Doa El-Ansary

Professor Doa El-Ansary is a registered Physiotherapist, research and teaching academic with more than 25 years of clinical, academic and leadership experience across public and private settings. Currently Doa is the Deputy Dean (Engagement) and Head of the discipline of Physiotherapy in the School of Health and biomedical Sciences at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. Doa also holds posts as Adjunct Professor and Founder of Physiotherapy at Swinburne University of Technology; Professor in the Department of Surgery, Medicine School at the University of Melbourne and at the Clinical Research Institute at Westmead Private Hospital.
In her current role as head of the discipline of Physiotherapy at RMIT University Doa leads the design of curriculum with a focus on technology, business and enterprise skills in collaboration with industry leaders: EmpowEER WIL which drives career development learning by Exploring, Engaging and Experiencing to forge graduate work readiness and engagement with industry.
Doa was an inaugural staff member of the Doctor of Physiotherapy at The University of Melbourne; the Master of Physiotherapy at Canberra University and led the design and implementation of the Master of Physiotherapy at Swinburne University. Doa is a member of the founding committee that developed “Heart Online”, a web-based toolkit for cardiovascular health and rehabilitation. She is an invited member of the European Association of Cardiothoracic Surgeons (EACTS) scientific committee and the inaugural founding member of the Nursing and Allied Chapter of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS).
Doa pioneered ultrasound diagnosis of sternal non-union and instability by ultrasound imaging and further investigated the effects of exercise and physiotherapy interventions for this population. Collectively her postdoctoral studies have informed recovery; clinical and exercise guidelines following cardiac surgery and have led to a paradigm shift from restrictive sternal precautions to an active patient participatory rehabilitation model that targets secondary prevention and better patient outcomes. Her research has attracted awards for best research at national (ACRA, CSANZ) and international levels (EACTS, APTA).
Doa also co-designed a certified education program on Ultrasound Imaging for Physiotherapists, Medical Practitioners and Nurses at the University of Melbourne. Her research interests include: cardiac surgery, exercise and cardiac rehabilitation, ultrasound imaging; innovations in sternal closure, postoperative recovery, and differential diagnosis of chest pain.