Rate My Professor Stephanie Woodley

Professor Stephanie Woodley is a Professor in the Department of Anatomy within the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Otago. She holds a BPhty, MSc, and PhD from the University of Otago, complemented by her professional background in physiotherapy. In her current role as Deputy Head of Department (Teaching), she contributes to departmental leadership and education. Woodley is a long-standing member of professional committees and serves as the editor of the New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy. She is also the section editor for the pelvic girdle and lower limb sections in the 42nd and 43rd editions of Gray’s Anatomy, a premier anatomical reference text.

Her research specializes in clinical and functional anatomy, focusing on musculoskeletal conditions of the pelvis, hip joint, and lower limb. Key studies examine the morphology and morphometry of hip abductor and hamstring muscles using MRI and ultrasound imaging, the pathophysiology of lateral hip pain through radiological analysis, and the validation of clinical questionnaires for pregnancy-related symphyseal pain. Ongoing work includes investigations into pelvic floor dysfunction associated with lumbopelvic pain, biomechanical properties of the ligament of the head of the femur, and prehabilitation programs assessing muscle size and quality in greater trochanteric pain syndrome and hip osteoarthritis patients. Collaborative projects cover gluteal muscle adaptations in hip-related pain, targeted exercise interventions for hip osteoarthritis, management strategies for pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain, and digital technologies for pelvic floor muscle training to address urinary incontinence. She presented her Inaugural Professorial Lecture, "Beneath the surface: Integrating anatomy and clinical practice," highlighting the synergy between anatomical research and clinical application. Notable publications include "Hamstring muscles: architecture and innervation" (2005), "Lateral hip pain: findings from magnetic resonance imaging" (2008), "Load-deformation properties of the ligament of the head of the femur" (2020), and "Digital Technologies for Women's Pelvic Floor Muscle Training" (2023).