Dr Sonia Brownsett

Senior Research Fellow

School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

+61 7 336 55216

s.brownsett@uq.edu.au

Researcher biography

Dr. Brownsett is a Speech Pathologist and neuroscientist. Trained initially in the UK as a Speech and Language Therapist, she advanced her expertise with a PhD in Clinical Neuroscience from Imperial College, London. Her doctoral research, employing functional brain imaging (fMRI), provided critical insights into the interaction between domain-general and language-specific brain networks, particularly in healthy older adults and individuals recovering from post-stroke aphasia. At the Queensland Aphasia Research Centre, she leads the 'Imaging Predictors' and 'Aphasia TechHub' groups, pushing the boundaries of research on neural markers and the use of technology in communication.

Dr. Brownsett's research interests are broad and impactful. She investigates the progression and extent of language difficulties in patients with brain injuries beyond stroke, including those with epilepsy and brain cancer. She explores the interplay between general cognitive brain networks and task-specific networks, seeking to understand and enhance recovery mechanisms. Her work also focuses on identifying neurobiological predictors of aphasia recovery, the effects of premorbid brain health on post-stroke language recovery, and the reorganization of language networks following neurosurgery.

Pioneering the integration of technology into therapy, Dr. Brownsett co-developed an innovative therapy application as part of the Listen-In trial, utilizing gamification to enhance engagement in high-dose aphasia therapy. She now leads the Aphasia Tech Hub, which supports individuals with aphasia to use and access technology. Her team, including those with lived experience of aphasia, adapts and creates communication-accessible guidance for using technology and provides tailored consultations to improve technology access.

Dr. Brownsett's dedication to involving people with aphasia in her research has earned her numerous accolades, including the National Health and Medical Research Council Consumer Engagement Award and the UK Stroke Forum Conference's Patient, Carer, and Public Involvement Winner award. She is a key member of the Living Stroke Guidelines initiative, ensuring clinical management of stroke is informed by the latest evidence. Through her innovative research and commitment to inclusive practices, Dr. Brownsett continues to contriute to advancing the field of aphasia recovery and neuroscience.

Featured projects	Duration
Bridging the Digital Divide: Building Health Self-Efficacy through Communication-Accessible Online Environments Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF)

Publications

Journal Articles (23)

Conference Papers (15)

Creative Work (1)

Seminar Papers (3)

Journal Articles

Brownsett, Sonia L. E., Carey, Leeanne M., Copland, David, Walsh, Alistair and Sihvonen, Aleksi J. (2024). Structural brain networks correlating with poststroke cognition. Human Brain Mapping, 45 (5) e26665, e26665. doi: 10.1002/hbm.26665

Tolkacheva, Valeriya, Brownsett, Sonia L E, McMahon, Katie L and de Zubicaray, Greig I (2024). Perceiving and misperceiving speech: lexical and sublexical processing in the superior temporal lobes. Cerebral Cortex, 34 (3) bhae087. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhae087

Vadinova, Veronika, Sihvonen, A. J., Wee, F., Garden, K. L., Ziraldo, L., Roxbury, T., O'Brien, K., Copland, D. A., McMahon, K. L. and Brownsett, S. L. E. (2024). The volume and the distribution of premorbid white matter hyperintensities: Impact on post‐stroke aphasia. Human Brain Mapping, 45 (1) e26568, e26568. doi: 10.1002/hbm.26568

Kearney, Elaine, Brownsett, Sonia L.E., Copland, David A., Drummond, Katharine J., Jeffree, Rosalind L., Olson, Sarah, Murton, Emma, Ong, Benjamin, Robinson, Gail A., Tolkacheva, Valeriya, McMahon, Katie L. and de Zubicaray, Greig I. (2023). Relationships between reading performance and regional spontaneous brain activity following surgical removal of primary left-hemisphere tumors: a resting-state fMRI study. Neuropsychologia, 188 108631, 108631. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108631

Brownsett, Sonia, Mascelloni, Matteo, Gowlett, Georgia, McMahon, Katie L. and de Zubicaray, Greig (2023). Neighing dogs: Semantic context effects of environmental sounds in spoken word production - a replication and extension. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 76 (9), 1990-2000. doi: 10.1177/17470218221137007

