Melissa Kendall
Department of Rehabilitation, Princess Alexandra Hospital
Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Health Sciences and Social Work, Griffith University
Melissa is the Senior Research Officer with the Acquired Brain Injury Outreach Service (ABIOS) and the Transitional Rehabilitation Program (TRP), both of which are community rehabilitation programs located within the Department of Rehabilitation at the Princess Alexandra Hospital. ABIOS provides specialist support for individuals with acquired brain injury, while TRP supports people with spinal cord injury as they transition back into the community.
In addition to this role, Melissa holds an adjunct position as Associate Professor in the School of Health Sciences and Social Work at Griffith University. In 2009, she completed her PhD at Griffith University, where she developed a theoretical model of friendships following traumatic injury.
Her research interests include psychosocial adjustment after injury, community-based rehabilitation models, outcome measurement, and goal setting and attainment in rehabilitation. In her current position, she is responsible for coordinating service-based research and building research capacity among clinicians working in spinal cord injury and brain injury rehabilitation across Queensland. Her research spans a wide range of transdisciplinary topics and she has published more than 70 peer-reviewed journal articles and four book chapters.
1. Daniel, H., Bray, E. A., Beckman, E. M., Smith, K., Kendall, M., Tweedy, S., … Gane, E. (2025). Evaluation of an inpatient sports program to guide post-discharge physical activity participation among people with brain and spinal cord injury – a cross-sectional study. Disability and Rehabilitation, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2025.2527354
2. Bray, E., Brough, R., Jones, R., Burridge, L., Geraghty, T., Mitchell, J., Hogan, C., Amsters, D., Watter, K., Ungerer, G., Kendall, M, Ownsworth, T. (2025). Setting me up or holding me back? Perspectives of people with spinal cord injury on rehabilitation supports at inpatient discharge and 3-months post-discharge. Disability and Rehabilitation, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2025.2476037
3. Hodson, T., Kendall, M., Oh, S., Stangherlin, E., Shirota, C., & Kendall, E. (2024). Health professionals’ experiences and implications of a technology-focused service within a rehabilitation setting. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2024.2414213
4. Ownsworth, T., Bates, A., Watter, K., Morgan, C., Bell, R., Griffin, J., Turner, B., Kennedy, A., Kendall, M., Adams, B., Gibson. E., Hakala, T., Mitchell, J. (2024). Reclaiming agency in care decisions and barriers from the perspectives of individuals with acquired brain injury and their family members. Health Expectations. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.14109
5. Xie, Y., Nielsen, M., Kendall, M., Jones, R., Ownsworth, T., & Geraghty, T. (2023). Care transitions for people with acquired neurological disability in the first 12 months following inpatient rehabilitation: Health service use and obstacles. Health and Social Care in the Community. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/2894552
6. Oh, S., Hodson, T., Kendall, M., Shirota, C., & Kendall, E. (2023). A technology-focused service within a rehabilitation setting: exploring the experiences and current technology demands of people with disabilities. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 19(5), 2000-2009. https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2023.2244001
7. Cox, R., Kendall, M., Molineaux, M., Tanner, B., & Miller, E. (2023). Learning and development needs for successful staff and consumer partnerships on healthcare quality improvement committees: a co-produced cross-sectional online survey. Australian Health Review. https://doi.org/10/1071/AH22266
8. O’Loghlen, J., Geraghty, T., Kendall, M., Nielsen, M., Jones, R., McLennan, V., Watter, K., &. Ownsworth, T. (2023). Perceived vocational support needs and return to work 12 months post-discharge after acquired brain injury and spinal cord injury. WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment and Rehabilitation. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-230090
9. Ownsworth, T., Mols, H., O’Loghlen, J., Xie, Y., Kendall, M., Nielsen, M., Mitchell, J., Jones, R., & Geraghty, T. (2023). Stigma following acquired brain injury and spinal cord injury: relationship to psychological distress and community integration in the first year post-discharge. Disability and Rehabilitation https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2023.2205173
10. Hogan, C., Burridge, L., Foster, M., Kendall, M., Pershouse, K., Ungerer, G., Atresh, S., Morris, C.P., & Geraghty, T. (2023). The impacts and vulnerabilities for people living with spinal cord injury and their service systems of the COVID-19 pandemic in Queensland, Australia. Health and Social Care in the Community, https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/7255395
