INTERVIEW
Congratulations to Dr Lee Daffin for completing his PhD By: Amber Beynon B.Sc. (Hons), B.Chiro
Lee Daffin is a chiropractor, researcher and full-time lecturer at Murdoch University. He has successfully completed his PhD titled: “The Impact of the Cervical Lordosis on Postural Sway Parameters in Asymptomatic Participants”. A fantastic achievement! He is also the Anatomy Lecturer at Murdoch University. He was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions about his PhD journey for our membership.
Q. Congratulations on successfully gaining your PhD! Can you tell us a bit about your PhD research? I investigated 150 asymptomatic participants and their naturally occurring sagittal cervical alignment. We determined their curve radiographically and photographically and compared and contrasted the images in order to establish their objective upright natural cervical alignment. The participant’s alignment was then classified into one of the five accepted alignment patterns. I balanced them on a force platform which is the gold standard use to determine the neurological control of balance and then compared these parameters against their classified cervical alignment. I demonstrated a loss of lordosis detrimentally affects postural control parameter in asymptomatic people. I wanted to establish an objective rational that could be expanded upon that may help explain the possible transitional phases that allow an asymptomatic participant to become a nonspecific neck pain sufferer.
Q. The PhD journey is not an easy one. How did you find the experience? Overwhelming, daunting but then at some stages exhilarating. Exhilarating when you reach the many milestones involved and finally when you find your hypothesis to be objectively sound. It was also a very time consuming (life consuming) experience. I lost of lot of time from my young family, losing many years watching my kids grow up. But it does pay off. Now my kids are older I can better support their ambitions.
Q. What would you say would be the highlight of your PhD journey? The biggest highlight was the finish. Now I am
doing what I love, teaching anatomy and neuroanatomy to chiropractic students. I wouldn’t have been able to achieve my ideal career without obtaining a PhD. The milestones were such things as completing data collection (2 years part time), submission of the thesis for examination, and having three articles accepted for publication in some of the best journals in their respective fields. One particular highlight moment comes to mind. Being in a room with my supervisors while they were critiquing a paper for publication. It was exactly the same as the Big Bang episode with Raj and Sheldon, when they were writing on the white board with the eye of the tiger music playing.
Q. Where do you see your research going now? I want to be able to demonstrate what I have found in young adolescents, 13-15 years of age. If we can show the same results in adolescents, then we could potentially develop a relevant biomarker that enables the identification of at-risk individuals. I would like to investigate potentially reversing their curves and re-balance them. If we can demonstrate posture control improvement, we could then potentially address structural changes prior to symptomatic presentation. It would also be great to have longitudinal data to establish if those with nonlordotic curves develop neck pain in the future, to determine a temporal understanding between structural changes in the neck and non-specific neck pain.
Q. Who are some inspiring people that you admire? David Attenborough and Carroll Shelby. They pushed the boundaries in their fields and have both come out winners.
Q. Do you have any hobbies? When I have the time, I enjoy building things such as houses and DIY home projects. I enjoy landscaping and yard work, working on cars and mechanical things, basically pulling things apart and putting them back together.
Q. What are your favourite films? Mad Max and Mad Max II, Star Wars (all films), Apocalypse Now, Deadpool, and Jackass (all of them!).
Q. Do you have any advice for early career researches? Have confidence in yourself because if you have the ability to become a chiropractor you can do a Higher Degree by Research project, if you really want to. You have to really want it! You need dedication! Dedication like getting up a 5am for months to finish the thesis before you go to work for the day.
Q. Is there anything else you would like to add? Overall, I feel proud to have achieved it, but it is not a solo event. You stand on the shoulders of giants. The giants are your supervisors and the literature you use as a starting point. Supervisors are without a doubt the most important aspect of a PhD, helping you to navigate through the many unknowns. One final shout out is to one of my supervisors, Dr Max Stuelcken the most genuine person I came across during my PhD journey, a legend and pure gentleman. Mate, if it wasn’t for you I could have never finished this PhD. If you want more information about my PhD you can read my thesis by following this link: http://research.usc.edu.au/vital/access/ manager/Repository/usc:29139?fbclid=IwA R2xWPG6M6aerHqPPl1sA4iHdEHessDpJuSxlnnJybZkiGspmPKYytKaFg
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