Jennifer McGinley

Professor Jennifer McGinley serves as Professor of Physiotherapy and was Head of the Department of Physiotherapy in the Melbourne School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne. Holding a PhD in Physiotherapy, she is a registered physiotherapist with extensive clinical experience, particularly with individuals living with Parkinson’s disease. Her academic career at the University of Melbourne includes progressive leadership roles, such as Deputy Head and Head of Department from December 2020 to April 2022, and elevation to full Professor in May 2022. McGinley’s research program centers on the measurement and management of mobility limitations, with a strong emphasis on gait disorders and motor control in people with neurological conditions. She investigates movement and function across the lifespan in both healthy populations and those affected by stroke, Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, and other neurodevelopmental conditions. Additional foci include falls risk factors, exercise interventions for Parkinson’s disease, upper limb training effects on hand function, integrated care models, and motor outcomes in children born very preterm, such as spatiotemporal gait variables and developmental coordination disorder risks.

McGinley has produced a substantial body of influential scholarship, with over 150 publications and thousands of citations. Her highly cited works include "The reliability of three-dimensional kinematic gait measurements: a systematic review" (Gait & Posture, 2009), "The gait profile score and movement analysis profile" (Gait & Posture, 2009), "The biomechanics and motor control of gait in Parkinson disease" (Clinical Biomechanics, 2001), "Ageing and gait variability—a population-based study of older people" (Age and Ageing, 2010), "Determinants of health-related quality of life in Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review" (Parkinsonism & Related Disorders, 2011), "Gait, gait variability and the risk of multiple incident falls in older people: a population-based study" (Age and Ageing, 2011), "Three-dimensional gait biomechanics in Parkinson's disease: evidence for a centrally mediated amplitude regulation disorder" (Movement Disorders, 2005), and "Gait function in newly diagnosed children with autism: cerebellar and basal ganglia related motor disorder" (Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 2006). These contributions have shaped clinical practices in neurorehabilitation and physiotherapy, enhancing outcomes for patients with gait impairments and mobility challenges. She leads research groups on neurological rehabilitation and gerontology, and paediatric physiotherapy, and contributes to projects like "Living an active life with Parkinson’s disease."

Professional Email: mcginley@unimelb.edu.au