11. Cox, R., Molineaux, M., Kendall, M., Tanner, B., & Miller, E. (2023). ‘Learning and growing together’: exploring consumer partnerships in a PhD, an ethnographic study. Research Involvement and Engagement, 9:8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-023-00417-6
12. Johnston, V., Brackenridge, C., Valiant, D., Ling, C.L.K., Andrews, N., Gane, E., Turner, B., Kendall, M., & Quinn, R. (2022). Using framework analysis to understand multiple stakeholders’ view of vocational rehabilitation following acquired brain injury. Brain Impairment, 1-24. doi: 10.1017/BrImp.2022.27
13. Skinner, M., Quinn, R., Nance, J., Wright, S., & Kendall, M. (2022). A case study approach to understanding the pathway to individualised funded supports under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) for community-dwelling individuals with acquired brain injury. Brain Impairment, 1-19. doi:10.1017/BrImp.2022.21
14. Borg, D., Bon, J., Foster, M., Lakhani, A., Kendall, M., & Geraghty, T. (2022). Healthcare services for people with acquired disability in South-East Queensland, Australia: Assessing potential proximity and its association with service obstacles. SSM-Population Health, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101209
15. Fleming, J., Ownsworth, T., Doig, E., Hogan, C., Hamilton, C., Swan, S., Griffin, J., Kendall, M., & Shum, D. (2022). Efficacy of prospective memory rehabilitation plus metacognitive skills training for adults with traumatic brain injury: A randomized controlled trial. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 36(8):487-499. doi:10.1177/15459683221110886
16. Cox, R., Molineaux, M., Kendall, M., Miller, E., & Tanner, B. (2022). Different in so many ways: Exploring consumer, health service staff, and academic partnerships in a research advisory group through rapid ethnography. Australian Journal of Occupational Therapy, DOI: 10.1111/1440-1630.12830
17. Kendall, M., Amsters, D., Schuurs, S., Borg, D.N., Pershouse, K., & Kuipers, P. (2022). Longitudinal effects of time since injury and age at injury on outcomes of people with spinal cord injury in Queensland, Australia. Spinal Cord, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41393-022-00824-8
18. Amsters, D., Kendall, M., Schuurs, S., & Kuipers, P. (2022). Influences on participation in life after spinal cord injury: Qualitative inquiry reveals interaction of context and moderators. Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences. https://doi.org/10.3389/fresc.2022.89814
19. Cox, R., Kendall, M., Molineux, M., Miller, E., & Tanner, B. (2022). Refining a capability development framework for building successful consumer and staff partnerships in healthcare quality improvement: A coproduced eDelphi study. Health Expectations. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13499
20. Kendall, M., Harre, D., Schuurs, S., Hinchy, K., & Booth, S. (2021). Returning to rural communities following transitional rehabilitation after spinal cord injury. Australian Journal of Rural Health. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.12772
21. Cox, R., Molineux, M., Kendall, M., Tanner, B., & Miller, E. (2021). Co-produced capability framework for successful patient and staff partnerships in healthcare quality improvement: results of a scoping review. BMJ Quality & Safety. https://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjqs-2020-012729
22. Legg, M., Foster, M., Jones, R., Kendall, M., Fleming, J., Nielsen, M., Kendall, E., Borg, D., & Geraghty, T. (2021) The impact of obstacles to health and rehabilitation services on functioning and disability: a prospective survey on the 12-months after discharge from specialist rehabilitation for acquired brain injury. Disability and Rehabilitation. DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2021.1952321
23. Brackenridge, C.L., Leow, C.K.L., Kendall, M., Turner, B., Valiant, D., Quinn, R., & Johnston, V. (2021). Exploring the lived return-to-work experience of individuals with acquired brain injury: Use of vocational services and environmental, personal and injury-related influences. Disability & Rehabilitation, https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2021.1903101
24. Cox, R., Kendall, M., Molineux, M., Miller, E., & Tanner, B. (2021). Consumer engagement in occupational therapy health‐related research: A scoping review of the Australian Occupational Therapy Journal and a call to action. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 68(2), 180-192. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1440-1630.12704
25. Ownsworth, T., Cubis, L., Prasad, T., Foote, M., Kendall, M., Oram, J., Chambers, S., & Pinkham, M. (2020). Feasibility and acceptability of a telehealth platform for delivering the Making Sense of Brain Tumour Program: A mixed-methods pilot study. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 1-29. https://doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2020.1826331
26. Ownsworth, T., Theodoros, D., Cahill, L., Vaezipour, A., Quinn, R., Kendall, M., Moyle, W., & Lucas, K. (2020). Perceived usability and acceptability of videoconferencing for delivering community-based rehabilitation to individuals with acquired brain injury: A qualitative investigation. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 26, 47-57.
