Dr Katie de Luca

E‐mail: reserach@fics.sport

Summary

I have always been passionate about sports, and an active and healthy lifestyle. This paved the way for my undergraduate Exercise and Sports Science studies, which subsequently led to a Masters in Chiropractic. I was mentored by excellent sports chiropractors early in my career, Henry Pollard and Lorenzo Campagna who worked closely with athletes and an appreciation of evidence based and patient-centred care. After working with Lorenzo and travelling with sporting teams for five years, I took maternity leave and undertook my PhD at the University of Newcastle. I was supervised by highly experienced gerontologists, general practitioners, and psychologists who provided me with a highly influential and rigorous research experience, where I have sinced continued to thrive in academia and chiropractic leadership positions. I was the first Research Chair for Sports Chiropractic Australia, and I am a titled Fellow Sports & Exercise Chiropractor, awarded by the Australasian Institute of Chiropractic Education. Since my contribution to Sports Chiropractic Australia, I was a Board member of the Chiropractic Australia Research Foundation (CARF), and subsequently became Chair of CARF in 2021. In 2023, I became Chair of the World Federation of Chiropractic’s Disability and Rehabilitation Committee, where I lead a global, nimble and progressive committee and I liaise with the World Health Organisation and, World Rehabilitation Alliance. Over this time, I have worked closely within and between committees, intimately understanding and striving towards the goals and aspirations of these organisations. It is with great delight that the opportunity presents itself to work with FICS to advance the current state of sports chiropractic research globally.

I have been a full-time academic at CQUniversity since 2021. I have been instrumental in the evolution and transition of the program to a high-quality, evidence-based chiropractic course. I teach into Sports Medicine, Gerontology, Research Methods and Social Determinants of Health. I have developed significant research capacity; four successful research summer scholarships, mentoring graduate research projects, supervising higher degree research students and leading several significant research programs. Evidence of my research excellence includes the 2023 HMAS Vice Chanceller and Deans Awards for Outstanding Research (Mid-Career), for my globally influential 2021 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) low back pain estimates (Lancet Rheumatology). There is now the time and space to develop and promote high-quality sports chiropractic research through close partnerships between FICS and CQUniversity.

Specific to FICS, my research vision includes a collaborative and informative approach, underpinned by excellence in research methods and integrity. I will work closely with the FICS Executive to determine the needs of, and opportunities with, key stakeholders to collect data to support the inclusion of FICS chiropractors at sporting events. I will work closely with the FICS executive to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the FICS membership and explore data collection efficiencies and opportunities. A primary goal will be the publication of key reports and publications in the field of sports medicine, where I will also endeavour to improve my track record in this field. Through my affiliation with CQUniversity, opportunities will exist to mentor, educate, and provide pathways for research training. I will work closely with Research Chairs of national sports chiropractic organisations, such as Associate Professor Michael Swain, the Research Chair of the Sports and Exercise Clinical Interest Group of the Australasian Institute of Chiropractic Education, and Alex Lee, the Chair of the Research and Education Committee of the Royal College of Chiropractic Sports Sciences, Canada. Finally, my ability to approach complex, organisational challenges from multiple perspectives, drawing on both clinical expertise and research insights, will enable me to actively shape the research commission’s strategies and new initiatives.