There is increasing recognition that an appropriately prescribed program of exercise can make a significant contribution to an individual’s health status, health management and overall health outcomes.  In line with this thinking, Professor Greg Gass of Bond University, in collaboration with colleagues from Griffith University and Massey University, has secured a National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Grant.  The grant, conferred by the Minister of Health and Ageing under the Primary Health Care Project Grant Scheme, will provide funds in excess of  $660K.

Professor Gass has worked extensively in the area of rehabilitation and exercise for individuals challenged by disabilities and the ageing process, as well as with elite athletes. The NHMRC grant will fund a study which proposes to resolve the exercise dose-response relationships in older females and provide this knowledge to General Practitioners and other allied health professionals.

“It is essential that GP’s who have the main responsibility and commitment for prescribing exercise for their older patients have access to information on these dose-response relationships if the onset of chronic disease and disability is to be delayed and the decline in physiological function capacity typically associated with ageing attenuated,” Professor Gass said.

Commencing in February/March 2007, the three-year study will involve 240 women between the ages of 65-74 years walking on treadmills at 50% of their maximum capacity using a variety of exercise durations and frequencies to establish the interaction of frequency, duration and intensity upon selected health outcomes.
 
Professor Gass was recently recruited to Bond University to introduce a new Bachelor of Exercise Science degree and revise the existing Bachelor of j Sports Science degree within Bond’s Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine.  The revised Bachelor of Sports Science Degree will see an increased focus on high performance and the elite athlete and is intended to provide graduates with access to careers in the high performance sport industry.

The new Bachelor of Exercise Science developed under Professor Gass will provide a high level of basic science, clinical science and exercise science content, and will serve as a pathway into the proposed new graduate entry-level Doctor of Physiotherapy to be offered at Bond University from May 2007.

“The design of the Bachelor of Exercise Science recognises Exercise Science as an emerging field of academic and clinical relevance to the medical model, to patient care and health outcomes, and will focus on leading graduates into health-related careers such as Physiotherapy,” Professor Gass said.

Professor Elizabeth Gass is coordinating the introduction of the new Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT) program, which, subject to accreditation by the Australian Physiotherapy Council, will commence in May 2007 and will  qualify graduates to apply for registration as physiotherapists.

“The cornerstone of the proposed Doctor of Physiotherapy at Bond University will be clinical education and clinical excellence.  The DPT will be the first full Problem Based Learning curriculum in Physiotherapy in Australia.” Professor Gass said.

If you would like to find out more about Bond University’s new programs in Exercise Science, Sports Science or Physiotherapy, please contact:

Ms Jenny Dimento 
Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine
Phone: +61 7 5595 4456 
Email: jdimento@bond.edu.au.

A major research grant will combine the academic capital of High Performance Science (Dr Bon Gray) and Forensic Science (Professor Angela van Daal) to help eliminate the “Sporting Cheats” from competition while advancing Australia’s reputation for research and policy development on Anti Doping in Sport.

Dr Bon Gray and Professor Angela van Daal from Bond University have been awarded a major research grant ($178,000 for one year) that will fund a project investigating: “Transcriptional regulation of gene expression in human lymphocytes: Potential applications to the detection of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH)”.

The funding outcome for Dr Gray and Professor Angela van Daal reflects the very interactive approach by the Anti-Doping Research Program (ADRP) to research.  The administrators of the Anti-Doping Research Program and the originator of the ADRP are to be congratulated on their approach to extending scientific inquiry.  Such an innovative and interactive approach to awarding research funding ensures that the progress of science is advanced and that full power and effect of science is harnessed to eliminate the “cheats in sport”.

The new Bachelor of Exercise Science, planned to commence 15 January 2007, has been deliberately structured to be the preferred undergraduate degree for entry into the proposed entry-level Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT) program at Bond University (subject to accreditation by Australian Physiotherapy Council).  This means that students interested in pursuing a career in Physiotherapy could graduate with a Bachelor of Exercise Science and a Doctor of Physiotherapy in 12 semesters (4 years) of study.

