Dr Elysa Roberts
Senior Lecturer
School of Health Sciences (Occupational Therapy)
- Email:elysa.roberts@newcastle.edu.au
- Phone:0249216663
Career Summary
Biography
I moved to Australia in 2013 from the United States of America (USA) for the unique opportunity to join a team of active educators and researchers in my field of occupational therapy (OT).
Research
I believe we can learn a great deal from the lived experience. And I am most motivated to study topics that hold personal meaning to me. Therefore, my research focuses mostly on recovery from eating disorders and the value of teaching/learning activities.
Current research topics:
- Lived experience of recovery from eating disorders
- Experience of sensory sensitivity for individuals with eating disorders
- Responding to instances of occupational injustice
- Transformative learning experiences among emerging health professionals
- Reflection as a teaching/learning activity
Teaching
I started teaching in 1997 rather unintentionally; however, I’ve continued teaching rather intentionally. Like most educators, I take the privilege, opportunity and challenge to educate emerging and seasoned colleagues seriously.
Currently I teach theoretical and practical content related to:
- productive occupation,
- work rehabilitation,
- advocacy as intervention
- occupational justice and occupational science in local, national and international communities.
Service
- University Service - Student Academic Conduct Officer
- Community Service - Australia New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders (ANZAED) & on Social Media Committee
- Consultation - occupational therapy, occupational science, eating disorder recovery
Clinical and Leadership
Currently I am not working in a clinical role. My previous practice was with adults and older adults addressing successful aging needs and/or rehabilitation from lifestyle-related conditions (e.g., Type II Diabetes), orthopedic hand injury/surgery or due to implications of low vision.
My leadership roles involves advocacy for mental health awareness, eating disorder recovery and mentorship of new graduate OTs and students.
One pivotal leadership role I held in the USA was serving as Graduate Program Director and Instructor in the post-baccalaureate Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) degree at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMUoHP) in Provo, Utah. This position afforded me opportunity to teach, lead and mentor colleagues to apply best available evidence at the point of care in their practice and teaching. In this role I was also responsible for the "virtual" (i.e., remote, online) leadership of the adjunct faculty, curriculum development and program evaluation.
A secondary leadership, yet incredibly meaningful, role I held was that of the faculty lead for the Pi Theta Epsilon - National OT Honor Society chapter at Nova Southeastern University (NSU). This role afforded me the ability to mentor my future colleagues in their exploration of consuming and producing research related to how occupational therapy is understood by our medical colleagues among other topics.
Qualifications
- PhD (Occupational Therapy), Nova Southeastern University - USA
- Registered Occupational Therapist, NBCOT - USA
- Master of Science (Occupational Therapy), Florida International University - USA
Keywords
- Advocacy
- Coaching
- Eating Disorders
- Mental Health
- Occupational Justice
- Occupational Science
- Occupational Therapy
- Productivity
- Qualitative
- coaching
- occupational justice
Fields of Research
| Code | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 420104 | Occupational therapy | 100 |
Professional Experience
UON Appointment
| Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|
| Senior Lecturer | University of Newcastle School of Health Sciences Australia |
Academic appointment
| Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|---|
| 1/7/2010 - 1/5/2013 | Graduate Program Director | Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, Utah Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) Program United States |
| 1/2/2009 - 1/12/2010 | Assistant Director & Assistant Professor | Barry University, Florida Entry-level Master's & Doctor of Philosopy of Occupational Therapy Program United States |
| 1/6/1997 - 1/2/2009 | Assistant Professor | Nova Southeastern University, Florida Entry-level Master's & Doctor of Philosopy of Occupational Therapy Program United States |
Awards
Award
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2011 |
Hartgraves' Award for Teaching Excellence Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions |
| 2009 |
Golden Apple Award for Teaching Excellence Nova Southeastern University Department of Occupational Therapy |
| 2005 |
Dr Gail Ann Hills Alumni Award Florida International University Department of Occupational Therapy |
| 2004 |
Golden Apple Award for Teaching Excellence Nova Southeastern University Department of Occupational Therapy |
| 2003 |
Golden Apple Award for Teaching Excellence Nova Southeastern University Department of Occupational Therapy |
Distinction
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2022 |
Fellows of the Advance HE Higher Education Academy 2022 Advance HE Higher Education Academy |
Teaching Award
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2018 |
University of Newcastle, Merit List for Learning and Teaching Excellence Academic Excellence, University of Newcastle |
Thesis Examinations
| Year | Level | Discipline | Thesis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | PHD | Health | Perceived Experiences of Well Senior Women Engaged in Occupational Lifestyle Redesign |
| 1994 | Masters | Health | An analysis of results of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory – 2 of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Sufferers. |
Publications
For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.
