Overview
Key publications
Research funding
Supervising & teaching
Career
Section: Overview
Overview
Key publications
Research funding
Supervising & teaching
Career

Key details

Areas of expertise

  • Motor skill impairment in children & adults
  • Developmental coordination disorder
  • Motor control
  • Motor imagery and action observation

Available to supervise research students

Available for media queries

About Jacqueline Williams

Associate Professor Jacqueline Williams joined VU as a post-doctoral research fellow in 2009 and now works as a senior lecturer in the College of Sport and Exercise Science and Institute for Sport and Health.

Jacqueline is passionate about improving the lives of individuals diagnosed with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Her research focuses on understanding some of the causes of the disorder, alongside measuring the impact the disorder on individuals and families and understanding how this burden can be reduced. She works closely with Developmental Coordination Disorder Australia Inc., to provide support for families affected by DCD and coordinates the Australian DCD research register.

Jacqueline is also interested in other motor skill disorders, like cerebral palsy, and understanding how movements are represented in the human brain. Her research utilises transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine motor imagery, motor planning and movement control.

In 2011, she was awarded the VU Vice Chancellor's Peak Award for Excellence in Research and Research Training (ECR) in recognition of her significant collaborative network both in Australia and overseas.

Qualifications

  • PhD (Psychology), RMIT University, Australia, 2007
  • BHlthSci in Human Movement (Hons), ACU, 2002

Key publications

Jacqueline has over 58 publications, with a selection listed here.


A more comprehensive list of Jacqueline's publications is available in the VU Research Repository.

Year Citation
2021 Licari, M. K., Alvares, G. A., Bernie, C., Elliott, C., Evans, K. L., McIntyre, S., Pillar, S. V., Reynolds, J. E., Reid, S. L., & Spittle, A. J. (211001). The unmet clinical needs of children with developmental coordination disorder. Pediatric Research, 90(4), (826-831).

doi: 10.1038/s41390-021-01373-1
2021 Scott, M. W., Wood, G., Holmes, P. S., Williams, J., Marshall, B., & Wright, D. J. (210801). Combined action observation and motor imagery: An intervention to combat the neural and behavioural deficits associated with developmental coordination disorder. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 127 (638-646).

doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.05.015
2021 Williams, J., Fuelscher, I., & Hyde, C. (210701). Motor imagery in congenital hemiplegia: Impairments are not universal. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 114

doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2021.103991
2021 Barhoun, P., Fuelscher, I., Do, M., He, J. L., Bekkali, S., Cerins, A., Youssef, G. J., Williams, J., Enticott, P. G., & Hyde, C. (210601). Mental rotation performance in young adults with and without developmental coordination disorder. Human Movement Science, 77

doi: 10.1016/j.humov.2021.102787
2020 Marshall, B., Wright, D. J., Holmes, P. S., Williams, J., & Wood, G. (200301). Combined action observation and motor imagery facilitates visuomotor adaptation in children with developmental coordination disorder. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 98

doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2019.103570
2019 Hyde, C., Fuelscher, I., & Williams, J. (190615). Neurophysiological Approaches to Understanding Motor Control in DCD: Current Trends and Future Directions. Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 6(2), (78-86).

doi: 10.1007/s40474-019-00161-1
2019 Rudd, J. R., O Callaghan, L., & Williams, J. (190501). Physical education pedagogies built upon theories of movement learning: How can environmental constraints be manipulated to improve children s executive function and self-regulation skills?. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(9),

doi: 10.3390/ijerph16091630
2019 Barhoun, P., Fuelscher, I., Kothe, E. J., He, J. L., Youssef, G. J., Enticott, P. G., Williams, J., & Hyde, C. (190401). Motor imagery in children with DCD: A systematic and meta-analytic review of hand-rotation task performance. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 99 (282-297).

doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.02.002
2019 Reynolds, J. E., Billington, J., Kerrigan, S., Williams, J., Elliott, C., Winsor, A. M., Codd, L., Bynevelt, M., & Licari, M. K. (190101). Mirror neuron system activation in children with developmental coordination disorder: A replication functional MRI study. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 84 (16-27).

doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2017.11.012
2019 Wang, S., Williams, J., & Wilmut, K. (190101). Constraints on Motor Planning Across the Life Span: Physical, Cognitive, and Motor Factors. Psychology and Aging,

doi: 10.1037/pag0000408

Research funding for the past 5 years

Please note:

  • Funding is ordered by the year the project commenced and may continue over several years.
  • Funding amounts for contact research are not disclosed to maintain commercial confidentiality.
  • The order of investigators is not indicative of the role they played in the research project.

eHealth for Mental Health in DCD
From: The Waterloo Foundation
Other investigators: Prof Alexandra Parker, Dr Michaela Pascoe
For period: 2020-2022
 $157,069
A Parent-Targeted eHealth Intervention to Use Exercise to Reduce Symptoms of Poor Mental Health in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder
From: The Waterloo Foundation
Other investigators: Prof Alexandra Parker, Dr Michaela Pascoe
For period: 2020-2021
 $118,850

Using Brain Stimulation to Improve Strength and Function in Individuals with Cerebal Palsy
From: Career Development Grant
Other investigators: Dr Alessandra Ferri
For period: 2019-2022
 $64,615

Supervision of research students at VU

Available to supervise research students

Available for media queries

Currently supervised research students at VU

No. of students Study level Role
1 PhD Principal supervisor

Currently supervised research students at VU

Students & level Role
PhD (1) Principal supervisor

Completed supervision of research students at VU

No. of students Study level Role
1 PhD Associate supervisor

Completed supervision of research students at VU

Students & level Role
PhD (1) Associate supervisor

Other supervision of research students

Jacqueline was the external co-supervisor for a PhD candidate (Jessica Reynolds) at the University of Western Australia, who successfully completed her studies in 2017. She also co-supervised a number of fourth year psychology students at the University of Melbourne in 2009 and at VU since 2013.

Teaching activities & experience

Jacqueline is Unit Coordinator of AHE3126 Motor Control, which is a core unit in a number of exercise science related degrees at VU. The unit is designed to give students an understanding of how the central nervous system controls movement. She has also been a regular contributor to AHE2127 Motor Learning over many years.

Key academic roles

Dates Role Department / Organisation
Feb 2010 - Present
Senior Lecturer
Victoria University
Jul 2009 - Aug 2019
Honorary Research Fellow
Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
Jul 2009 - Dec 2012
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Victoria University
Oct 2007 - Jul 2009
Research Fellow
University of Melbourne
Show more academic roles
Dates Role & Department/Organisation
Feb 2010 -
Present
Senior Lecturer
Victoria University
Jul 2009 -
Aug 2019
Honorary Research Fellow
Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
Jul 2009 -
Dec 2012
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Victoria University
Oct 2007 -
Jul 2009
Research Fellow
University of Melbourne
Show more academic roles

Key industry, community & government roles

Dates Role Department/Organisation
Nov 2018 - Aug 2019
Deputy Director
Developmental Coordination Disorder Australia Inc.
Feb 2016 - Nov 2018
Board Member
Developmental Coordination Disorder Australia Inc. (previously Dyspraxia Kids Australia)
Dates Role & Department/Organisation
Nov 2018 - Aug 2019
Deputy Director
Developmental Coordination Disorder Australia Inc.
Feb 2016 - Nov 2018
Board Member
Developmental Coordination Disorder Australia Inc. (previously Dyspraxia Kids Australia)

Awards

Year Award
2011

Vice Chancellor's Peak Award for Excellence in Research and Research Training (ECR) - Victoria University

Professional memberships

  • Professional member, International Society for Research into Developmental Coordination Disorder
  • Professional member, International Society of Motor Control
  • Professional member, European Academy of Childhood Disability
  • Professional member, North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity
  • Professional member, Australian Cognitive Neuroscience Society