“The Bachelor of Exercise Science has been designed to produce the highest quality graduates who will be recognised as the benchmark by industry and by the providers of other related university programs.” Professor Gass said.

Our curriculum approach to the Bachelor of Exercise Science is to provide a high level of basic science, clinical science and exercise science content.  This will produce graduates who can evaluate, reason, and synthesise complex scientific and medical information.  This design recognises Exercise Science as an emerging field of academic and clinical relevance to the medical model, to patient care and health outcomes.

Professor Gass has limited the first year enrolment into this program to a maximum of 20 students, each with an OP no lower than 10 (80 percentile rank).  It is worth noting that 40% of students enrolled at Bond University have a percentile rank of 90 and above, and approximately 80% of students enrolled at Bond University have a percentile rank of 80 and above. 

Bond University has taken a deliberate stand to set the minimum entrance standard at the 80th percentile (OP10) for the Bachelor of Exercise Science and Bachelor of Sports Science. Why? We want bright students who can meet the academic challenge of our programs, who will finish our demanding courses and then have significant career options.

Reportedly, some public universities load up the first year numbers in Human Movement, Exercise Science and Sports Science to offset the short fall in numbers in other programs.  As reported in QTAC Report 2005, approximately 900 students were "accepted" into Human Movement, Exercise Sciences, Sport Science and Physical Education programs/double degrees in Queensland alone.  The consequence of such large student enrolments into Human Movement, Exercise Science, Sports Science and Physical Education programs are the poor employment prospects for graduates with stand alone Bachelors Degree from such programs.

At Bond University we have set the minimum entrance standard at the 80th percentile and limited the intake to 20 places per year in the Bachelor of Exercise Science and Bachelor of Sports Science.

“Bond University’s focus on small group teaching and individual student attention is a distinguishing feature of the Bond University educational experience.” Professor Gass said.

“The curriculum innovations and the unashamed commitment to quality and student learning should be reason enough for all potential students to consider Bond University as their tertiary education provider, and particularly so with the availability of FEE-HELP,” he said.

Students who are already enrolled in a similar undergraduate degree program in a public university and are considering graduate entry Physiotherapy i.e. Doctor of Physiotherapy should consider transferring to the Bachelor of Exercise Science or Bachelor of Sport Science at Bond University in 2007. If you would like information about credit transfer from your current degree to the Bachelor of Exercise Science then please contact Professor Greg Gass, email: ggass@bond.edu.au

For further information or to apply for the Bachelor of Exercise Science or Bachelor of Sports Science, please contact:

Ms Fay Pollock
Manager, Student Administration
Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine
Bond University, Queensland 4229, Australia
email: fay_pollock@bond.edu.au 
phone: +61 7 5595 4117

A substantially revised Bachelor of Sports Science degree will be offered by the Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine Bond University starting January 2007.  Enrolments are still being accepted. The new Bachelor of Sports Science will be one of two degrees (the other degree being Bachelor of Exercise Science also offered by Bond University) designed as entry degrees for Doctor of Physiotherapy* planned to start at Bond University in May 2007. (*Subject to accreditation by Australian Physiotherapy Council)

The new Bachelor of Sports Science will have a curriculum and outcomes that focus upon high performance athletes and elite sport.  Because of the complexity of the knowledge base associated with high performance sport, a minimum OP of 10 (Queensland) or other state equivalent and Year 12 English and Chemistry will be the entry requirements. 

The new Bachelor of Sports Science will also be the preferred undergraduate degree for entry into the Master of High Performance Science, and the preferred undergraduate degree for entry into Master of Coaching Science both of which are currently under development.  To register your interest in applying for a place in either the Master of High Performance Science or Master of Coaching Science, please contact Ms Fay Pollock, Manager, Student Administration, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University at fay_pollock@bond.edu.au or on +61 7 5595 4117.