Pitkäniemi, Anni, Särkämö, Teppo, Siponkoski, Sini-Tuuli, Brownsett, Sonia L. E., Copland, David A., Sairanen, Viljami and Sihvonen, Aleksi J. (2023). Hodological organization of spoken language production and singing in the human brain. Communications Biology, 6 (1) 779, 779. doi: 10.1038/s42003-023-05152-y

Harvey, Sam, Rose, Miranda L., Brogan, Emily, Pierce, John E., Godecke, Erin, Brownsett, Sonia L. E., Churilov, Leonid, Copland, David, Dickey, Michael Walsh, Dignam, Jade, Lannin, Natasha A., Nickels, Lyndsey, Bernhardt, Julie and Hayward, Kathryn S. (2023). Examining dose frameworks to improve aphasia rehabilitation research. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 104 (5), 830-838. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2022.12.002

Vadinova, Veronika, Sihvonen, Aleksi J., Garden, Kimberley L., Ziraldo, Laura, Roxbury, Tracy, O’Brien, Kate, Copland, David A., McMahon, Katie L. and Brownsett, Sonia L. E. (2023). Early subacute white matter hyperintensities and recovery of language after stroke. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 37 (4), 218-227. doi: 10.1177/15459683231168384

de Zubicaray, G., Brownsett, S.L.E, Copland, D., Drummond, K., Jeffree, L., Olson, S., Murton, E., Ong, B., Robinson, G., Tolkacheva, V. and McMahon, K. (2023). Chronic aphasias after left-hemisphere resective surgery. Brain and Language, 239 105244, 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.bandl.2023.105244

Sihvonen, Aleksi J., Vadinova, Veronika, Garden, Kimberley L., Meinzer, Marcus, Roxbury, Tracy, O'Brien, Kate, Copland, David, McMahon, Katie L. and Brownsett, Sonia L. E. (2023). Right hemispheric structural connectivity and poststroke language recovery. Human Brain Mapping, 44 (7), 2897-2904. doi: 10.1002/hbm.26252

Kearney, Elaine, Brownsett, Sonia L. E, Copland, David A., Drummond, Katharine, Jeffree, Rosalind, Olson, Sarah, Murton, Emma, Ong, Benjamin, Robinson, Gail A., Tolkacheva, Valeriya, McMahon, Katie L. and de Zubicaray, Greg I. (2022). Brain lesions associated with communication-related quality of life following surgical removal of primary left-hemisphere tumors. Aphasiology, 37 (12), 2029-2049. doi: 10.1080/02687038.2022.2145844

Ward, E., Brownsett, S. L.E., McMahon, K. L., Hartwigsen, G., Mascelloni, M. and de Zubicaray, G. I. (2022). Online transcranial magnetic stimulation reveals differential effects of transitivity in left inferior parietal cortex but not premotor cortex during action naming. Neuropsychologia, 174 108339, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108339

Copland, David A., Brownsett, Sonia, Iyer, Kartik and Angwin, Anthony J. (2021). Corticostriatal regulation of language functions. Neuropsychology Review, 31 (3), 472-494. doi: 10.1007/s11065-021-09481-9

Fleming, Victoria, Brownsett, Sonia, Krason, Anna, Maegli, Maria A., Coley-Fisher, Henry, Ong, Yean-Hoon, Nardo, Davide, Leach, Rupert, Howard, David, Robson, Holly, Warburton, Elizabeth, Ashburner, John, Price, Cathy J., Crinion, Jenny T. and Leff, Alexander P. (2020). Efficacy of spoken word comprehension therapy in patients with chronic aphasia: a cross-over randomised controlled trial with structural imaging. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 92 (4) 324256, 418-424. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2020-324256

O'Sullivan, Michael, Brownsett, Sonia and Copland, David (2019). Language and language disorders: neuroscience to clinical practice. Practical Neurology, 19 (5), practneurol-2018. doi: 10.1136/practneurol-2018-001961

