Rate My Professor Jodi Oakman

Jodi Oakman is Professor and Head of the Centre for Ergonomics and Human Factors in the School of Psychology and Public Health at La Trobe University. A qualified physiotherapist with a background blending industry and academia, she earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Physiotherapy from La Trobe University in 1990, a Master's degree in Ergonomics from the University of New South Wales in 2004, and a PhD from La Trobe University in 2010. Her doctoral thesis, titled 'The influence of an ageing workforce on occupational health and safety risk management,' laid foundational insights into workforce sustainability. Prior to her current position, Oakman served as Associate Professor in the Department of Human Biosciences at La Trobe University from 2006 to 2015. She also holds a Graduate Certificate in Implementation Science and contributes as Discipline Cluster Lead at the Living with Disability Research Centre.

Oakman's research specializations encompass occupational health, ergonomics, ageing workforce dynamics, work-related musculoskeletal disorders, psychosocial and biomechanical hazards, work-family conflict, and health impacts of remote working. Her highly cited publications include 'A rapid review of mental and physical health effects of working at home: how do we optimise health?' (2020, 959 citations), 'Allied health professionals and work-related musculoskeletal disorders: a systematic review' (2016, 237 citations), 'Workplace interventions to improve work ability: A systematic review and meta-analysis of their effectiveness' (2018, 219 citations), 'Working at home: The impacts of COVID 19 on health, family-work-life conflict, gender, and parental responsibilities' (2021, 209 citations), and 'The prevalence of occupational exposure to ergonomic risk factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis from the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease' (2021, 195 citations). With over 4,000 citations on ResearchGate and contributions to international collaborations, her work significantly influences workplace safety policies. Oakman has secured major funding, including more than $700,000 from an ARC Linkage Grant for improving workplace safety for nurses and over $950,000 for projects addressing musculoskeletal risks in healthcare.