The new Bachelor of Sports Science has flexible admission inputs and is well grounded in the basic sciences (Chemistry, Cell Biology, Biophysics) clinical sciences (Physiology, Anatomy, Pharmacology, Biochemistry) and the high performance sciences (Physiology of Exercise, Performance Analysis and Technology, High Performance Science I and II).  This program aims to achieve academic excellence and produce graduates who clearly understand high performance athletes and the processes required to achieve sporting excellence.

Our curriculum approach was to produce graduates who can evaluate, reason, problem solve and synthesis complex scientific information and successfully translate that complex scientific information to improve the performance of elite athletes and their coaches.

The curriculum has deliberately focussed on an evidence-based approach to inform practice.  The approved curriculum will build knowledge, information and practical skills in sequential stages from basic to complex and from single systems to highly integrated multi-systems.

Learning strategies will include lectures and tutorials, problem solving, theoretical reasoning and directed student learning through clinical conference and case study models.

For information about the revised Bachelor of Sports Science and possible credit from other university courses, contact:

Professor Greg Gass
Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine
Bond University
Phone: +61 7 5595 4481
Email: ggass@bond.edu.au

The following new degree programs are under development and are proposed to be ready for 2008 and beyond:

• Master of Clinical Sciences (proposed 2008)
• Master of High Performance Science (proposed 2008)
• Master of Coaching Science (proposed 2008/2009)
• Master of Sports Counselling (proposed 2007/2008)

If you wish to be considered for admission into the new degree programs listed above or would like further information, then contact:

Ms Fay Pollock
Manager, Student Administration
Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine
Bond University, Queensland 4229, Australia
email: fay_pollock@bond.edu.au 
phone: +61 7 5595 4117

The minimum entry requirement to the above post graduate course work degrees will be a relevant degree in Exercise Science, Sport Science, Human Movement, Physical Education, Biomedical Science (with additional subjects), and a GP of at least 5.0 on a 7 point scale during your last year of study in your Bachelors degree.

Bond University is a private, not for profit University located on the Gold Coast in Queensland.  The student body of approximately 3000 students with a 50/50 domestic and international mix, benefits from Bond University's philosophy of unequivocal commitment to student learning, graduate employment and excellence. The Good Universities Guide for 2007 gave Bond University five stars for the following educational categories:

5 Star Rating in Graduate Satisfaction
5 Star Rating in Graduate Starting Salaries
5 Star Rating in Teaching Quality
5 Star Rating in Staff to Student Ratio
5 Star Rating in Overall Graduate Ratings
5 Star Rating in Getting a Job
5 Star Rating in Positive Graduate Outcomes
5 Star Rating in Generic Skills
5 Star Rating in Electronic Support

Of all the universities in Australia, only two other universities (University of Melbourne and University of New South Wales) were able to achieve 5 Star Rating across the nine categories.

No public university in Queensland was able to achieve the number of 5 Star Educational Ratings that was achieved by Bond University in the Good Universities Guide for 2007. 

The full results of the Good Universities Guide for 2007 can be found at http://ratings.thegoodguides.com.au/.  This website is worth reading before any prospective student considers their choice of tertiary education provider.

There is a perception that Bond University is expensive.  Not so.  It is all a question of what you get for your investment and the quality of the educational journey.  Unequivocal evidence is provided in The Good Universities Guide for 2007 that Bond University is an education investment that should be seriously considered.

Bond University is not for everyone.  Bond University is clearly for those who want an excellent educational experience (as independently reported in the Good Universities Guide for 2007), small group learning environment (e.g. Health Sciences 20-60 students not 500 – 600 Health Sciences students in first year), student focused staff and an unequivocal commitment to excellence. 

Bond University is a place where teaching and students come first.  Clear choice is now available with FEE HELP: A Bond University Experience or a public university experience.  The choice should be clear.

If you are interested in obtaining an excellent educational experience in Exercise Science or Sports Science then consider Bond University in 2007.  Better still, contact:

Ms Fay Pollock
Manager, Student Administration
Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine
Bond University, Queensland 4229, Australia
Phone: +61 7 5595 4117
Email: fay_pollock@bond.edu.au 

In a recent article (The Australian 6.12.06), a higher education policy analyst at a public university in Queensland suggested that students from private high schools achieve lower marks in their first year of university than students from public high schools with the same Year 12 ranking.  Of particular note was the reasoning for the difference in academic performance in first year of university.