Brownsett, S.L.E, Ramajoo, K, Copland, D, McMahon, K.L, Robinson, G, Drummond, K, Jeffree, R.L, Olson, S, Ong, B and De Zubicaray, G (2019). Language deficits following dominant hemisphere tumour resection are significantly underestimated by syndrome-based aphasia assessments. Aphasiology, 33 (10), 1-19. doi: 10.1080/02687038.2019.1614760

Patterson, Karalyn, Kopelman, Michael D., Woollams, Anna M., Brownsett, Sonia L. E., Geranmayeh, Fatemeh and Wise, Richard J. S. (2015). Semantic memory: which side are you on?. Neuropsychologia, 76, 182-191. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.11.024

Geranmayeh, Fatemeh, Brownsett, Sonia L. E. and Wise, Richard J. S. (2014). Task-induced brain activity in aphasic stroke patients: what is driving recovery?. Brain, 137 (10), 2632-2648. doi: 10.1093/brain/awu163

Brownsett, Sonia L. E., Warren, Jane E., Geranmayeh, Fatemeh, Woodhead, Zoe, Leech, Robert and Wise, Richard J. S. (2014). Cognitive control and its impact on recovery from aphasic stroke. Brain, 137 (1), 242-254. doi: 10.1093/brain/awt289

Geranmayeh, Fatemeh, Brownsett, Sonia L.E., Leech, Robert, Beckmann, Christian F., Woodhead, Zoe and Wise, Richard J. S. (2012). The contribution of the inferior parietal cortex to spoken language production. Brain and Language, 121 (1), 47-57. doi: 10.1016/j.bandl.2012.02.005

Woodhead, Zoe V. J., Brownsett, Sonia L. E., Dhanjal, Novraj S., Beckmann, Christian and Wise, Richard J. S. (2011). The visual word form system in context. Journal of Neuroscience, 31 (1), 193-199. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2705-10.2011

Brownsett, Sonia L. E. and Wise, Richard J. S. (2010). The contribution of the parietal lobes to speaking and writing. Cerebral Cortex, 20 (3), 517-523. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhp120

Agnew, Zarinah K., Brownsett, Sonia, Woodhead, Zoe and De Boissezon, Xavier (2008). A step forward for mirror neurons? Investigating the functional link between action execution and action observation in limb apraxia. Journal of Neuroscience, 28 (31), 7726-7727. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1818-08.2008

Conference Papers

Kearney, E., Brownsett, S. L. E., Copland, C., Jeffree, R., Drummond, K., Olson, S., Murton, E., Ong, B., Robinson, G., Tolkacheva, V., McMahon, K. and de Zubicaray, G. (2022). Brain lesions associated with communication-related quality of life following surgical removal of primary left-hemisphere tumors. ASA 2022, Melbourne, VIC Australia, November 2022.

Wood, Julia, Brownsett, Sonia, Bland, Nicholas and Sale, Martin (2021). Slow wave transcranial electrical stimulation during wake to investigate the consolidation of new learning. Sleep Down Under, Online, 8-11 November 2021. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/sleepadvances/zpab014.202

Brownsett, S. (2021). Closing the loop: Using Phase IIb trial data to guide a multidimensional Phase I trial design. SSA, Perth, WA Australia, September 2021.

Garden, K., Vadinova, V., de Zubricaray, G., Meinzer, M., Roxbury, T., O’Brien, K., Copland, D., McMahon, K. and Brownsett, S. (2021). FLAIR Enough: Specificity of lesion identification and correlated physiological deficit and the consequential impact on behaviour in post-stroke aphasia. Society for the Neurobiology of Language, Online, 2021.

Vadinova, V., Sihvonen, A., Garden, K., O’Brien, K., Roxbury, T., de Zubicaray, G., Meinzer, M., McMahon, K.L., Copland, D. and Brownsett, S. (2021). Longitudinal lesion-symptom mapping of impairment and recovery of expressive grammar in aphasia. Society for the Neurobiology of Language, Online, 2021.

Brownsett, S.L.E., Fleming, V., Krason, A., Leech, R. and Leff, A. (2018). The listenIn project: delivering high dose auditory comprehension therapy is both achievable and effective. ASA 2018, Sunshine Coast, QLD Australia, November 2018.

