Diana De Carvalho

What brought me to MUN? What keeps me at MUN?

Receiving the Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation Professorship in Biomechanics was the spark that brought me to MUN and NL. On arriving from Ontario, it was immediately clear that this place really does have a bit of magic. MUN has lived up to its solid reputation and I love working with my warm and collaborative staff, faculty and student colleagues.

Training:

Keen volunteers looking to gain experience in biomechanical lab techniques are always welcome. Please contact me to set up a meeting.

I am not currently accepting any graduate students.

Research/Teaching Summary:

Societal awareness of the dangers of sedentary lifestyles is starting to grow. Thanks to the results of recent epidemiology studies, the media has been quick to highlight sitting as “ the new smoking” and the pastime that “ is killing you”. Slightly less sensational, yet equally important with respect to health and injury, is the relationship between sitting and low back pain (LBP). Directly related to decreased productivity, decreased quality of life and high health care costs, LBP might be the first of many negative health outcomes to be experienced by sedentary workers. Currently, there is still much to be learned about sitting induced back pain, especially in regard to pathways of pain and injury and in the context of occupationally relevant durations and settings.

These questions have motivated my research program: focusing on the biomechanics of the human spine, especially in seated postures, in the context of:
· injury mechanisms (acute and repetitive tissue overload, strain of passive tissues by creep, and altered neuromuscular control)
· intervention and prevention strategies (movement breaks, ergonomic designs) 

I value learning through experience. This lead me to complete a Certificate in University Teaching (University of Waterloo, 2015) and sparked an interest in the study of case-based learning and other experiential teaching methods. Whether in the classroom, laboratory or clinic I believe there is always an opportunity for both teachers and students to learn something new.

Awards:

• David Winter Early Career Award, Canadian Society for Biomechanics (2022)
• Alumni of the Year award, Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (2021)
• First Place – Louis Sportelli Research Awards, 15^th Biennial Congress of the WFC (2019)
• Newfoundland and Labrador Chiropractic Association Chiropractor of the Year (2017)
• Association of Canadian Ergonomists Founders Award (2013)
• CIHR Doctoral Research Award (2008-2011)
• Canadian Chiropractic Association Young Investigator Award (2010)
• Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research Fellowship Award (2008)

Google Scholar Link

Recent Publications:

Howarth, S. J., McCreath Frangakis, E., Hirsch, S., & De Carvalho, D. (2024). Evaluating Test–Retest Reliability and Measurement Error of the Lumbar Flexion Relaxation Ratio Within and Between Days. Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1080/1091367X.2024.2377101

De Carvalho D, Mackey S, To D, Summers A, Frey M, Romme K, Hogg-Johnson S, and Howarth S. Is the flexion relaxation ratio a reliable, valid, and responsive measure for individuals with and without non-specific spine pain? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Scientific Reports. 2024 Feb 8 (14) 3260. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52900-z

De Carvalho D, Randhawa K, Verville L, Hogg-Johnson S, Howarth S, Mior S, and Côté P. The vehicle seating intervention trial: Cross-over randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of two car seat configurations on spine posture. Journal of Applied Biomechanics 2023 Oct 4:1-10. https://doi.org/10.1123/jab.2023-0040 Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37793656.

Landry M, Mackey S, Hossain I, Fairbridge N, Greene A, Borgaonkar M, Cullen K, Pace D, and De Carvalho D. An estimation of the endoscopist's musculoskeletal injury risk for right and left lateral decubitus positions during colonoscopy: a field-based ergonomic study. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2023. 24:475. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-023-06606-4

De Carvalho D and Callaghan JP. Does a break from sitting change biomechanical outcome measures or transient pain? A laboratory-based experimental study. WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment and Rehabilitation. 2023;75(2):553-566. Doi: 10.3233/WOR-211266.

To D, De Carvalho D, Pike A, Lawrence R, Etchegary H, Paty AM, Toomey E, Hall A. Exploring perceived barriers and enablers to fidelity of training and delivery for an intervention to reduce non-indicated imaging for low back pain: a qualitative interview study.  Chiropr Man Therap 31, 6 (2023). https://doi-org.qe2a-proxy.mun.ca/10.1186/s12998-023-00480-6

De Carvalho D and Callaghan J. The effect of spinal manipulation on biomechanical factors and perceived pain during prolonged sitting: A laboratory-controlled cross-sectional study. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies. 30, 62(2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12998-022-00472-y

De Carvalho D, Callaghan J. Effect of office chair design features on lumbar spine posture, muscle activity, and perceived pain during prolonged sitting. Ergonomics. 2022 DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2022.2152113

Williams JM, Frey M, Breen A, and De Carvalho D. Systematic analysis of different low pass filter cut-off frequencies on lumbar spine kinematics data and the impact on the agreement between accelerometers and an optoelectronic system. J Biomech. 2022. 145.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2022.111395

Mackey S, Howarth SJ, Frey M, and De Carvalho D. An investigation of the flexion relaxation ratio in adults with and without a history of self-reported low back pain and transient sitting-induced pain. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2022 Oct 23;67:102719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jelekin.2022.102719