If you are from a private high school, maintain your learning advantage by choosing Bond University, a private university with a focus on student outcomes and the educational experience.  Public high school graduates will also recognise the beneficial advantage of a private university education at Bond University. 

There are only two public universities in the whole of Australia that can match Bond University in 5 Star Ranking as reported by 2007 Good Universities Guide.

Bond University achieved 5 stars ranking for:

• Teaching Quality
• Graduate Satisfaction
• Graduate Starting Salary
• Staff to Student Ratio
• Getting a Job
• Positive Graduate Outcomes
• Generic Skills
• Electronic Support
• Overall Graduate Rating

The three universities in the whole of Australia that achieved 5 Star Rankings in NINE categories were Bond University, The University of Melbourne and The University of New South Wales.

For comparative ranking of other universities in Australia particularly those in Queensland go to http://ratings.thegoodguides.com.au/

Bond University students are now able to take advantage of FEE-HELP which:

• Is an interest free government loan that helps eligible fee-paying students pay their tuition fees;
• Offers a maximum loan of $80,000 which would cover tuition fees for the Bachelor of Exercise Science or the Bachelor of Sports Science
• Is available to Australian citizens or holders of a permanent humanitarian visa;
• Is repaid to the Australian Taxation Office by compulsory repayments through the taxation system when approximately $35,000 is earned in a financial year;
• Grants a 10% bonus for any voluntary payments over $500.

Please visit www.hecs.gov.au/pubs/fee_help_2006/contents.htm to view the Government publications on FEE-HELP.

To ensure that you are well informed about FEE HELP, persons considering applying for either the Bachelor of Sports Science or the Bachelor of Exercise Science in 2007 should contact:

Take a moment to browse the images of campus life at Bond University and the learning environment in which our students and staff excel.
Image Gallery

This is the last edition of FRONT RUNNER for 2006. We in the academic grouping of Physiotherapy, Exercise Science, Sports Management and Sports Science in the Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine at Bond University wish you a very Merry Christmas and a successful 2007.

Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine
BOND UNIVERSITY
GOLD COAST QLD 4229

Phone:	+ 61 7 5595 4400
Fax:	+ 61 7 5595 4122
Website:	www.bond.edu.au/about/faculties/hsm

Please UNSUBSCRIBE me from FRONT RUNNER.  I do not wish to recieve future editions of this e-newsletter.

Have you ever considered sliding head first down a bobsled track at speeds reaching 120km an hour?  While we all do crazy things from time to time… nothing could hold back Sara Kersten-Murphy, a Bond University postgraduate Sports Science student, from taking the Olympic Skeleton Winter Sports Challenge.  Being a Skeleton enthusiast, Sara jumped at the opportunity to be a part of a unique selection program directed by the Australian Institute of Sport.

The Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine at Bond University provided one of five testing sites in Queensland as part of the national talent search strategy.  Women who had posted times of 4.3 sec or faster for their 30 metre sprints were invited to explore the world of Skeleton at the Selection Camp.  Olympic finalist Michelle Steel, informed those attending the Selection Camp what it takes to be an Olympic Skeleton Competitor and participants clearly understood the demands and commitment required to make it to the top. 

The selection camp involved 6:30am starts with sled pushes where peak velocities and initial acceleration were determined.  More 30m sprints were undertaken to compare running speed relative to sled push velocity.  Skill acquisition was used as a measure to examine eye movement whilst simulating the drive phase of the Skeleton push. 

Following the extensive assessments of our potential Skeleton athletes, was a program of selected recovery strategies including contrast spa’s and ice baths for neural recovery.  Whirlpools and recovery salt water float tanks were also used for both active recovery and relaxation. 

Sara said that her postgraduate academic program in Sports Science at Bond University did raise in her mind the evidence-base for such recovery strategies upon subsequent physiological performance. 

