In September 2023, four Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre (QCPRRC) representatives attended the 77th Annual Meeting American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM).
QCPRRC presented cutting edge research and post-doctoral researcher, Dr Kath Benfer, was awarded the prestigious Mac Keith Press Promising Career Award for her contribution to developmental medicine.
The event saw presentations of ground-breaking research in paediatric cerebral palsy by QCPRRC’s Scientific Director Professor Roslyn Boyd, Associate Professor Leanne Sakzewski, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow Dr Stina Oftedal and PhD Candidate Carly Luke.
Professor Roslyn Boyd highlighted that the representation of QCPRRC research indicates the meaningful contribution QCPRRC makes to children with cerebral palsy and their families on an international level.
“We were delighted to receive an invitation to present at the AACPDM. Our team works incredibly hard on their research to bring about meaningful outcomes for children with cerebral palsy,” Professor Boyd said.
QCPRRC’s Dr Stina Oftedal presented her research on the association between nutritional status and gross motor function in children with cerebral palsy between the ages of 1.5 and 12 years. Her preliminary findings indicate there may be an association between nutritional status and gross motor function. This highlights the importance of nutritional intervention for children with cerebral palsy to optimise growth and gross motor outcomes.
QCPRRC’s PhD candidate Carly Luke also presented her findings on early identification of cerebral palsy. Her research investigated predictive accuracy of early screening in First Nations infants at risk of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. Ms Luke’s research indicates MOS-R ratings at 3-5 months are best at identifying infants with a ‘high chance’ of cerebral palsy. The early identification of high-risk infants prior to 12 months promotes early access to specific supports and services, facilitating better outcomes for the children with cerebral palsy.
QCPRRC’s Dr Kath Benfer, was awarded the Mac Keith Press Promising Career Award. This highly coveted award acknowledged Dr Katherine Benfer’s dedication to improving the lives of disabled children by extending the knowledge and understanding of developmental medicine and paediatric medicine.
QCPRRC’s award winning work and international representation is a testament to the diligent and thorough research developed at the Centre, making a meaningful difference to children with cerebral palsy.
This research would not be possible without QCPRRC’s important donors. If you would like to make a meaningful difference to the lives of children with cerebral palsy, please donate here.
