Rate My Professor Helen Harcombe

Associate Professor Helen Harcombe serves as an epidemiologist and physiotherapist in the Department of Public Health (Dunedin), Faculty of Medicine at the University of Otago. She holds qualifications including BPhty, MPH, and PhD in Public Health, complemented by extensive clinical experience in musculoskeletal physiotherapy. Her research centers on injury prevention, with a specific emphasis on strategies to prevent subsequent injuries after an initial event. Additional areas of interest encompass musculoskeletal disorders, particularly those affecting nurses, and physical activity levels post-injury. Harcombe's contributions extend to major research projects, such as leading a grant funded by the Accident Compensation Corporation, administered by the Health Quality and Safety Commission, which investigates major trauma and comorbidities. She has also directed a Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC)-funded feasibility study aimed at preventing subsequent injuries, acted as Co-Investigator on two HRC projects exploring injury outcomes, and served as Co-Principal Investigator on the HRC-funded Subsequent Injury Study (SInS).

Throughout her career, Harcombe has received notable recognition, including a Strategy to Advance Research (STAR) PhD scholarship and a Health Research Council of New Zealand Occupational Health Career Development Award. Her scholarly output includes impactful publications such as Derrett et al. (2024), 'New Zealand’s Prospective Outcomes of Injury Study—10 years on (POIS-10): Descriptive outcomes to 12 years post-injury,' published in Injury Prevention; Harcombe et al. (2023), 'Predictors of hospital readmission after trauma: A retrospective cohort study in New Zealand,' in Injury; Harcombe et al. (2023), 'Opportunities for preventing subsequent injuries: A qualitative study exploring perspectives of people who have experienced injuries,' in the New Zealand Medical Journal; Dixon et al. (2023), 'Life satisfaction 18 months and 10 years following spinal cord injury: Results from a New Zealand prospective cohort study,' in Quality of Life Research; and Harcombe et al. (2022), 'Preventing subsequent injury: Healthcare providers' perspectives on untapped potential,' in Injury. These works underscore her influence in advancing post-injury care and prevention strategies within New Zealand's health research landscape.