Verona du Toit

• Qualifications
• Biography
• Research
• Selected Publications
• Grants/Current Projects
• Teaching
• Awards/Honours
• Professional activities  

Qualifications

MAppSc; BTeach

Biography

Verona du Toit joined the School of Biomedical and Health Sciences at UWS in 2004 as a part-time lecturer and accepted a full time position as the Head of Program (Podiatry) in 2006. Her role includes teaching in both the Podiatry and Sports and Exercise Science Programs. Verona has also been involved in research supervision in the Podiatry and Osteopathic undergraduate programs.

Verona's teaching career in podiatry started in 1991 on a part-time basis at the Sydney Institute of Technology (SIT) 3 years after graduating as a podiatrist. In 1994 she completed a Bachelor of Teaching at the University of Technology (Sydney) and worked concurrently at SIT, in the public sector and her private practice. Verona has a keen interest in sports, biomechanics and injury prevention of the lower extremity. In 2001, she completed a Master in Applied Science (ExSpSc) by research, investigating the kinematics and kinetics of the lower extremity during aerobic dance movements at the University of Sydney (Cumberland Campus). During this time Verona was teaching (part-time) at the University of Sydney in biomechanics as well as working as a consultant specialist at Holsworthy Army Barracks. She further pursued her interests in the biomechanics of the lower extremity by enrolling in a part-time PhD candidature with the University of Queensland. Lower extremity alignment and injury prevention are pivotal areas in her current prospective study and a randomised control trial investigating an intervention for treating shin pain in Defence personnel. High impact activities resulting in injury in certain populations (the military and athletes) are reported to be extremely high and further research is required to develop an effective method to treat and prevent injury to the lower extremity.

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Research

Biomechanics of the lower extremity (kinematics and kinetics).

Clinical measures/alignment, injury prevention and treatment (strapping and orthoses). Sports podiatry: leg pain - musculoskeletal injury and treatment.

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Selected Publications

Hawke, F., Burns, J., Radford, J., and du Toit, V. (2009). Custom foot orthoses for the treatment of foot pain: a Cochrane systematic review. Australasian Podiatry Conference, Gold Coast, Queensland, 12-15 May.

du Toit, V., Smith, M., Treloar, S., and Vicenzino, B. (2009). Reliability of lower extremity measures. Australasian Podiatry Conference, Gold Coast, Queensland, 12-15 May.

du Toit, V., and Rome, K. (2009). Treatment of lower limb stress fractures and reactions of bone in young adults: a systematic review.  Australasian Podiatry Conference, Gold Coast, Queensland, 12-15 May.

Hawke, F., Burns, J., Radford, J.A., and du Toit, V. (2008). Custom foot orthoses for the treatment of foot pain: a systematic review. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, 1(Suppl 1):046.

Hawke, F.E., Burns, J., Radford, J.A., du Toit, V. (2008). Custom-made foot orthoses for the treatment of foot pain. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 3.

Hawke, F.E., Burns, J., Radford, J.A., and du Toit, V. (2007). Custom-made foot orthoses for the treatment of foot pain (Protocol). The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 4.

du Toit, V., and Smith, R. (2001). Survey of the effects of aerobic dance on the lower extremity in aerobic instructors. Journal of American Podiatric Medicine Association, 91(10), 528-532.

Hayward, S., Zwarteveen, J., Landorf, K., and du Toit, V. (1999). Pitted keratolysis: a common dermatological condition causing foot malodour. Australasian Journal of Podiatric Medicine, 33(4), 129-32.

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Grants/Current Projects

Verona is currently conducting a randomised control trial investigating an intervention for treating shin pain in Defence personnel.

Verona has published and presented findings of her research at national and international conferences.
She was awarded two research grants recently:

• 2005 - NSW Podiatrists Registration Board Grant ($10,000.00).
• 2007 - NSW Podiatrists Registration Board Grant ($30,000.00).

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Teaching

• Podiatric Medicine
• Paediatrics and Sports
• Podiatric Practice 2, 5 and 6
• Biomechanics and Kinesiology
• Applied Biomechanics
• Professional Practice in Sport & Exercise Science 1
• Bioenergetics of Exercise
• Exercise Prescription for General Populations

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Awards/Honours

• 2008 - Best Poster Award: Queensland Academy of Sport
• 2009 - Podiatric Researcher of the Year Excellence Award - Australian Podiatry Association NSW

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Professional Activities

Verona has presented and attended numerous national and international conferences since 1988.

Copies of abstract are available upon request.

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