Conference (15 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 |
Roberts E, Weaver C, Rose A, 'The language of recovery from eating disorders: Thematic analysis of 'your own words'', JOURNAL OF EATING DISORDERS (2021)
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| 2021 |
Wales K, Potts J, Roberts E, 'The Canadian occupational performance measure: A systematic review of psychometric properties', Virtual Conference and engagement hubs (2021)
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| 2019 | Roberts E, Argent-Schutz C, Lane A, 'Towards Tomorrow: Understanding the relationship between sensory processing & eating disorder symptoms', Australian Occupational Therapy Journal (2019) | ||||
| 2015 |
Hunter SM, Johnston CL, Rasiah R, Roberts E, O'Toole G, MacDonald-Wicks L, et al., 'Using healthy ageing as a vehicle for interprofessional education', 6th International Clinical Skills Conference. Abstracts, Prato, Tuscany (2015) [E3]
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| 2015 | Roberts EG, Wolfenden W, 'Teaching advocacy as intervention to future occupational therapists: A call to action', Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, Melbourne, Vic (2015) [E3] | ||||
| 2015 | Roberts EG, Wolfenden W, 'Occupational therapy and eating disorders: An integrative literature review', Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, Melbourne, Vic (2015) [E3] | ||||
| Show 12 more conferences | |||||
Journal article (16 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
Ahmad AAK, Tehan PE, Hopson AM, Roberts EG, Rose AJ, 'Evaluation of eHealth Interventions to Prevent Pressure Injuries: A Scoping Review', International Wound Journal, 22 (2025) [C1]
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| 2025 |
Vavilov S, Roberts E, Pockney P, Smith GHH, Starkey M, Deshpande AV, 'Surgeons’ views on hypospadias care journey: A qualitative study', Journal of Pediatric Urology (2025) [C1]
Background: Three major parties are involved in the hypospadias treatment journey ¿ the patient, their parents/carers, and the surgeon. There is a strong trend towards ... [more] Background: Three major parties are involved in the hypospadias treatment journey ¿ the patient, their parents/carers, and the surgeon. There is a strong trend towards involving all three, where possible, in deriving evidence around the care pathways. Currently, there are little data available on surgeons' perspectives of distal hypospadias care. Aim: This study explored the reflections of Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand Paediatric hypospadias surgeons on the journey and experience of children born with distal hypospadias and their families, with the aim to improve this journey to achieve a better healthcare experience and satisfaction. We sought to understand a) what informs the content and process of a hypospadias surgeon's consultation with parents/carers, b) how hypospadias surgeons negotiate surgical outcomes, parents/carers' views and preferences, social circumstances, cultural context, and their clinical opinions and treatment recommendations, and c) how surgeons perceive the journey for families with a child born with distal hypospadias could be improved. Methods: We conducted a qualitative descriptive study to generate rich descriptions of the lived experiences of hypospadias surgeons caring for children with distal hypospadias and their families. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with nine paediatric hypospadias surgeons in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. All participants had routinely practised hypospadias surgery as a consultant for at least five years. Participants were purposively sampled to obtain a diverse representation of perspectives. Data were collected and analysed using the reflexive thematic analysis methodology. Results: Two overarching themes reflecting the lived experiences of paediatric hypospadias surgeons emerged: The journey is as varied as the children and their families, and The best possible journey. The first overarching theme is characterised by three themes: Journey feature, Journey process, and Journey influences, each illuminating main elements informing participants' perspective of the treatment journey. Surgeons perceive the journey as highly individualised; they mark the start of the journey differently but put a great emphasis on the consultation and identify several essential parts of it. The second overarching theme reflects participants' ideas on key elements of hypospadias care that could improve the treatment journey, such as better information for carers and non-surgeon healthcare providers, more communication training for surgeons in their formative years, and societal acceptance of anatomical variance. Conclusion: The journey of children and families is perceived by surgeons as variable, individualised, and affected by different influences. Those influences highlight the importance of knowing your patient/family and creating tailored, individualised, family-centred communication and care.
