2024 International Aphasia Rehabilitation Conference Speakers
The Queensland Aphasia Research Centre (QARC) is delighted to announce the following speakers who will be speaking at the event.
Keynote speakers
Professor Anthony Pak-Hin Kong
Professor Kong currently serves as the Head of Academic Unit of Human Communication, Development, and Information Sciences and Director of Aphasia Research and Therapy (ART) Laboratory at The University of Hong Kong. He is a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and Academy of Aphasia.
In 2013, he received the ASHA Recognition for Outstanding Contribution in International Achievement. Prof. Kong’s research interests include stroke-induced aphasia, discourse analyses, neurogenic communication disorders in multilingual speakers, gesture production and multi-modal communication in aphasia, acoustic analysis and automatic speech assessment for disordered speech, neuromodulation and technology-based training for acquired communication disorders, and community support to people with aphasia and their caregivers.
His research has received continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Hong Kong Government, The Government of the People's Republic of China, and multiple national and international universities and private foundations.
Professor Beth Armstrong
Professor Beth Armstrong is Director of the University Department of Rural Health South West at Edith Cowan University in Bunbury, Western Australia.
She leads a national multidisciplinary team of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal researchers focused on improving service delivery and quality of life for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people after traumatic brain injury and stroke. Her research is based on collaborative community and health service provider partnerships, with the voice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with brain injury at the centre of all endeavours.
Professor Armstrong has attracted ongoing funding to support this program of research.
Professor Madeline Cruice
Madeline is Professor of Aphasia Rehabilitation and Recovery at City, University of London. She represents the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists on the UK Stroke Forum Organising and Scientific Committees, and is the 2024 incoming Joint Chair of the international Collaboration of Aphasia Trialists.
Professor Cruice’s research interests include the development of novel interventions to optimise functional communication and quality of life for people with aphasia - multilevel discourse interventions, communication partner training, technology-enabled aphasia rehabilitation, communication access and inclusion in stroke research and stroke rehabilitation practice - and working in partnership with human computer interaction design researchers - inclusive data visualisation, inclusive design content in media, and inclusive content creation and curation.
Her research has been funded primarily by the National Institute of Health Research, the Stroke Association, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, and the Dunhill Medical Trust.
Invited Speakers
Dr Anna Volkmer
Dr Anna Volkmer is an NIHR funded senior research fellow at University College London. She is also an honorary consultant speech and language therapist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London where she works with the cognitive disorders service.
Dr Volkmer's research has focused on the development of interventions to support people with Primary Progressive Aphasia and their families. This has included work to develop a communication partner training program called Better Conversations with PPA (BCPPA). The BCPPA pilot study was the first randomised controlled trial of a speech and language intervention in the field of PPA research.
Dr Volkmer has also led on an international collaboration to develop a core outcome set for PPA research. She is currently collaborating with 19 countries worldwide to address this work.
Associate Professor Emma Power
Emma Power is a speech pathologist and Associate Professor at the University of Technology Sydney. Emma’s career has spanned 26 years. Her area of practice includes stroke, brain injury and dementia.
Emma works with individuals with communication disability, families and organisations. Emma has many research interests including development and implementation of clinical guidelines. She also designs and publishes her research with people with communication disability, clinicians and peak bodies.
Emma has 130+ peer-reviewed publications and $18.5+ million worth of grant funding. She has also supervised 70+ research students. Emma is recognised internationally for her research in implementation and communication partner training. She has contributed to communication inclusion in a 6-year role on the Stroke Foundation research advisory committee. She is currently a member of the Stroke Foundation Living Guideline working groups