Rate My Professor Jo Nunnerley

Dr Jo Nunnerley is a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Medicine at the University of Otago, Christchurch, within the Faculty of Medicine. She earned her BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy from Keele University, Master of Health Sciences in Rehabilitation from the University of Otago, and PhD from the University of Otago. As a registered physiotherapist with over 15 years of experience working in spinal cord injuries, she also holds the position of Knowledge Translation Specialist for the Burwood Academy of Independent Living (BAIL), a charitable trust that facilitates research on the Burwood Campus. Nunnerley is committed to maintaining clinical relevance and driving impact through her research endeavors.

Her academic interests center on spinal cord injury, participation outcomes including employment, knowledge translation, and stakeholder participation in research. Key contributions include co-authoring 'An Australian and New Zealand clinical practice guideline for the physiotherapy management of people with spinal cord injuries' published in Spinal Cord (2025), '"I’ve taught my doctor well”: The lived experiences of people managing pain after spinal cord injury' in the New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy (2025), 'Investigating navigational support for people living with stroke in Aotearoa New Zealand' in Disability & Rehabilitation (2025), and 'Should It Hurt? — Experiences of Out-Patient Clinic-Based Hysteroscopy' in the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology (2025). In July 2025, she delivered a plenary presentation entitled 'Returning to work after the earthquake' at the Rehabilitation Medicine Society of Australia and New Zealand 8th Annual Scientific Meeting in conjunction with the New Zealand Rehabilitation Society in Christchurch. Through these works, Nunnerley advances evidence-based practices in rehabilitation, enhancing outcomes for individuals with spinal cord injuries and other neurological conditions.