Fleming, Victoria, Brownsett, Sonia and Leff, Alex (2018). Grey matter density in the right caudate nucleus predicts aphasic patients’ response to speech comprehension therapy. Academy of Aphasia 56th Annual Meeting, Montreal, Canada, 21-23 October 2018. Lausanne, Switzerland: Frontiers Research Foundation. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2018.228.00032

Brownsett, S.L.E., Ramajoo, K., McMahon, K.L., Copland, D., Hassal, T., Wood, M., Lloyd, O. and de Zubicaray, G. (2018). Speech and language outcomes and survivorship following surgery for paediatric posterior fossa tumours. Cooperative Trials Group for Neuro-Oncology Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 2018.

Brownsett, S., Ramajoo, K., McMahon, K., Gauvin, H. and de Zubicaray, G. (2018). Does a discrete lesion to the posterior left Middle temporal gyrus produce a language deficit?. Society for the Neurobiology of Language, Quebec, Canada, 2018.

Fleming, V., Krason, A., Leach, R., Leff, A. and Brownsett, S. (2017). Listen-In: high-dose home-based auditory comprehension therapy is achievable and effective. UK Stroke Forum 2017, Liverpool, United Kingdom, May 2017. London, United Kingdom: SAGE Publications.

Fleming,, Krason, A., Leach, R., Leff, A. and Brownsett, S. (2017). Listen-In: high-dose home-based auditory comprehension therapy is achievable and effective. UK Stroke Forum 2017, Liverpool, United Kingdom, 28-30 November 2017. London, United Kingdom: Sage Publications.

Brownsett, S.L.E., Fleming, V., Coley-Fisher, H., Crinion, J., Howard, D., Krason, A., Leech, R., Maegli Quezada, M.-A., Ong, Y., Robson, H. and Leff, A.P. (2016). Listen-In: The development and testing of a tablet-based therapy application for patients with impaired speech comprehension caused by stroke. Phase 1: Development and consultation. Society Neurobiology of Language Conference, London, United Kingdom, 2016.

Godlewska, B. R., Selvaraj, S., Norbury, R., Bose, S., Turkheimer, F., Richards, G., Brownseu, S., Stokes, P., Rhodes, R., Howes, O. and Cowen, P. (2010). S' allele carriers of the 5-HTTLPR triallelic polymorphism have lower frontal, superior temporal and cingulate gyri volumes: a 3T VBM study. Summer Meeting of the British-Association-for-Psychopharmacology, Harrogate, England, 25-28 July 2010 . London, United Kingdom: Sage.

Bose, S., Wise, R., Brownsett, S., Torresan, G. and Turkheimer, F. (2009). HAMNET: A toolbox for connectivity analysis from neuroimaging data. 24th International Symposium on Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism/9th International Conference on Quantification of Brain Function with PET, Chicago, IL United States, June 29 - July 3 2009. New York, NY United States: Nature Publishing Group.

Brownsett, S.L.E. and Wise, R.J.S. (2007). Divergence and convergence of written and spoken language. British Aphasiology Society, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 11 September 2007.

Creative Work

Brownsett, Sonia L.E., Leff, Alex, Fleming, Victoria, Krason, Anna, Maegli, M. A., Coley-Fisher, H., Ong, Y., Nardo, D., Leach, R., Howard, D., Robson, H., Warburton, E., Ashburner, J., Price, C. and Crinion, J. (2021). ListenIn application: Listen-In spoken word comprehension therapy for people with aphasia: released via Google Play. London, United Kingdom: University College London.

Seminar Papers

Brownsett, S. and Leach, R. (2022). ‘Isn’t it obvious, you have to involve us in the design phase as we will the ones who end up using it’. Co-presentation with patient expert. CRE seminar series. CRE, Latrobe University.

Brownsett, S. and Gillender, L. (2021). Epilepsy and language. NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Aphasia Recovery and Rehabilitation seminar series. NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Aphasia Recovery and Rehabilitation, La Trobe University.

Brownsett, S.L.E. (2017). Developing and Testing a tablet-based auditory comprehension therapy for individual with post-stroke aphasia. CSLIR, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London.