Brooke Sanderson
Operations Manager
BSc MBA
Brooke Sanderson is a dynamic leader with over 15 years of experience in clinical, academic, and operational management roles. She currently serves as the Operations Manager for Research at Kids Rehab WA, where she leverages her expertise in healthcare delivery and research to drive innovation in paediatric rehabilitation.
Brooke holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Communication Science and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Western Australia. She began her career as a clinician, working as a speech pathologist. Her deep understanding of healthcare delivery is complemented by over a decade of academic experience at Curtin University, where she held various leadership roles, including Director of Fieldwork for Speech Pathology and Deputy Director of Practice & Interprofessional Education. During her tenure at Curtin, Brooke led initiatives to enhance clinical training programs, expand student placement opportunities, and integrate research findings into clinical practice.
In her current role at Kids Rehab WA, Brooke oversees research programs and manages key research collaborations between the Child and Adolescent Health Service, The Kids Research Institute Australia, and Curtin University.
Brooke's management expertise extends to strategic planning, financial oversight, and stakeholder engagement. She is also an experienced board member, with governance experience across multiple sectors. Brooke’s work is deeply aligned with her commitment to empowering families, improving access to services, and ensuring that children receive the personalised care they need to thrive. She is passionate about fostering collaboration between researchers, clinicians, and families to transform paediatric rehabilitation across Western Australia.
Projects
Genomic testing pathways for precision health in cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is a diagnosis based on clinical signs and not aetiology or pathology, with only ~50% of children receiving a clinical diagnosis in the first year of life; limiting the opportunity for intervention where maximal neuronal plasticity may occur.
Active Strides-CP: Randomised trial of Intensive Rehabilitation (combined Intensive gait and cycling training) for children with moderate to severe bilateral cerebral palsy
Active Strides-CP is an RCT assessing a new treatment for children with moderate to severe CP, combining intensive gait and cycling training to simultaneously address motor and participation outcomes.
Accelerate-WA Network: Developing a sustainable family-clinician-researcher network for education and training in the early detection of cerebral palsy for all infants in Western Australia
Accelerate will develop and pilot, a multi-directorate teaching and training network for early detection of cerebral palsy (CP), encompassing key clinical partners across CAHS and WACHS.
ENVISAGE – ENabling VISions And Growing Expectations
ENVISAGE is a validated evidence-based program of facilitated group workshops for parents and carers of young children, aged 0-8 years, with a newly identified disability or who have concerns regarding their child’s development.
CP Movetime: A wearable sensor and user interface to reduce sedentary behaviours in non-ambulant children and youth with cerebral palsy
CP Movetime aims to establish and test a technology-based application to improve health outcomes by monitoring device measured sedentary behaviours in non-ambulant children and youth with cerebral palsy.
Early Moves Project
The Early Moves study is investigating whether a baby’s early movements can predict learning difficulties later in childhood.
October 2021