Dr Michele Verdonck | UniSC | University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Michèle, Senior Lecturer in Occupational Therapy, BSc (Wits), BSc Occupational Therapy (Hons), PhD(University of Ireland), has a strong interest in the use of technologies in meaningful occupation. Her work includes researching and supporting occupational therapists and students in the use of technologies in everyday clinical practice. She received a National Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning, 2017, for enabling occupational therapy students to do, to be, to become and to belong through innovative pedagogy and effective use of technology.

Michèle joined the USC occupational therapy team in 2013. Prior to her UniSC appointment she spent 13 years working as an occupational therapist at the National Rehabilitation Hospital, in Dublin Ireland. Michèle graduated as an Occupational therapist from The University of The Witwatersrand in 1996 and she is now a Carnegie Alumni Diaspora. She spent the first years of her early career working at Natalspruit Hospital in Khatlehong, South Africa where she developed a keen interest in spinal cord injury rehabilitation. Her clinical experience in South Africa and Ireland developed several special interest areas including neurological rehabilitation and the use of technology.

She was awarded a PhD from the University College Cork, Ireland having received a Health Research Board of Ireland doctoral fellowship. This allowed her to explore the experience of using environmental control systems for people with spinal cord injury. Michele’s research collaborators include The University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), University of Limerick, (Ireland); The National Rehabilitation Hospital, Ireland ;The University of Manitoba, Canada Queensland Health Spinal Outreach Team. Michele is on the board of management of the Australian Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology Association as the social media secretary.