Rate My Professor Peta Murphy

Peta Murphy serves as Assistant Research Fellow in the Department of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Medicine at the University of Otago, Christchurch, within the Division of Health Sciences. Concurrently, she holds the position of Senior Speech Language Therapist and Clinician Researcher at the Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust in Canterbury, New Zealand, where she specializes in neurorehabilitation for individuals following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Her academic and clinical work focuses on leveraging immersive technologies, particularly virtual reality (VR), to improve cognitive rehabilitation outcomes for TBI survivors. Murphy's contributions emphasize practical integration of innovative tools into community-based rehabilitation settings, bridging clinical practice with research to enhance patient insight, adaptive strategy development, and functional recovery.

Murphy has co-authored key publications advancing TBI rehabilitation. In the 2025 study 'A virtual rehabilitation tool for cognitive rehabilitation after traumatic brain injury,' published in Disability and Rehabilitation, she conducted interviews and focus groups as the clinical researcher with TBI expertise and co-analyzed qualitative data. The mixed-methods cohort study involved ten TBI participants receiving two weekly VR sessions over six weeks alongside standard care, incorporating tasks for conversation, memory, and attention in a virtual café environment. Results demonstrated successful clinical integration, trends toward reduced fatigue impact and heightened fatigue self-awareness, and the overarching qualitative theme 'Learn Reflect and Apply in Real Life,' highlighting safe practice of strategies for real-world transfer. This research received support from a New Zealand Health Research Council Career Development Award Grant (22/792). Additionally, she contributed to 'Healing Horizons: Adaptive VR for Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation' at the SIGGRAPH Asia 2023 XR Symposium, which developed a bio-adaptive VR system using physiological sensors to monitor cognitive fatigue via brain activity, skin responses, muscle movements, and heart rate variability, dynamically adjusting therapeutic scenarios to foster resilience and social skills. Her interdisciplinary efforts underscore the efficacy of personalized, sensor-driven VR in addressing cognitive challenges post-TBI.