Julie Bernhardt

Professor Julie Bernhardt co-leads The Florey's Stroke theme and directs the AVERT Early Intervention Research Program at The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health in Melbourne, Australia. As Australia's foremost stroke rehabilitation clinical trialist, she heads the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery and chairs the International Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Roundtable, driving global innovation in post-stroke care.

Her research pioneers transformative approaches to stroke recovery through early mobility interventions, hospital environment redesign, and patient-centered rehabilitation. Key focus areas include optimizing dose-response relationships in mobility training, integrating virtual reality for therapeutic environments, and addressing disparities in rehabilitation access. She champions co-design methodologies involving stroke survivors to ensure research directly impacts clinical practice and policy.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strategic shift toward interdisciplinary collaboration, blending clinical neuroscience with architectural design and digital health solutions. Her work increasingly emphasizes real-world implementation of evidence-based practices across diverse healthcare systems, with growing attention to young stroke survivors' unique needs and telehealth scalability post-pandemic.

Her notable awards include:

• Honorary Life Membership, Stroke Foundation Australia (2018)
• Australian Financial Review/Westpac 100 Women of Influence (Global category, 2016)
• Austin Medical Research Foundation Distinguished Scientist (2016)
• American Heart Association Stroke Rehabilitation Award (2016)
• Chief Executive Women Scholarship MIT Sloan (2016)
• Viscount Linley Award, Stroke Association (2016)
• Male or Female Change Champion of the Year (2015)

Professor Bernhardt leads the AVERT Early Rehabilitation Research Group, which operates as a nexus for international collaboration involving 40+ institutions. The group pioneers novel trial methodologies like the multi-arm adaptive AVERT DOSE study while developing practical tools for rehabilitation environments through partnerships with architects and designers. Current initiatives focus on translating research into hospital design standards and community-based rehabilitation frameworks.