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| 2024 |
Jones J, Roberts E, Cockrell D, Higgins D, Sharma CGD, 'Barriers to Oral Health Care for Autistic Individuals—A Scoping Review', Healthcare (2024) [C1]
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Open Research Newcastle | |||||||||
| 2022 |
Roberts E, Skipsey J, 'Exploring occupation in recovery from bulimia nervosa: An interpretative phenomenological analysis', BRITISH JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, 85, 487-495 (2022) [C1]
Introduction: Recovering from bulimia nervosa challenges a person to learn, revise, and do occupations that contribute to rather than detract from health. This study ut... [more] Introduction: Recovering from bulimia nervosa challenges a person to learn, revise, and do occupations that contribute to rather than detract from health. This study utilized Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to (a) explore the recovery experiences of six adult women with histories of bulimia nervosa and (b) interpret how their accounts reflected the assumptions and characteristics of occupation. Methods: Data were collected via audio-recorded, semi-structured interviews. Data analysis within and between cases identified six superordinate themes, which included interpretation in terms of criteria of occupation. Findings: Superordinate themes reflect (1) occupation emerged in recovering from bulimia nervosa through committed action, not doing what fueled bulimia nervosa, adopting new ways of living, prioritizing self-care, connecting with others, and creating supportive environments and (2) recovery from bulimia nervosa can be construed as an occupation. Conclusion: This study provides insight into nuances of recovery from bulimia nervosa. Results offer novel implications distinct to an occupational therapy lens, for example, consideration of self-care beyond eating and meal preparation; modification of the home, work, and social environment; and setting goals associated with not doing versus doing. Further, the interpretative finding of recovery as occupation holds implications for the evolving philosophical considerations within occupational science and therapy.
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Open Research Newcastle | |||||||||
| 2022 |
Vavilov S, Roberts E, Smith GHH, Starkey M, Pockney P, Deshpande A, 'Parental decision regret among Australian parents after consenting to or refusing hypospadias repair for their son: Results of a survey with controls', JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC UROLOGY, 18, 482-488 (2022) [C1]
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Open Research Newcastle | |||||||||
| 2016 |
Mahoney WJ, Roberts E, Bryze K, Kent JAP, 'Occupational engagement and adults with intellectual disabilities', American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 70 (2016) [C1]
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Open Research Newcastle | |||||||||
| 2015 |
Roberts E, Shamus E, 'Increasing medical students' understanding of the role of occupational therapists', JOURNAL OF INTERPROFESSIONAL CARE, 29, 522-524 (2015) [C1]
Understanding the roles and responsibilities of different healthcare professionals allows for collaborative care to occur. This article describes the evaluation of a st... [more] Understanding the roles and responsibilities of different healthcare professionals allows for collaborative care to occur. This article describes the evaluation of a student-designed, case-based educational module about the roles and responsibilities of occupational therapists (OTs) designed to increase the knowledge of occupational therapy among medical students. The study used a quasi-experimental, pre-/post-test design. Independent paired t-tests showed medical students mean score on the OT Awareness Education Module at post-test was significantly greater than their mean score at pre-test. Results demonstrated how using an evidence-based approach to design an educational strategy can increase the knowledge of one member of the healthcare team about the role of another within a short period. This study documented an effective approach for educating future physicians about the roles and responsibilities of occupational therapy as they prepare to make decisions affecting patient care outcomes.
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Open Research Newcastle | |||||||||
| 2014 |
Roberts E, 'An Interview with William (Bill) Sorrell', Journal of Occupational Science, (2014) [C3]
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| Show 13 more journal articles | |||||||||||
Other (1 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Roberts EG, 'The Lived Experience Perspective', National Eating Disorder Collaboration (NEDC) e-Bulletin - Forty-Nine (2017) |
Presentation (2 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Roberts E, Argent-Schutz C, Lane A, 'Making Sense of Eating Disorders: Evidence and Implications', (2018) | ||
| 2017 | Roberts E, Skipsey J, 'OCCUPATIONAL EXPERIENCES OF RECOVERY FROM BULIMIA NERVOSA', (2017) |
Thesis / Dissertation (2 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Lipschutz EG, Perceived experiences of well senior women engaged in occupational lifestyle redesign, Nova Southeastern University (2000) | ||
| 1994 | Goldstein EG, An analysis of results of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory 2 of reflex sympathetic dystrophy sufferers, Florida International University (1994) |
Grants and Funding
Summary
| Number of grants | 5 |
|---|---|
| Total funding | $13,112 |
Click on a grant title below to expand the full details for that specific grant.
