Rate My Professor Meredith Perry

Associate Professor Meredith Perry is a registered physiotherapist and prominent researcher in the School of Physiotherapy within the University of Otago's Division of Health Sciences. She holds a Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPhty), a Master of Manipulative Therapy with Distinction (MManipTh), and a PhD from the University of Otago awarded in 2011. Currently serving as Co-Deputy Dean and Associate Dean for Postgraduate Studies at the School of Physiotherapy's Wellington campus, Perry maintains one day per week in clinical practice across primary and secondary care settings. Her teaching portfolio encompasses undergraduate courses in physical activity, musculoskeletal physiotherapy, equity, clinical education, and research methods, as well as postgraduate instruction in biomedical sciences in physiotherapy. She supervises Honours, Master's, and PhD theses, contributing to the development of future health professionals through interprofessional education initiatives.

Perry's research platform centers on reducing health and wellbeing inequities for disabled people and those with long-term conditions, employing mixed-methods approaches to explore self-management support, physical activity promotion in green spaces, interprofessional collaboration, and disability-responsive healthcare. Notable projects include the Parks for Activity and Recreation in our Communities (PARCs) programme, which partners with local councils and disability organizations to enhance accessibility of urban parks, playgrounds, and green spaces in Hutt City, Wellington, and Porirua. Other efforts address respiratory service provision for neuromuscular diseases, persistent pain management via online programmes like iSelf-Help, and health professionals' philosophies on supported self-management. Her scholarship has garnered substantial impact, with highly cited works such as 'The enduring impact of what clinicians say to people with low back pain' (Darlow et al., Annals of Family Medicine, 2013), 'The positive impact of interprofessional education: a controlled trial' (Darlow et al., BMC Medical Education, 2015), and 'What works and does not work in a self-management intervention for people with chronic pain?' (Devan et al., Physical Therapy, 2018). Perry has earned recognition including an Outstanding contribution to COVID-19 response from the Ministry of Health's Disability Directorate, the 2020 School of Physiotherapy Team Teaching Award for PHTY501, and Member Emeritus status with the Wellington Branch of Physiotherapy New Zealand. She serves as Associate Editor of the New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy, Co-Chair of Physiotherapy New Zealand's Professional Practice Committee, and co-investigator on two Health Research Council project grants, alongside roles on executive committees for the Collaboration for Ageing Research Excellence (CARE) and various special interest groups.