Cara Schofield
PhD candidate with Professor Nora Shields - School of Physiotherapy at La Trobe University
Cara is a PhD student with the School of Physiotherapy at La Trobe University. Her thesis is centred around exploring the barriers and facilitators to exercise for people with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) throughout the lifespan. She is also part of the PRESTO trial team investigating a muscle strength training program for people with PWS.
Cara has previously worked alongside a multidisciplinary team at the Telethon Kids Institute in Perth, Western Australia, focussing on rare genetic disorders such as PWS and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This previous research aimed to improve outcomes such as quality of life of children with a disability and their families. While at Telethon Kids Institute, Cara was also the coordinator of launching the national multicentre Australasian Prader-Willi syndrome database. Cara’s primary research interest is in investigating novel interventions for people with disabilities and rare diseases. She is passionate about improving participation and quality of life for these individuals and their families in their communities and narrowing the gap in outcomes between them and their typically developing peers.