December 16, 2014

Maggie O’Neil, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, was invited to participate in a visiting research professor lectureship as a part of her sabbatical in the spring. O’Neil was invited to participate in research activities and seminars at the University of Queensland from March 10- 25, 2014.  Stewart Trost, a professor at the University of Queensland’s (UQ) Department of Human Movement Studies, is a research collaborator on many of O’Neil’s grant projects that examine objective measures of physical activity in youth who have physical disabilities (cerebral palsy) and those with chronic conditions (obesity).  O’Neil was granted a Drexel International Travel Award to support her travel to Australia for this opportunity.

During her time at UQ, O’Neil worked closely with Trost on the data analysis and dissemination plan for the NIH R24 multi-site pilot study that was conducted in Boston, Massachusetts and Wilmington, Delaware. Trost is the expert research and statistical team member for this project, entitled “Measuring Physical Activity in Youth with Cerebral Palsy.” Therefore, it was very timely for Dr. O’Neil to accept and participate in this visiting research professor lectureship.

As a visiting professor, O’Neil attended research seminars conducted by faculty and international visiting professors in the Department of Human Movement Studies. She attended seminars and presented at the Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Center (QCPRRC), which is a collaborative center between the Royal Children’s Hospital and the University of Queensland. O’Neil was invited to present there by her research colleague, Roslyn Boyd, the director of the QCPRRC and an international research partner on former grants and publications.

O’Neil has submitted two manuscripts which were favorably reviewed and are now in revision. She is in the process of preparing three other manuscripts as an outcome of this project and visit. Further, O’Neil and Trost are collaborating on another grant that was recently funded. “I am very thankful for the Drexel International Travel Award to support my time in this wonderful opportunity!” O’Neil said.