ResPTlab Moorooduc Highway, Frankston, Victoria 3199

Welcome to ResPTlab, a unique centre for Research in Respiratory Physiotherapy located in Frankston, Australia. We are a dedicated team of researchers and clinicians who are passionate about improving health outcomes for individuals affected by respiratory disease.

At ResPTlab, we believe in the important role of physiotherapists in helping this patient group, and we are committed to enhancing our profession through clinically-relevant research and fostering emerging talent. Our goal is to drive sustainable, evidence-based healthcare into the future.

We work collaboratively with clinicians and researchers interested in respiratory rehabilitation to develop the necessary research skills, capacity, and leadership to generate innovative and sustainable solutions to contemporary respiratory healthcare issues.

Our team is led by Christian, the Founding Director and Head of ResPTlab. With almost 20 years of clinical, research, and academic experience, Christian brings a wealth of knowledge to our institution.

Belinda, our Senior Scientist, offers expertise in laboratory analysis, tissue sampling, animal models, and inflammatory pathways. She has renowned expertise in the role of TGF-beta in lung diseases, including pulmonary fibrosis and COPD.

Martin, our senior Consultant Respiratory Physician, manages a diverse caseload of patients with chronic lung disease at Monash Lung, Sleep, Allergy & Immunology. His PhD focused on the diversity of aetiological phenotypes in people with acute exacerbations of COPD.

Paul, another Consultant Respiratory Physician, also consults at Monash Lung, Sleep, Allergy & Immunology. His recent PhD examined the role of novel imaging techniques in detecting cardiovascular comorbidities in people affected by acute exacerbations of COPD.

Carla, the Head of the general medicine/respiratory physiotherapy stream at Monash Health Physiotherapy, has supervised many student projects and has a diverse research profile spanning multiple areas of clinical practice.

Ale (‘Ally’), our Senior Physiotherapist, has significant experience in acute respiratory care and chronic disease management. She has diverse research and clinical interests, including managing dysfunctional breathing and refractory cough.

Laura, our Senior Physiotherapist of acute respiratory care at Monash Health Physiotherapy, has a background in BioMedical Sciences and clinical interests in non-invasive ventilation management for people with chronic lung disease.

Sally, our Senior Physiotherapist based in the community rehabilitation sector, has vast experience in delivering pulmonary rehabilitation programs and an interest in improving patient care and self-management.

At ResPTlab, we regularly update our website with posts about our current lab projects, staffing, and recent initiatives such as journal club topics. We also highlight some of our team projects, which include multidimensional clinical phenotyping of hospitalised acute COPD exacerbations, the impact of frailty during acute inpatient lung exacerbations, and the perceptions and work-readiness of Australian physiotherapists in cancer care.

We also conduct professional development activities throughout the year in collaboration with Monash University Department of Physiotherapy. These activities cover evidence-based respiratory patient care and are presented by leading healthcare professionals and academics. You can attend these seminars live or online, or watch the recordings later if you are unable to attend.

We also provide useful resources for the management of people affected by chronic lung disease on our website.

ResPTlab is a welcoming group that believes in moving patient care forward through collaboration. We are proud to be part of an enthusiastic cross-disciplinary network of researchers with broad and complementary skillsets.

Thank you for visiting ResPTlab, and we hope you find our website informative and helpful in your journey towards better respiratory health.