A/Prof Liisa Laakso
Group Leader
Honorary Associate Professor Liisa Laakso is Principal Research Fellow, Allied Health.
A/Prof Laakso has extensive clinical experience within hospital services in two Australian states and has worked in academe at The University of Queensland and Griffith University where she is an Adjunct Professor.
A/Prof Laakso's research interests include investigating pain and symptom management for rehabilitation, recovery and management of chronic disease and in particular cancer and neurodegenerative conditions. She investigates the role of health technologies, specifically laser therapy and physical activity in symptom control and recovery after cancer, and in palliative care.
A/Prof Laakso has a track record of grants procurement and publications in these fields as well as in physiotherapy education. She has spoken widely at national and international conferences on her laser Photobiomodulation research. A/Prof Laakso continues to supervise research students in her fields of research. She has a keen interest in developing and implementing models of clinical care that are efficient and effective for improving patient outcomes and their quality of care.
A/Prof Laakso is an executive committee member of the Australian Medical Photobiomodulation Association (AMPA) and has held numerous executive committee roles such as President of the World Association for Laser Therapy (WALT) (2012-2014). She is on the editorial board of the journal Photobiomodulation, Photomedicine and Laser Surgery.
“I became interested as a physiotherapy student, in investigating the value of electrophysical agents (such as laser) as a means of addressing movement disorders. I have been fortunate to work with a range of national and international colleagues investigating how physiotherapists can contribute to some of the most vexing health problems that have no effective medical treatment. The excitement of answering a clinical question through research has never left me, and I enjoy guiding others in their journey towards developing that same excitement.”
