Exercise Science, Studies Show

Dr Mitchell Gibbs

Here we take a dive into all things surrounding the research and practice of exercise science!

  1. Feb 7

    Ep 20: Soph Shephard - Navigating complextiy & embracing uncertainty through systems thinking

    It was great to have Soph back on for another chat! This was a great discussion around what complexity means, and how systems thinking can help us navigate that. This convo definitely made me think and I hope it does the same for you. This should serve as somewhat of an intro and a bit to chew on for systems thinking and Soph has been so kind as to provide some resources for further reading, which you can find below beneath her bio: Soph is a queer, Autistic/ADHD woman living andworking on Wiradjuri country (Wagga Wagga). She is an APA Titled Pain Physiotherapist, Pain Revolution Local Pain Educator & Mentor, and Clinical Director of Vive Pain & Fatigue, a niche telehealth practice established to support those living with complex persistent pain, chronic fatigue, and invisible illnesses. Soph is also a researcher and current PhD candidate, with interests spanning pain and fatigue management, health equity, rural health, neurodivergence,psychologically-informed care, and suicide prevention within physiotherapy. An experienced educator and speaker, Soph has presented nationally and internationally, including invited lectures for the Australian Physiotherapy Association, the College of Physiotherapists of Alberta, and University ofLondon (City). Her expertise has also been recognised with invited presentations at both the 2025 Global Ehlers-Danlos Conference and the 2025 Australian Pain Society Conference. In her spare time she also hosts a podcast, Beyond Pain & Fatigue. @vivepainandfatigue Resources: Arnold, R. D., & Wade, J. P. (2017). A complete set of systems thinking skills. Insight, 20(3), 9-17. Snowden, D. J. (2004). Managing for Serendipity or why we should lay off "best practice” in KM. Ark Group’s Knowledge Management Magazine, 8. Doll Jr, W. E., & Trueit, D. (2010). Complexity and the health care professions: Complexity and health care professions. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 16(4), 841–848. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2753.2010.01497.x Zinsstag, J., Schelling, E., Waltner-Toews, D., & Tanner, M. (2011). From “one medicine” to “one health” and systemic approaches to health and well-being. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 101(3–4), 148–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2010.07.003

    1 hr
  2. 10/24/2025

    Episode 17: Emily Walker - A mediation analysis of patient-led goal setting & pain education for chronic low back pain

    This was a fantastic chat with emily about this paper (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40987621/), which was a mediation analysis of a previous trial (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30808666/). Emily was the lead author and walks us through what mediation is and why it is important for clinical trials, what this study found, what it means for clinical practice, and what is next! Emily and I get into some great discussion around relevant clinical strategies that can be derived from this paper (and other relevant literature) as well as some healthy banter along the way. This episode is a great listen & make sure to keep posted for a follow up ep that we talk about toward the end! Emily's bio & where to find her: Emily Walker is a PhD candidate at UNSW and Neuroscience Research Australia, using process evaluation to explore patient-led goal setting and pain science education for people with chronic low back pain. She also spends her time reading about social determinants of pain, health equity, and critical qualitative approaches to health research. Clinically, she works as an exercise physiologist in a multidisciplinary clinic, mainly supporting people with musculoskeletal concerns. She is also an Associate Lecturer at UNSW, where she is involved in subjects on research methods, musculoskeletal health, and special populations.   Insta: emwalker_exphys  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-walker-exphys/ Blue Sky: emwalkerexphys.bsky.social

    58 min

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Here we take a dive into all things surrounding the research and practice of exercise science!