Professor EmeritusLindy Clemson

PhD MAppSc(Research) BAppSc(OT) DipOT, FOTARA, FAOTA 

“My work is about developing innovative and accessible programs, underpinned by enabling strategies, so that as we age we can lead safe and active lives and stay connected with our community. Our Ageing & Health Research team at the University of Sydney recognise that everyone has a right to access evidence-based interventions that meet their needs and to understand their benefit.”

Professor Emeritus Lindy Clemson is a specialist in public health research on ageing and an occupational therapist with a PhD in epidemiology. She has led research and advocacy internationally for best practice in home evaluation and falls prevention using environmental and enablement strategies. Her work has influenced both policy and practice, and her publications are highlighted in Cochrane Reviews, the Australian and the US national all prevention practice guidelines, and the US compendium of effective community-based falls prevention interventions She led the Cochrane Review of environmental interventions to reduce falls which provides high quality evidence for their effectiveness, and clear guidance for practice.

She is internationally recognised in the top 10 most published fall prevention researchers and most published occupational therapist in fall prevention (Web of Science). She is ranked in the top 5% of scholars in the Discipline of occupational therapy for productivity, impact and quality of scholarly work (2025, ScholarGPS). She has published over 270 peer review journals over her research career with a H index of 55, a field (fall prevention) weighted citation impact of 3.47, 27% papers in the top 10% of journals, and over 40% publications co-authored with researchers in other countries (SciVal 2022-26). Overall she has been awarded >$28m in research funding and has a career total of 22 NHMRC grants as an investigator with 7 as chief investigator.

Her research has changed the face of community practice for fall prevention. She has led the development of four fall prevention community-based interventions for older people all proven effective in randomized trials (with three as principal investigator). Along with accessible manuals and products, this has enabled them to be adopted and implemented in Australia and worldwide. They include interventions that are specific to occupational therapy skills (home-hazard reduction interventions) and those able to be delivered by multiple health professions (Stepping On, LiFE, FAST).

Most recently she has applied her skills in developing complex interventions and conducting complex trials for higher risk populations who have high incidence of falls and injuries and whom were for decades excluded from fall trials. This includes the FAST trial, the first to show effect for survivors of stroke.

Her research interventions have all been underpinned by strong theoretical basis. Clearly articulated theoretical underpinnings have provided clear guidance for operationalizing into assessment and training resources and fidelity coaching tools which have guided effective delivery and optimized adoption. For example, The Lifestyle-integrated Functional Exercise program (LiFE)- demonstrated that habit-forming cues and behavioural supports for embedding balance and strength activities throughout the day could both reduce falls and improve function for older people at risk of falls.’ The biggest problem in fall prevention exercises is participant adherence over the long term. LiFE provides another choice for exercise that can be embedded into daily routines. It shifted therapists to embrace a new approach to exercise, to expand their skills and train older people at risk in embedded and functional exercise.

Emeritus Professor Clemson’s research in implementation and translation using hybrid study designs has resulted in enduring outcomes. They have enabled proven programs to be adopted in Australia. The NHMRC funded Care of Persons with Dementia in their Environments (COPE) translational project completed has had numerous publications and a practical outcome is ongoing national training in Australia and a community of practice to support implementation. COPE was developed in the United States by Gitlin and Piersol, The NHMRC iSoLVE project, produced online active learning modules and a GP online risk assessment tool for GP practices to facilitate identifying older patients at risk of falls and enable a quick and simple process to determine follow up and intervention. iSOLVE was adapted from the US STEADi risk assessment tools

She has also developed assessments related to environment and behavioural fall risk which have been used in numerous trials, included in health professional training programs and by clinicians internationally, with numerous translations.