johnson, N. F., Harvey, J., Talpey, S., & Plumb. M. S. (2022). Validation of a Follow-Through Developmental Sequence for the Overarm Throw for Force in University Students. Journal of Motor Learning and Development. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1123/jmld.2022-0010

Beseler, B., Williams, K., Plumb, M.S. (2021). Validation of the backswing developmental sequence for the overarm throw for force. Journal of Motor Learning and Development. https://doi.org/10.1123/jmld.2020-0064

Kodikara, D., Twomey, D.M., Plumb, M.S. (2021). A systematic review of head, neck and facial injuries in cricket. International Journal of Sports Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-1684-9033

Kodikara, D., Plumb, M.S., Twomey, D.M. (2020). A decade of head, neck and facial cricket injury hospitalisations in Victoria, Australia: From 2007/08 to 2016/17. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2020.06.010

Clinical Skills and Experience

Neurodevelopmental disorders interventions - specifically DCD, ADHD and Autism

Musculoskeletal rehabilitation – return to sport/play

Memberships

Exercise and Sports Science Australia Accredited Exercise Physiologist

Sports Medicine Australia – Sports Trainer Level 2

Sports Medicine Australia – Member NSW state council

Australian Strength and Conditioning – ASCA Level 1

International Society for Advancement in Kinanthropometry – ISAK level 3 Instructor

Community and Advocacy Organisation Collaborations

Board member and Athlete development lead for The Female Co

External Profiles

• ORCid Profile

Further Information

ESSA course accreditation reviewer – 2018 - present

ESSA Course Accreditation Committee Member – 2021 - present