Rate My Professor Catherine Dean

Professor Catherine Dean holds the position of Deputy Dean, Education and Employability in the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences at Macquarie University. Originally qualified and experienced as a physiotherapist, she possesses a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAppSc), Master of Arts (MA), and PhD. In May 2011, she joined Macquarie University as the inaugural Head of the Department of Health Professions, where she established New South Wales’ first professional entry Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT) degree. Prior to this, she held academic positions including in the Discipline of Physiotherapy at the University of Technology Sydney. Her career encompasses clinical physiotherapy practice, teaching, research, and administrative leadership in health professions education.

Professor Dean’s research specializations center on developing and testing rehabilitation strategies to increase physical activity, participation, and prevent falls after stroke. She has published over 130 works in prominent journals such as Stroke, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and International Journal of Stroke. Notable publications include 'Risk Factors for Falls in Community Stroke Survivors' (Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2018), 'Yoga-based exercise improves health-related quality of life and mobility after stroke: a randomized controlled trial' (Ageing, 2018), 'Exercise to Enhance Mobility and Prevent Falls After Stroke: The Community Stroke Club Randomized Trial' (Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 2012), 'Consensus-based core recommendations from the Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Roundtable' (Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 2017), and 'Home-based, tailored intervention for reducing falls after stroke (FAST): Protocol for a randomized trial' (International Journal of Stroke, 2021). Her scholarship has accumulated over 10,000 citations, demonstrating substantial influence in physiotherapy, stroke rehabilitation, and neurological physiotherapy. Professor Dean has received the Vice-Chancellor’s Educational Leader Award (2019), a team Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning from the Australian Awards for University Teaching (2022), and Principal Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. She contributes to educational innovation, including early clinical experiences for physiotherapy students and work readiness programs.