Communication
The Communication Research and Engagement Theme (RET) brings together research, teaching and clinic staff, as well as Higher Degree Research students with an interest in communication.
Within the theme ‘communication’ is defined broadly to include:
- Communication impairment and disability
- Language learning and processing
- Hearing impairment and hearing interventions
- Communication between stakeholders, health literacy and teaching and learning of communication skills
Impact
The Communication RET aims to:
- develop collaborations between clinics, researchers, and teaching
- provide mentoring and support to staff and students
- facilitate the sharing of knowledge and expertise
- promote SHRS communication research and increase its impact.
Unspoken, Unheard, Unmet: Improving Access to Preventative Health Care through Better Conversations about Care
A group of researchers from The University of Queensland are working with stakeholders across the country to give a voice to the more than 400,000 older Australians with communication difficulties.
Research helping people to communicate for life
Centre for Hearing Research (CHEAR)
CHEAR is a UQ research centre based in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, with researchers across disciplines including audiology, speech pathology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychology, biostatistics and health economics with an interest in prevention, identification and management of hearing loss across the lifespan.
The Queensland Aphasia Research Centre (QARC)
QARC is a UQ centre based at the Surgical, Treatment and Rehabilitation Services (STARS) in partnership with the Metro North Hospital and Health Service. QARC is dedicated to optimising the lives of people living with aphasia through research, service, and partnerships. It is the first of its kind in Australia.
Chair
Sarah Wallace, NHMRC Principal Research Fellow
Deputy Chair
David Copland, Professor, Speech Pathology
Academic staff
- Adriana Penman, Senior Lecturer in Speech Pathology
- Anna Rumbach, Senior Lecturer in Speech Pathology
- Barbra Timmer, Senior Lecturer in Audiology
- Brooke-Mai Whelan, Senior Lecturer in Speech Pathology
- Felipe Retamal Walter, Lecturer in Speech Pathology
- Freyr Patterson, Lecturer in Occupational Therapy
- Jenny Strong, Emeritus Professor in Occupational Therapy
- Katelyn Melvin, Lecturer in Speech Pathology
- Louise Hickson, Emeritus Professor in Audiology
- Monique Waite, Senior Lecturer in Speech Pathology
- Nerina Scarinci, Professor in Speech Pathology, Head of School
- Piers Dawes, Professor in Audiology
- Rebecca Armstrong, Lecturer in Speech Pathology
- Rebecca Packer, Senior Lecturer in Speech Pathology
- Shaun O’Leary, Professor in Physiotherapy
- Stephen Wilson, Associate Professor in Speech Pathology
- Terra Bredy, Associate Lecturer
- Tony Angwin, Associate Professor, Head of Speech Pathology
- Wayne Wilson, Associate Professor in Audiology
Research staff
- Claire Bennington, Senior Coordinator, Consumer Engagement
- Dianna Vidas, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- Jennifer Lee, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- Kirstine Shrubsole, NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow
- Kyla Hudson, Research Fellow
- Lauren Fothergill, Research Fellow
- Mansoureh Nickbakht, Research Fellow
- Michelle King, Research Fellow
- Michèle Masson-Trottier, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- Sally Zingelman, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- Sam Harvey, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Conjoint staff
- Elaine Kearney, Conjoint Research Fellow in Speech Pathology
- Lisa Anemaat, Conjoint Research Fellow, Consumer and Community Involvement
Clinic staff
- Andrea Abel, Clinical Manager/Educator
HDR Students
Candidate | Degree | Supervision |
|
|---|---|---|---|
Helen Wallace | PhD | Associate Professor Sarah Wallace, Dr. Hannah Gullo, Professor. David Copland | “What is the best way to help people with aphasia return to driving after stroke?” |
Joey Mabin | PhD | Professor David Copland, Dr Kirstine Shrubsole | Exploring experiences and environmental therapy approaches for multilingual aphasia (working title) |
Woon Ki Chew | PhD | Professor David Copland, Dr Kirstine Shrubsole, Dr Marie-Pier McSween | Evaluating the implementation fidelity of the Comprehensive High-dose Aphasia Treatment (CHAT) program (working title) |
Marissa Stone | PhD | Associate Professor Sarah Wallace, Professor David Copland, Associate Professor Monique Kilkenny | Describing the delivery and outcomes of post-stroke aphasia services in Australia |
Roisin Higgins | PhD | Associate Professor Wayne Wilson, Dr Helen Gurteen, Dr Sharon Cameron, Professor Harvey Dillon | On the Diagnosis of Auditory Processing Disorder |
