Whai Whakaoranga Aotearoa | AUT Active Living and Rehabilitation Research Centre (otherwise known as ALARA) is a multidisciplinary research centre within the School of Allied Health at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), Aotearoa New Zealand. Aligning with Rautaki Rangahau (AUT’s Research Strategy) and Te Aronui (AUT’s Ti Tiriti Framework), ALARA is committed to fostering a thriving research environment that prioritises collaboration, innovation, knowledge mobilisation and research impact while upholding the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Since its inception as an informal research cluster (circa 2012), the kaupapa of ALARA has centred on supporting our amazing people to thrive. We do this through firstly through friendship, manaakitanga and mentorship.
ALARA consists of researchers, academics and clinicians committed to supporting individuals, communities and populations to thrive through activity and rehabilitation. ALARA embodies a diverse mix of senior-career, mid-career and early-career researchers collaboratively working together to support a strong network of postgraduate research students. ALARA has a strong external research network, working with external researchers and research groups (nationally and internationally) and aligning with industry and community stakeholder groups and organisations to ensure that our research is meaningful and impactful.
ALARA’s vision is to improve the lives, health, function and wellbeing of individuals and communities in Aotearoa by accelerating research uptake into practice through world-class research, community engagement and meaningful partnerships. To realise this vision, ALARA’s aims are listed below.
Our research within this theme seeks to improve clinical reasoning and decision-making, leveraging a better understanding of diagnostics, medical screening, systems processes and medical imaging as they relate to professional practice. Our research explores musculoskeletal and cardiorespiratory wellbeing and dysfunction to explore clinical assessment and management methods, coupled with professional practice factors that will ultimately enhance decision-making and health outcomes.
This theme aims to further research to promote health and wellbeing for people with long-term conditions. Our research within this theme seeks to better understand the lived experience of people faced with long-term conditions, for example, arthritis (including osteoarthritis, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.) and chronic spinal pain. Furthermore, this theme captures research that seeks to understand the professional insights and perspectives of clinicians and stakeholders who work with and alongside people and their whānau faced with long-term conditions.
Our research within this theme seeks to better understand contemporary models of care and care delivery for a broad range of health conditions that commonly affect the lives of whānau in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our research aims to be translational and influence healthcare and clinical practice in an impactful way. Physiotherapy and podiatry research form the genesis of our research, nested within a more comprehensive interprofessional and international research network.
Our team is working with research associates and other collaborators both inside and outside of AUT.
If you have any questions regarding our research or would like to contribute, you can email Richard Ellis and he will help you or guide you in the right direction.