Professor Brian Freeman
Professor
Adelaide Medical School
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.
Professor Brian Freeman is Head of Spinal Services at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Professor of Spinal Surgery at University of Adelaide (2008-present). He was appointed Research Director at the Adelaide Centre for Spinal Research, and Co-director of the Centre for Orthopaedic and Trauma Research, University of Adelaide, in 2012. Professor Freeman is the senior clinician responsible for the management of traumatic spinal cord injured patients for Central Australia (South Australia and Northern Territories).
Professor Freeman graduated from medical school in 1988 and pursued higher surgical training in Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, obtaining Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1997 and Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2010. Professor Freeman has completed two internationally recognised Fellowships in Spinal Surgery; The British Orthopaedic Association National Fellowship in Spinal Surgery (1999) in Nottingham, UK and The Clinical/Research Fellowship in Spinal Surgery at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia (2000). Research conducted during this Fellowship (2000) led to the award of a Doctorate of Medicine to Professor Freeman from the University of Nottingham, UK (2006). Dr Freeman commenced as Consultant Spinal Surgeon at Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK in 2000. In 2007, he was awarded the position of Special Professor of Spinal Surgery by the University of Nottingham, UK (2007-2010).
Research
I am the author of 93 peer-reviewed publications (first author in 25). I have published 19 book chapters as first author. I am an author of 142 published abstracts from 208 podium presentations and 94 poster presentations to national and international meetings. I have been awarded 40 national and international prizes for my research and audit.
I have supervised to completion; five higher degree candidates (three Doctorates of Medicine (DM), two Doctorates of Philosophy (PhD), two Masters’ candidates and two Bachelor of Medical Science candidates.
I currently supervise two PhD candidates at the University of Adelaide, one PhD at Flinders University and one PhD at the University of Melbourne.
I have examined four higher degrees (2 from Australia, 2 from South Africa) as an external examiner. I have held grants to the total of GBP 41,048 in the United Kingdom and AUS$ 3,290,688 in Australia. RG Score 36.86, h-index 27 (10 August 2017)
Grants and Funding
| CI Team | Title | Period of Support | Funding Source |
|---|---|---|---|
|
CIA - Brian Freeman CIB - Anant Kamat CIC - Robert Fraser |
Treatment of discitis following discectomy | 1999-2000 |
The Adelaide Bone and Joint Research Foundation Inc. ID 181/99 |
|
CIA - Anant Kamat CIB - Brian Freeman CIC - Robert Moore |
Complications resulting from intra-thecal injection of epidural steroids | 1999-2000 |
The Adelaide Bone and Joint Research Foundation Inc. ID 182/99 |
|
CIA - Rebecca Walters CIB - Brian Freeman CIC - Robert Moore |
Timing of prophylactic antibiotics for the prevention of iatrogenic discitis | 1999-2000 |
The Adelaide Bone and Joint Research Foundation Inc. ID 183/99 |
|
CIA - R Arun CIB - Brian Freeman CIC - Brigitte Scammell CID - Donal McNally CIE - Penny Gowlaand |
The effect of mechanical loading on diffusion of solutes in the human intervertebral disc | 2004-2005 |
Pump Priming Grant Queen’s Medical Centre Trustees ID M/9/2004 OR090401 |
|
CIA - Brian Freeman CIB - Geoffrey Burwell |
Evaluation of brain development in girls with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS): A pilot study | 2005-2007 | British Scoliosis Research Foundation (BSRF) |
|
CIA - Claire Jones CIB - Brian Freeman CIC - Robert J Moore |
Investigating the mechanical response of the developing spine to spondylolysis loading patterns with a novel strain measurement technique | 2012 | Royal Adelaide Hospital Research Fund Mary Overton Project Grant |
|
CIA - Claire Jones CIB - Peter Cripton CIC - Brian Freeman CID - Robert J Moore |
Understanding the biomechanical origins of pars defects – towards a biofidelic in vitro model of spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis |
2012-2013 (Extended to 2015) |
AO Foundation, Dubendorf, Switzerland |
|
CI - Sarah Dunlop AI - Peter Batchelor AI - Peter Woodland AI - Dave Dillon AI - Sudhakar Rao AI - John Kerr AI - Ann Watts AI - John Buchanon AI - Gary Allison AI - James Middleton AI - Brian Freeman |
ICED (Immediate Cooling and Emergency Decompression): Involving WA in an Australia-wide clinical trial for traumatic spinal cord injury. | 2012-2013 |
Neurotrauma Research Programme (NRP) Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR) |
|
CIA - Peter Batchelor CIB - Doug Brown CIC - Sarah Dunlop CID - Brian Freeman |
Assessment of the Timing of Decompressive Surgery in Spinal Cord Injury | 2013 |
Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research (ISCRR) Development Grant |
|
CIA - Markus Melloh CIB - Lukas Staub CIC - Brian Freeman |
Rate and Predictors of Complications in Spinal Surgery | 2013-2014 |
Raine Priming Grant. The University of Western Australia APP ID 35/2013 |
|
CIA - Claire Jones Supervisor- B Freeman |