“The skills learnt and the experiences gained during the selection trial reinforced the wisdom of my decision to enrol in the Master of Sports Science at Bond University," Sara said.

The learning that has occurred in my Master of Sports Science is so relevant to the assessment and processes that I experienced at the AIS training for Skeleton at the next Winter Olympics,” she said.

One person who subscribes to receive our next edition of FRONT RUNNER will be electronically selected to recieve a Bond University Gift Pack valued at approximately $100.   SUBSCRIBE to FRONT RUNNER here to enter the competition and be included in future editions.

CLICK HERE TO SEND A COPY OF FRONT RUNNER TO A FRIEND OR COLLEAGUE

As a private, not for profit university, Bond University does not receive yearly funding from the Federal Government, so we are in the position to accept two advertisements in each issue of FRONT RUNNER.  Your audience is approximately 4000 readers (and growing) who have either expressed an interest in exercise science, sport science, sport management or physiotherapy, or those who currently work in related industries, including education. 

Additionally, each edition has a long life as the current article is placed online as well as sent to our database. (A previous edition is linked.)  Each ad will cost $2500 and will be full-colour, prominently positioned within the body of the newsletter and sized at 110 x 70mm.  All advertising will need to be submitted as a jpg.

The advertisements that will be placed in FRONT RUNNER must be evidence-based, ethical and in the best interests of the health of Australians. If you are interested in advertising in our next edition of FRONT RUNNER, please contact:

Katie Gordon
Marketing Coordinator
Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine
Bond University
07 5595 1119
katie_gordon@bond.edu.au

DR JEROME FLEG TO VISIT BOND UNIVERSITY IN 2007

Dr Jerome Fleg, a cardiologist with extensive refereed publications and clinical experience will visit the Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University in February 2007.  While visiting Bond University, Dr Fleg will present seminars to staff and students, local general medical practitioners and complete a “Grand Rounds” at a major teaching hospital. 

In addition, Dr Fleg will meet with post graduate students at Bond University, Cardio-Respiratory Physiotherapy clinicians from Sydney and with the  Clinical Faculty for the Doctor of Physiotherapy (due to start in May 2007, Subject to Australian Physiotherapy Council approval.)

With the Bachelor of Exercise Science degree due to start in 2007, and the Master of Clinical Science due to start in 2008, Dr Fleg’s visit will be timely to provide expert and international advice on the learning outcomes that are being developed in the areas of clinical exercise testing, metabolic diseases and exercise and physiological principles of rehabilitation.

Dr Fleg has, at the time of writing, 124 refereed publications in high impact journals and over 84 book chapters/review articles.  His latest review (2005) which appears in the journal Preventative Cardiology, is on physical activity as anti-inflammatory therapy for cardiovascular disease.  From 1992 to 2002, Dr Fleg was Chief, Human Cardiovascular Studies Unit, Laboratory of Cardiovascular Science, Gerontology Research Centre, National Institute of Health in Baltimore.  Currently, Dr Fleg is in the Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland.

Dr Fleg has a clinical appointment in Cardiology at the National Naval Medical Centre in Bethesda with the current rank of Medical Director.

The quality and quantity of his publications has resulted in membership of a number of editorial boards.  Currently, his editorial board membership includes Aging: Clinical and Experimental Research, Coronary Artery Disease and Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.

If you wish to be advised of the timing and title of Dr Fleg’s seminars, then email jdimento@bond.edu.au.
The Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine looks forward to welcoming Dr Fleg to Bond University in February 2007.

HIGH SCHOOL COACHES NOW 'STRONGER FASTER SAFER'

The Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine at Bond University hosted Stronger, Faster, Safer on 6 November, 2006, a workshop specifically designed for high school coaches and physical education teachers who have the primary responsibility for young athletes.  Attendees from the Gold Coast and Northern NSW were provided with the latest research to improve their coaching outcomes. 

What set the workshop apart was the highly interactive format, with participants actively encouraged to interact with ‘the expert’ and with each other.

As reported by one participant “it was a fantastic workshop, and being able to interact with the speakers in the manner that we did made the trip worthwhile  ... and your lunch was great”.

