Clare Ardern

Dr. Ardern is an Australian-trained physiotherapist and assistant professor in the University of British Columbia’s Department of Physical Therapy. Her research work brings researchers, patients, clinicians, and health policymakers together to find and build new solutions to challenging problems in musculoskeletal health. Dr. Ardern’s expertise in sports medicine, rehabilitation, and metaresearch has been honed over more than a decade working in clinical and research environments in Australia, Qatar, Sweden, and now Canada. She is interested in (i) using everyday technology in clever ways to break down barriers to people accessing quality musculoskeletal healthcare when and where they need it, (ii) measuring the impact of health research on public policy, the economy, and society, and (iii) how high-caliber metaresearch (including systematic reviews, network meta-analyses, and clinical practice guidelines) can help clinicians make quality decisions.

Dr. Ardern led the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) consensus on preventing, diagnosing, and managing pediatric anterior cruciate ligament injuries. She has contributed to 12 international consensus projects across musculoskeletal conditions including hip, knee, back, and shoulder pain; return to sport and recreation; and research practices. Major international sports and medicine organizations, including the IOC, World Rowing, Australian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians, Sportfisio Swiss, and the EQUATOR Network, have endorsed her work. Her work on knee injuries and concussion is accessed every day by clinicians and students worldwide via BMJ Best Practice, and her work on research policy has influenced United Nations, US government, International Science Council, and World Health Organization policy.

As editor in chief of the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy (JOSPT) and the gold open access journal, JOSPT Open, Dr. Ardern is helping to translate quality research into quality musculoskeletal rehabilitation clinical practice. She is cohost of the popular weekly JOSPT Insights podcast, which has over 14,000 subscribers.