Unravelling the riddle of spondylolysis: a biomechanical approach to improving prevention, detection and treatment of a common spinal complaint. | 2014-2017 |
NHMRC Early Career Fellowship APP ID 1072387 |
|
CIA - Peter Batchelor CIB - Jeffrey Rosenfeld CIC - Brian Freeman CID - Sarah Dunlop CIE - Stephen Bernard CIF - Andrew Nunn CIG - Ian Mosley CIH - James Middleton |
Immediate Cooling and Emergency Decompression (ICED) for the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury; Pilot, Safety and Feasibility Studies | 2014-2016 | NHMRC Project Grant
APP ID 1066217 |
|
CIA - Peter Batchelor CIB - Ian Mosley CIC - Jeffrey Rosenfeld CID - Brian Freeman CIE - Sarah Dunlop CIF - Stephen Bernard CIG - Andrew Nunn CIH - James Middleton |
Immediate Cooling and Emergency Decompression (ICED) for the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury; Pilot, Safety and Feasibility Studies | 2014-2019 |
Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research (ISCRR) Project Grant |
|
CIA - Brian Freeman CIB - John Slavotinek CIC- Ruth Marshall |
To investigate serial quantitative changes in bone and muscle mass in individuals with spinal cord injury, multiple injuries and musculoskeletal disorders in general using low dose Peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography [pQCT] | 2014 |
RAH Research Foundation Research Infrastructure Block Grant Equipment Grant 7 Oct 2014 |
|
CIA – Brian Freeman CIB – Julia Kuliwaba |
Bone marrow pathology of Modic changes in the lumbar spine: Is there a role for bacterial infection | 2014 |
AOSpine Australia and New Zealand Research Award 2014 |
|
CIA - Claire Jones CIB - Brian Freeman CIC - John Costi |
Quantitative evaluation of facet deflection and loading in the human cervical spine: ex-vivo biomechanical approach to understanting cervical facet fracture and dislocation | 2015 |
Royal Adelaide Hospital Research Foundation Clinical Project Grant 2015 |
|
CIA - Claire Jones CIB - Brian Freeman CIC - John Costi |
Towards improved understanding of the mechanisms underlying cervical facet fracture and dislocation: quantitative evaluation of facet deflection and loading | 2015 |
AOSpine Australia and New Zealand Research Award 2015 |
|
CIA - Brian Freeman CIB - Jillian M Clark CIC - Mark Hutchinson CID - Ewa Goldys |
Hyperspectral imaging as an analytical tool to predict neurological prognosis and guide practice | 10 April 2015 | NeuroSurgical Research Foundation Inc. |
|
CIA - Brian Freeman CIB - Claire Jones CIC - Anna Leonard
Awarded 8 May 2015 |
To develop and characterize a large animal (sheep) survival model of traumatic spinal cord injury. | Sept 2015 to Sept 2016 |
Johnson & Johnson Medical Pty (DePuy SynthesSpine) |
|
CIA - Anna Leonard CIB - Claire Jones CIC - Brian Freeman Awarded 20 Aug 2015 |
Evaluation of duraplasty surgical intervention following traumatic spinal cord injury in a clinically relevant large animal model. | 2016 |
Conquer Paralysis Now: A global project of the Sam Schmidt Foundation |
|
CIA - Julio Licinio CIB - Parabjit S Takhar CIC - Brian J Freeman Awarded 10 Sept 2015 |
Molecular imaging of the spinal cord: Technology innovation for the diagnosis and treatment of spinal cord injury | 01/07/15-30/06/16 | The Lifetime Support Authority of South Australia (LSA) |
|
CIA - Tim Pointon CIB - Tim Rayner CIC - Hugh Grantham CID - Claire Jones CID – Brian Freeman Awarded 01 Oct 2015 |
Biomechanical evaluation of the efficacy of neck immobilisation techniques utilised by paramedics in the out-of-hospital setting |
01/10/15 to 30/06/17 |
2015 Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences / FMC Foundation / Flinders Fertility |
|
CIA - Claire Jones CIB - Erica Beaucage-Gauvreau CIC - Dom Thewlis CID - Will Robertson CIE - Robert Fraser CIF - Brian Freeman |
Validation of a full-body musculoskeletal model with detailed lumbar spine, for estimating spinal muscle and joint loads in bending and lifting tasks. | 01/02/17 to 31/01/18 |
AOSpine Australia and New Zealand Research Award 2017 |
Teaching
I have enjoyed participation in both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching throughout my career. As anatomy demonstrator I taught clinical anatomy to medical students and applied neuro-anatomy to BSc students. Clinical teaching followed when I became a musculoskeletal tutor in Bristol. I have had the privilege of training 60 spinal fellows to the standard commensurate with that of a consultant spinal surgeon. I have lectured to various groups of postgraduate doctors, engineers, physiotherapists and nursing staff. I act as an examiner for undergraduate orthopaedic examinations for the University of Nottingham. I have been a faculty member for the basic and advanced AO spine course in Nottingham and lectured on the advanced AO spine course in Australia (2000) and Switzerland (2002, 2005). I commenced my appointment as Special Professor of Spinal Surgery on 1 August 2007. I am a personal tutor to four medical students. I am a member of the AOUK National Faculty and regularly teach on the AO Basic and Advanced Spine seminars in addition to Live Surgery Seminars demonstrating the use of the Universal Spine System for spinal deformity. I successfully completed the AO Tips for Teachers course in March 2003.
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