Kim Delbaere
Kim Delbaere is an Australian researcher in neuroscience and physiotherapy, whose work is focused on falls in older adults. She is a Senior Principal Research Scientist at NeuRA and Director of Innovation & Translation at the Falls, Balance & Injury Research Centre, supported by the Australian NHMRC, and Professor at University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney.[1].
Delbaere holds a Conjoint Associate Professor appointment in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at UNSW. Her research interests include understanding of the physical, psychological and cognitive contributors to falls, and how these factors can be targeted to improve health, independence and quality of life in ageing populations[2].
Education
Delbaere received a Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy from Ghent University, Belgium in 1999. She continued at the same institution for graduate studies, earning a Master of Science in the same field (2001) and Master of Education in Academic Teaching (2004), and a Doctor of Philosophy in 2005 on falls in older people[2].
Academic Career
Honors and awards
Delbaere was elected as a fellow at the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (AAHMS) in 2024[3]. In 2025, she was awarded one of four ASHRA (Australian Stroke and Heart Research Accelerator) Grants[4]
Research Contributions
Delbaere pioneered work in fear of falling, and her multidisciplinary research has reshaped understanding of the physical, psychological, and cognitive drivers of falls, revealing actionable pathways to enhance health, independence, and quality of life in older adults. Central to her work is a translational framework that spans:
- Understanding fall risk by identifying novel biomarkers—such as gait quality—to detect early changes in health and function
- Developing digital tools through co-designed, evidence-based exercise and assessment programs for use in home and community settings
- Testing interventions via large-scale clinical trials that evaluate innovative prevention and rehabilitation strategies
- Implementing and commercialising solutions by embedding interventions into health and aged care systems, supported by strong partnerships with policymakers, clinicians, and consumers
Over the past decade, she has led the development of validated digital health interventions and assessment tools now used globally across clinical trials, healthcare services, and policy. Her work has been cited in international clinical guidelines, informed government strategies, and influenced the design of commercial health technologies adopted by industry leaders.[1][2]
Selected Publications
Delbaere, K., Sherrington, C., Said, C. M., & Naganathan, V. (2025). Innovative approaches to fall prevention in community‐dwelling older adults. Medical Journal of Australia.[5]
Kendrick, D., Kumar, A., Carpenter, H., Zijlstra, G. R., Skelton, D. A., Cook, J. R., ... & Delbaere, K. (2014). Exercise for reducing fear of falling in older people living in the community. Cochrane database of systematic reviews, (11).[6]
Delbaere, K., Close, J. C., Mikolaizak, A. S., Sachdev, P. S., Brodaty, H., & Lord, S. R. (2010). The falls efficacy scale international (FES-I). A comprehensive longitudinal validation study. Age and ageing, 39(2), 210-216.[7]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Kim Delbaere | Neuroscience Research Australia". NeuRA. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Professor Kim Delbaere". UNSW Sites. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
- ↑ "Professor Kim Delbaere elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of…". NeuRA. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
- ↑ "Recipients of the ASHRA Grant announced". UNSW Sites. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
- ↑ Delbaere, Kim; Sherrington, Catherine; Said, Catherine M.; Naganathan, Vasikaran (2025-06-24). "Innovative approaches to fall prevention in community-dwelling older adults". The Medical Journal of Australia. doi:10.5694/mja2.52714. ISSN 1326-5377. PMID 40556322 Check
|pmid=value (help). Unknown parameter|article-number=ignored (help) - ↑ Kendrick, Denise; Kumar, Arun; Carpenter, Hannah; Zijlstra, G. A. Rixt; Skelton, Dawn A.; Cook, Juliette R.; Stevens, Zoe; Belcher, Carolyn M.; Haworth, Deborah; Gawler, Sheena J.; Gage, Heather; Masud, Tahir; Bowling, Ann; Pearl, Mirilee; Morris, Richard W. (2014-11-28). "Exercise for reducing fear of falling in older people living in the community". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2014 (11). doi:10.1002/14651858.CD009848.pub2. ISSN 1469-493X. PMC 7388865 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 25432016. Unknown parameter|article-number=ignored (help) - ↑ Delbaere, Kim; Close, Jacqueline C. T.; Mikolaizak, A. Stefanie; Sachdev, Perminder S.; Brodaty, Henry; Lord, Stephen R. (March 2010). "The Falls Efficacy Scale International (FES-I). A comprehensive longitudinal validation study". Age and Ageing. 39 (2): 210–216. doi:10.1093/ageing/afp225. ISSN 1468-2834. PMID 20061508.
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