Ruth is a researcher, inventor, educator and clinician with particular interests in neurological rehabilitation; innovative models of clinical service delivery for rural, remote and Indigenous communities; and building research capacity across Allied Health disciplines. Ruth supports, mentors and advises a raft of PhD students and clinician researchers across the health professions.

Ruth’s commitment to innovative service delivery in Northern Australia, particularly in the area of rehabilitation, includes a lead role in development of the following:

• Northern Australian Research Network (NARN) – ‘Function Disability and Health’.
• Rural Generalist Education Program, provided by JCU and QUT in partnership with the Allied Health Professionals Office of Queensland (AHPOQ).

Over the past decade, Ruth has attracted funding of more than $16 million to design, pilot, implement and evaluate community rehabilitation services in Townsville and Mt Isa with outreach services to surrounding communities. These services incorporate interprofessional, student-assisted service delivery models.

Ruth’s key research in the area of Neurological Rehabilitation is ‘Upper limb recovery after stroke’. She is the lead inventor on the SMART Arm, a training device to promote recovery, and the lead author of the Drive Your Own Recovery Program. To date, these initiatives have attracted more than $1 million in funding and resulted in the completion of six clinical trials, two PhDs and 16 publications in peer-reviewed journals.

 Education:

PhD in Physiotherapy, Master of Arts in Aboriginal Studeis, Post Graduate Dimploma of Education, Bachelor of Applied Science in Physiotherapy.

Interests

Research

• • Neurorehabilitation • Community Rehabilitation • Services for rural, remote and Indigenous communities • Student-assisted, interprofessional models of service delivery

Experience

• 2015 to present - Associate Professor - Rehabilitation, College of Healthcare Sciences, James Cook University (Cairns)
• 2003 to present - Lead Inventor - SMART Arm, SMART Arm Pty Ltd
• 2012 to 2015 - Clinical Leader - Community Rehab nQ, Northern Australia Primary Health Ltd (Townsville)
• 2007 to 2011 - Senior Lecturer - Neurological Physiotherapy, James Cook University (Townsville)
• 2001 to 2002 - Clinic Manager - Neurological Ageing and Balance Clinic, University of Queensland (Brisbane)

Research Disciplines

• Allied health and rehabilitation science (4201)
• Health services and systems (4203)
• Neurosciences (3209)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Provision of health and support services (2003)
• Evaluation of health and support services (2002)

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

• Firth N, Hayward K, Bernhardt J, Ray R and Barker R (2023) Stroke survivors' perspectives on decision-making about rehabilitation and the prospect of taking recovery-promoting drugs: A qualitative study. Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy, 11.
• Harrison H, Palermo C, Devine S, Chamberlain-Salaun J, Nash R and Barker R (2023) Building the capacity of rural allied health generalists through online postgraduate education: a qualitative evaluation. Rural and Remote Health, 23 (3).
• Neibling B, Hayward K, Smith M, Chapman P and Barker R (in press) Perseverance with home-based upper limb practice after stroke: perspectives of stroke survivors and their significant others. Disability and Rehabilitation,
• Smith M, Williams G, Jordan M, Willson A and Barker R (2023) The feasibility of a flexible exercise participation programme (FEPP) for individuals with multiple sclerosis. Physiotherapy Research International, 28 (2).
• Topp S, Thompson F, Johnston K, Smith D, Edelman A, Whittaker M, Rouen C, Moodley N, McDonald M, Barker R and Larkins S (2023) Democratising data to address health system inequities in Australia. BMJ Global Health, 8.
• Amery R, Thirumanickam A, Barker R, Lowell A, Theodoros D and Raghavendra P (2022) Developing Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems in Languages Other Than English: A Scoping Review. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 31 (6). pp. 2900-2919
• Amery R, Wunungmurra J, Raghavendra P, Bukulatjpi G, Dikul Baker R, Gumbula F, Barker R, Theodoros D, Amery H, Massey L and Lowell A (2022) Augmentative and alternative communication for Aboriginal Australians: Developing core vocabulary for Yol?u speakers. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 38 (4). pp. 209-220
• Amery R, Wunungmurra J, Bukulatjpi G, Baker R, Gumbula F, Yunupingu E, Raghavendra P, Barker R, Theodoros D, Amery H, Massey L and Lowell A (2022) Designing augmentative and alternative communication systems with Aboriginal Australians: vocabulary representation, layout, and access. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 38 (4). pp. 221-235
• Barker R, Witt S, Bird K, Stothers K, Armstrong E, Yunupingu M, Marika E, Brown L, Moore R and Campbell N (2022) Co-creation of a student-implemented allied health service in a First Nations remote community of East Arnhem Land, Australia. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 30 (6). pp. 782-794
• Barker R, Malpass A and West C (2022) The lived experience of sheltering for individuals with disabilities during severe tropical cyclones in northern Queensland, Australia. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 82.
• Bird K, Stothers K, Armstrong E, Marika E, Yunupingu M, Brown L, Witt S, Campbell N and Barker R (2022) Mar?githirri gu?ga'yunarawu ga gu?ga'yunyarawu mar?githinyarawu learning to connect and connecting to learn: preparing the rural and remote allied health workforce through a co?created student?implemented service in East Arnhem, Australia. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 30 (1). pp. 75-86
• Bohanna I, Harriss L, McDonald M, Cullen J, Strivens E, Bird K, Blanco L, Thompson F, Wapau H, Wason A and Barker R (2022) A systematic review of disability, rehabilitation and lifestyle services in rural and remote Australia through the lens of the people-centred health care. Disability and Rehabilitation, 44 (20). pp. 6107-6118

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 76+ research outputs authored by Dr Ruth Barker from 2003 onwards.

Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.

Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Current

• Evaluation of a University based, Student-Led Health Clinic (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Understanding the OT Perspective on Cultural Responsiveness in Neurorehabilitation (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Clubfoot in the Northern Territory (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Enhancing Stroke Survivors' Ability to Persevere with Practice in the Home Environment using Assisted-Living Technology (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Optimisation of neurorehabilitation through administration of fluoxetine to stroke survivors using SMART Arm therapy to improve deficits in their upper limb function (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Rural and remote stroke survivors driving their own recovery using technology (PhD , Primary Advisor)

Completed

• How can access to cardiac rehabilitation in rural and remote areas of North Queensland be improved? (2023, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Participation in exercise and sport for individuals with minimal disability from multiple sclerosis (2022, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Walking and moving around for Aboriginal families with Machado-Joseph disease living in the Top End of Australia (2021, PhD , Primary Advisor)

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
Note: Map points are indicative of the countries or states that institutions are associated with.