Liisa Laakso, PhD
Dr Liisa Laakso is Principal Research Fellow (Allied Health) at the Mater Research Institute, Brisbane; Honorary Associate Professor at The University of Queensland Faculty of Medicine; and Adjunct Professor of Physiotherapy in the School of Health Sciences and Social Work at Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia.
Prof Laakso was the first Australian to complete a PhD in the field of laser therapy.
In 2002, Prof Laakso was recognised by the European Medical Laser Association with a lifetime achievement award.
Prof Laakso’s research focuses on:
- the role of photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy for pain, lymphoedema management, tissue healing, inflammation and neurodegeneration in a range of non-malignant and malignant laboratory and clinical models and populations;
- symptom control and prevention in chronic disease, and in recovery after cancer, and in palliative care.
Prof Laakso has a track record of grants procurement and publications in the above fields as well as in physiotherapy education. She has spoken at many national and international conferences on her laser research.
Prof Laakso is an executive committee member of the Australian Medical Photobiomodulation Association (AMPA), and past-President of the World Association for Laser Therapy (WALT). Prof Laakso is immediate past Vice-President of the International Society for Electrophysical Agents in Physical Therapy (an official sub-group of the World Confederation of Physical Therapy); and member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Korean Medicine Association for Laser Therapy. She is also on the editorial board of the journal Photobiomodulation, Photomedicine and Laser Surgery.