Physio awarded prestigious fellowship
Any patient who has experienced the care of Louise Fuller can attest her lung transplant rehab program produces incredible results. So it’s fitting that Lou has been recognised in a prestigious fellowship program – the Churchill Fellowship.
Since 2000, the senior physiotherapist has been developing and researching The Alfred’s post-lung transplant rehabilitation program.
In the last six years, lung transplants have almost doubled in Australia – an increase of 46 per cent. Last year, 221 patients underwent the life-saving procedure.
After a lung transplant, recipients are keen to maximise on their second chance at life and return to a “normal” active life. To get the best results, post-transplant rehabilitation is essential.
Lou has successfully expanded the transplant gym to meet the needs of more than 100 lung transplant recipients The Alfred sees annually.
Lou was awarded the Sir William Kilpatrick Churchill Fellowship to investigate a variety of post-lung transplant rehabilitation models internationally to help her develop guidelines for Australia.
Only one hundred and fifteen Australians will get the opportunity to travel around the world in 2020 as recipients of the prestigious Churchill Fellowship award.
This Fellowship will see her travel to the UK, Belgium, USA and Canada to visit lung transplant centres of excellence. Lou will then work with The Alfred team to develop rehabilitation model guidelines for Australian lung transplant recipients.
Lou hopes to learn new models to improve patient survival, quality of life, participation in daily activity, muscle strength, mobility and return to work and sport.
