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Dr. Katie de Luca

Senior Lecturer - Chiropractic-605835
School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences
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About Me

Dr. Katie de Luca is a Senior Lecturer at CQU, Brisbane Campus. She teaches into the units Advanced Clinical Development, Social Perspectives of Health and Research Literacy.

Her research interests focus on the epidemiology and management of musculoskeletal conditions, with expertise in older adults. Katie has received competitive research funding in excess of $3.4M. She leads the industry funded (Australian Chiropractors Association), internationally collaborative, 12 month longitudinal study on BAck Complaints in the Elderly:Chiropractic - Australia. Her recent Global Burden of Disease 2021 low back pain estimates were published in the Lancet Rheumatology. This publication alone has more than 160 news mentions and 800 social media mentions globally, and featured nationally across print, TV (Channel 7 news; Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide) and radio, where Katie was interviewed by ABC Far North Queensland. Internationally, news items featured in National Geographic Indonesia, as well as in China, the US, the UK, India, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong and South Korea, just to name a few. Outstandingly, the coverage for this research is estimated to have reached 3 million Australians and 40 million people globally.

Katie has more than 60 peer-reviewed journal publications and more than 50 conference presentations, which includes several invited keynote presentations on back pain in older adults, women's health conditions and sports chiropractic.

Katie is the Chair of the Chiropractic Australia Research Foundation and is the Chair of the World Federation of Chiropractic, Disability and Rehabilitation Committee. She is on the editorial board of Chiropractic and Manual Therapies and is the section editor for the JMPT Women's Health section.. 

General
Universities Studied At

Doctor of PhilosophyThe University of Newcastle

Masters of ChiropracticMacquarie University

Bachelor of Applied Science (exercise & sport science)The University of Sydney

Universities Worked At

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow: Macquarie University

Responsibilities

Chair, Chiropractic Australia Research Foundation.

Chair, World Federation of Chiropractic, Disability and Rehabilitation Committee.

Editor

Chiropractic & Manual Therapies

Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics

Frontiers in Pain Research

Recent Research Projects
Dean's Awards and Vice-Chancellor's Awards for Outstanding Researchers - Mid-Career Research Category
From: 27/06/2023 to 31/12/2024
Grant: Award - Internal (Internal Grant)
Funding Scheme: 2023 School of Health, Medical & Applied Sciences Dean's Award
Total Funding: $2,000.00
Determining the impact of a new primary care model for low back pain: A cluster randomised trial (APP2007212) (MRF2007212)
From: 05/05/2022 to 31/12/2025
Grant: Competitive Grant (Category 1: Aust Competitive Grant)
Funding Scheme: 2020 MRFF International Clinical Trial Collaboration - ICTC 20-2 - through Macquarie University
Total Funding: $2,107,850.00
Back Complaints in Elders - Chiropractic: Australia
From: 06/12/2021 to 31/10/2025
Grant: Competitive Grant (Category 3: Industry and Other)
Funding Scheme: Australian Chiropractors Association (ACA) Research Grant
Total Funding: $114,470.00
Research Supervision
Accreditation

I am currently accredited for supervision in the following:

  • 4208 Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine
  • 4201 Allied health and rehabilitation science
  • 4299 Other health sciences
  • 4202 Epidemiology
  • 4206 Public health
  • 4203 Health services and systems
  • 4207 Sports science and exercise

Current Capacity
I am currently available to supervise more research candidates
Current Supervision
Master of Research
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%; font-family:" times="" new="" roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" new="" roman";="" mso-ansi-language:en-au;mso-fareast-language:en-gb;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="">What is the experience of older adults who seek chiropractic care for disabling low back pain?</span>
Principal Supervisor
Master of Health Science
The use of superficial heat in low back pain management by chiropractors and osteopaths in Australia
Principal Supervisor
Master of Research
Developing and testing a web-based, computer-tailored intervention for self-management in adults with low back pain?
Principal Supervisor
Research Interests
Health Sciences

Allied health and rehabilitation science - Allied health and rehabilitation science not elsewhere classified

Health Sciences

Allied health and rehabilitation science - Rehabilitation

Health Sciences

Epidemiology - Epidemiological modelling

Health Sciences

Public health - Injury prevention

Publications
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Teaching
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