Leesa Grier

Dr Leesa Grier is an anatomist and sport and exercise scientist at the College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University. She received the Dean's Award for Research Higher Degree Excellence (JCU, 2020) for her doctoral research in rugby league talent development. Her current research focuses on the anatomical and physiological needs of female athletes, with particular emphasis on neuromuscular conditioning, sex-specific training adaptation, and evidence-based program design for contact and team sport. She collaborates with Queensland Rugby League and AFLW to bridge research and applied practice, and has developed practitioner-facing resources now in use across Queensland's women's high performance pathway. She teaches neuro-musculoskeletal anatomy to physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and exercise science students at JCU, and supervises HDR candidates in physiotherapy and sport and exercise science. Her work prioritises real-world application and measurable performance outcomes for female athletes and the coaches who work with them.