20172 grants / $3,362
CBMHR CReDITSS STATISTICAL SUPPORT GRANT$2,000
Funding body: Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research (CBMHR)
| Funding body | Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research (CBMHR) |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Dr Elysa Roberts - Dr Alison Lane - Ms Caitlin Argent-Schulz |
| Scheme | CBMHR - CReDITSS (Clinical Research Design, Information Technology and Statistical Support) Statistical Support Package |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2017 |
| Funding Finish | 2017 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
“In Your Own Words”: Stages of Recovery from an Eating Disorder$1,362
Funding body: Faculty of Health and Medicine Pilot Grant University of Newcastle
| Funding body | Faculty of Health and Medicine Pilot Grant University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Dr Elysa Roberts, A/Prof Alison Lane |
| Scheme | UON Faculty of Health and Medicine Pilot Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2017 |
| Funding Finish | 2017 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20161 grants / $4,000
Faculty of Health and Medicine Linkage Pilot Grant$4,000
Funding body: Faculty of Health and Medicine Pilot Grant University of Newcastle
| Funding body | Faculty of Health and Medicine Pilot Grant University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Associate Professor Alison Lane, RA Caitlin Argent-Schutz |
| Scheme | UON Faculty of Health and Medicine Pilot Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2016 |
| Funding Finish | 2016 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20151 grants / $750
26th Occupational Therapy Australia National Conference (2015), Melbourne Australia, 30 June - 3 July 2015$750
Funding body: University of Newcastle - Faculty of Health and Medicine
| Funding body | University of Newcastle - Faculty of Health and Medicine |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Elysa Roberts |
| Scheme | Travel Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2015 |
| Funding Finish | 2015 |
| GNo | G1500739 |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | Y |
20141 grants / $5,000
FHEAM New Staff Grant$5,000
Funding body: UON Faculty of Health and Medicine
| Funding body | UON Faculty of Health and Medicine |
|---|---|
| Project Team | William Wolfendon - RA |
| Scheme | New Staff |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2014 |
| Funding Finish | 2014 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
Research Supervision
Number of supervisions
Current Supervision
| Commenced | Level of Study | Research Title | Program | Supervisor Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Honours | The use of coaching methods in the prevention of pressure injury amongst those with spinal cord injury: A scoping review | Occupational Therapy, University of Newcastle - School of Health Sciences | Co-Supervisor |
| 2023 | Honours | Occupational Therapy Students’ Reflect on Learning Occupational Justice for Practice: Integrative Phenomenological Analysis | Occupational Therapy, University of Newcastle - School of Health Sciences | Principal Supervisor |
| 2018 | PhD | The Development of an Educational Tool to Raise Awareness and Promote Clinical Implementation of Strategies in the Management of Autistic Patients across All Ages and Spectrums for Oral Health Therapists | PhD (Oral Health), College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
Past Supervision
| Year | Level of Study | Research Title | Program | Supervisor Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | PhD | Childhood Hypospadias: Evaluating the Long-term Outcomes and Revisiting the Ideal Model of Care | PhD (Surgical Science), College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
| 2022 | Honours | Reflecting on Reflection as a Learning Tool: Thematic Analysis | Occupational Therapy, University of Newcastle - School of Health Sciences | Principal Supervisor |
| 2020 | Honours | The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure: A systematic review of psychometric properties | Occupational Therapy, University of Newcastle - School of Health Sciences | Co-Supervisor |
Research Projects
Contributor - NEDC Stories from Experience 2013 - 2014
Contributor
Stories from Experience is a learning resource that introduces the concept of working with life experience as story produced by the The National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC) is an initiative of the Australian Government Department of Health.
Research Advisor - Butterfly Foundation for Eating Disorders - The Insights in Recovery Project 2015 - 2016
Research Advisor - This was a consumer participatory project conducted by The Butterfly Foundation in partnership with The NSW Mental Health Commission with the purpose of translating knowledge from lived experience into a framework of recovery-oriented practice to support people with eating disorders. Outcomes of the project, based on written lived experiences of 104 participants, became guidelines for professionals working with people with eating disorders suitable for use in policy and professional development.
Edit
News
News • 12 Jan 2017
Help Make Sense of Eating Disorders
Researchers at the University of Newcastle (UON) are investigating how people with history of an eating disorder experience sensory information (taste, touch, smell).
Dr Elysa Roberts
Position
Senior Lecturer
School of Health Sciences
College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing
Focus area
Occupational Therapy
Contact Details
| elysa.roberts@newcastle.edu.au | |
| Phone | 0249216663 |
| Link |
Office
| Room | ICT372 |
|---|---|
| Building | Health Education Research Building |
| Location | Callaghan Campus University Drive Callaghan, NSW 2308 Australia |
Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
