Nicola Postol

Nicola Postol serves as a Research Fellow at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Institute and Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Sydney's Sydney Medical School, with additional affiliations at Children's Hospital at Westmead and the Faculty of Medicine and Health. Her work focuses on developing mobility technologies for neurological conditions including cerebral palsy, stroke, and spinal cord injury.

Her academic credentials include:

• BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy from University of East Anglia (2000)
• PhD from University of Newcastle (2024) investigating robotic exoskeletons for neurological rehabilitation

Dr. Postol's research centers on evaluating emerging technologies to support severe mobility impairments, particularly robotic exoskeletons. She aims to optimize lifelong function through weight-bearing mobility solutions and activity participation across neurological conditions. Her work bridges clinical physiotherapy with engineering innovation, emphasizing real-world implementation challenges and user-centered design for diverse patient populations.

Analysis of her publications (2019-2024) reveals consistent focus on robotic exoskeleton applications across stroke, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, and acquired brain injury. Key trends include growing emphasis on therapist perspectives in clinical adoption, feasibility studies for specific conditions, and metabolic/biomechanical impacts of exoskeleton use. The research demonstrates progression from technical feasibility to implementation science.

Her award portfolio includes:

• Publishing in High Quality Journals award (University of Newcastle, 2023)
• Multiple presentation awards including 1st place 3MT (2019) and NHMRC forum recognition (2017)
• People's choice poster award and equipment pitch victories (2019)

With extensive clinical experience and undergraduate teaching since 2009 at University of Newcastle, Dr. Postol mentors students in neurology and disability-focused courses. Her current role leverages her dual expertise as senior clinician and researcher to guide student projects on rehabilitation technology development.

She leads the "Soft knee exoskeleton" project at Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Institute, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams from University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute to develop pediatric mobility solutions. Her work integrates clinical insights with engineering innovation for lifespan-focused disability support.