Caner Aglamis | PhD | Dr Barbra Timmer, Dr Katie Ekberg, Professor Louise Hickson | Exploring participation in everyday conversation for adults with acquired hearing loss with and without hearing aids |
Debra Kolomeitz | PhD | Dr Adriana Penman, Dr Monique Waite, Dr Brooke-Mai Whelan | The co-designed development of a stuttering program for adults to collectively enhance knowledge, confidence and skills for people who stutter, speech pathology students, and practising speech pathologists |
Emma Alegre | PhD | Dr Adriana Penman, Professor Nerina Scarinci, Dr Rachael Unicomb | Exploring the management of school aged children who stutter in Australia |
Jumanah AlBabtain | PhD | Professor Nerina Scarinci, Dr Rebecca Packer, Dr Mansoureh Nickbakht | Early intervention services for children with hearing loss in Kuwait |
Laylla Galvao Azevedo | PhD | Professor Nerina Scarinci, Dr Jasmine Foley, Dr Bec Bennett | Addressing the psychosocial and emotional needs of adults with hearing loss and their family members |
Jermy Pang | PhD | Professor Nerina Scarinci, Dr David Allen | Establishing an evidence-based hearing health decision-making solution for emerging adults with hearing loss using consumer and community involvement research |
Stella Martin | PhD | Dr Rebecca Armstrong, Professor Nerina Scarinci | Communication Profiles and Experiences of Young People in the Queensland Youth Justice System |
Emily Fagen | PhD | Professor Nerina Scarinci, Dr Monique Waite | Behavioural Interventions for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children |
Penni Burfein | PhD | Professor David Copland; Dr Emmah Doig | Return to work for stroke survivors with aphasia |
Georgia Lester | PhD | Associate Professor Wayne Wilson; Dr Barbra Timmer, Associate Professor Rahul Ladwa | Audiological ototoxicity monitoring: A process evaluation of the oncology patients journey in Australia |
Dumini de Silva | PhD | Professor Piers Dawes, Associate Professor Asaduzzaman Khan, Dr Mansoureh Nickbakht | Title: Hearing health inequalities in children and adults from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities in Australia: data from population-based studies. Description: Through this project, we try to understand why hearing loss is more common in people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities by comparing their socio-demographic, health, and immigration-related factors with those from non-CALD backgrounds using data from national longitudinal studies. Moreover, we would evaluate whether there is a difference in the outcomes of hearing loss in terms of speech-language skills, academic performance, mental health, quality of life, and occupation level amongst individuals with hearing loss from CALD vs non-CALD communities. |
Megan Gim | PhD | Professor Rhonda Faragher (School of Education), Dr Monique Waite (School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences), Dr Rebecca Armstrong (School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences) | The influence of language on mathematics performance for Australian students in the early primary years |
| Anna Humphreys | PhD | Professor David Copland, Dr Jade Dignam, Dr Kirstine Shrubsole, Dr Marie-Pier McSween | Implementation and Effectiveness of Comprehensive High-Dose Aphasia Treatment (CHAT Partnership) |
| Jessica Ruhle | PhD | Dr Brooke-Mai Whelan, Dr Anna Rumbach | Breaking the Silence: Unveiling the Impact of Voice Disorders on Daily Functioning and Life Participation |
| Jessica Clews | PhD | Associate Professor Sarah Wallace, Dr Kirstine Shrubsole | TBA |
Dr Sam Harvey's Research - UQ News
Seeking to understand how a patient’s race and socioeconomic status and other social determinants impact on access to the health services needed for their recovery. This will better inform the development of more socially responsive aphasia services and ultimately contribute to more equitable health policies in Australia.
Associate Professor Wayne Wilson - ABC News
Brown noise turns your brain off, white noise helps you study and blue noise helps you think creatively — or at least, that's what some influencers on social media will try to tell you.
Does white noise really help you learn and can brown noise 'turn off' your brain?
Enquiries
For all enquiries related to research in the School, contact the Senior Administration Officer (Research): research.shrs@uq.edu.au
For all enquiries related to joining the Communication Research and Engagement Theme contact the chairs Professor David Copland and Associate Professor Sarah Wallace.
For all general current HDR student queries and enquiries related to applications contact the HDR Liaison Officer: hdr.shrs@enquire.uq.edu.au.