Elissa Burton

Associate Professor Elissa Burton is a leader in healthy ageing research at Curtin University's Curtin School of Allied Health within the Faculty of Health Sciences. She holds an NHMRC Investigator Grant ($639,750) for her Balance on the Brain project addressing falls and cognition in mild cognitive impairment. With over $6.8M in external funding, her work spans reablement, dementia care, and exercise interventions for older adults. Elissa is also Co-Lead of the Dementia and Ageing Domain at Curtin enAble Institute and an international collaborator in projects across Ireland, Canada, and Scandinavia.

Education: BSc Sports Science (1st Class Hons), MBus (Research), GradDip (Hlth Econs), PhD. Professional credentials include ESSA Level 2 Sports Scientist and AAG Fellowship.

Research Focus: Her work centers on physical activity strategies for independent living, including falls prevention, reablement practices, and dementia care. Key contributions include defining reablement's international framework and co-designing dementia-friendly exercise programs. She has conducted over 30 clinical trials and systematic reviews, emphasizing real-world applicability.

Recent Articles Trends: 2023–2025 publications emphasize modifiable dementia risk factors, peer-led exercise models, and intergenerational health interventions. Her work bridges clinical practice and policy, with a focus on community-based solutions.

Awards & Recognition: Includes Mid-Career Researcher of the Year (2023), AAG Distinguished Member (2020), and multiple grants for international collaborations. She chairs WA's Seniors Ageing Strategy and sits on 15+ national/international committees.

Advising & Grants: Supervised 12+ students since 2016, including PhDs on stroke mobility and residential care risk assessments. Current projects explore balance training for cognitive health and falls prevention in dementia patients.

Labs/Teams: Leads Curtin's healthy ageing blog and collaborates with global networks like the International ReAble Network. Her team develops tools like the 'Focus on the Person' form for dementia care transitions.