The key speakers and facilitators were:

1. Dr Clive Jones, a Sports Psychologist from Bond University who spoke about the influence and interactions of multiple stresses upon the performance of young athletes, how to identify and predict the effects of multiple stresses and manage the consequences.

 2. Assistant Professor Bruce Rawson, an APA Sports Physiotherapist also from Bond University, provided an evidence-based presentation on how to minimise anterior cruciate ligament injuries in young athletes and the value of a dynamic warm up and stretching program.  What was most notable was the practical component that accompanied the talk by Bruce Rawson.

3. Assistant Professor Chris McLellan, a Physiotherapist and an authority on Strength and Conditioning from Bond University gave a highly interactive presentation on the evidence-base for supplements and performance of young athletes.  The claims about the benefits of many supplements, and the link among supplements and resulting performance changes in males aged 16-21 years were reviewed.

4. Ms Kristen Griffin, a Bond University Law graduate, and a Senior Associate with Minter Ellison, Lawyers on the Gold Coast gave a clear picture on the legal responsibilities and potential legal consequences for sport coaches of young athletes.  The interactive nature of the workshop/seminar, enabled Ms Griffin to give participants a wide range of high quality advice that related to the Tort of Negligence and how best to minimize the risk of negligence when coaching and teaching young athletes.

The organisers and participants in the Stronger, Faster, Safer appreciated the contribution of Minter Ellison Lawyers to the success of the workshop.

Stronger, Faster, Safer is planned as an annual workshop, to be held on the first Monday in November (5th, 2007) for high school coaches and physical education teachers.  If you would like to be part of the 2007 Stronger, Faster, Safer workshop/seminar email Ms Beth Douglas on bdouglas@bond.edu.au
Numbers are fixed at 30.

Thank you to our sponsors, Elite Fitness.  For all your fitness needs, contact Elite Fitness first.

 
www.elitefitness.com.au   

If you are interested in joining the ‘Bond University Experience’ and are well credentialed with excellent clinical experience in Physiotherapy then please consider the following vacant academic positions.

Academic Positions in Physiotherapy
 
As Bond University progressively engages the accreditation processes for the Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT), high quality academic staff are required to contribute to the Doctor of Physiotherapy program.

If you are a highly skilled clinician, an innovative educationalist and an individual committed to student learning and excellence, then consider joining our Physiotherapy Team.  You will be part of an innovation in Physiotherapy education.

The Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine invites applications from highly credentialed individuals for the following new positions in Physiotherapy Education at Bond University:

• Assistant/Associate Professor in Physiotherapy Clinical Education
(Full-time, continuing position)

• Assistant/Associate Professor in Cardio-Respiratory Physiotherapy
(Full-time, continuing position; a fractional position may be considered)

• Assistant/Associate Professor in Neurological Physiotherapy
(Part-time, continuing position)

Qualifications
Applicants should have a post graduate qualification in physiotherapy for Assistant Professor positions and a PhD in physiotherapy for Associate Professor positions.  Applicants must have high quality and relevant physiotherapy clinical experience and must be eligible for immediate registration as a physiotherapist in Queensland.  Evidence of excellent teaching skills is essential.  Demonstrated research activity in physiotherapy is highly desirable.

Remuneration
Salary will be negotiated and will be commensurate with skills and experience.

Applications and Enquiries
Information about the DPT and Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine is available at www.bond.edu.au  For further details regarding these academic positions are available from www.bond.edu.au/employ.

Applicants wishing to discuss the academic positions in physiotherapy should contact Professor Elizabeth Gass on + 6 17 5595 4456 or email egass@bond.edu.au

Applications addressing the essential attributes in the position description, including a resume and name/contact details of three referees, should be forwarded to Gina Coetzee at employment@bond.edu.au. Applications close 5.00pm AEST, Monday 29th January 2007

Conditions of employment for these academic positions will be offered under an Australian Workplace Agreement (AWA)
Bond University is an equal opportunity employer.

* Subject to accreditation by the Australian Physiotherapy Council.