QARC People

Director

Professor David Copland, Director

David is a Speech Pathologist and Professorial Research Fellow at the University of Queensland, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. David’s research seeks to improve outcomes for people with aphasia through the development of new assessments and treatments and identifying better predictors of recovery and treatment response. His research also aims to improve aphasia management through testing principles of neuroplasticity and understanding the neurobiological basis of language recovery and treatment using neuroimaging.

David received the inaugural NHMRC Research Excellence Award as Australia’s top-ranked NHMRC Clinical Career Development Fellow. He currently leads three NHMRC trials on aphasia recovery and is Co-Director of the NHMRC Aphasia CRE where he leads the Neurobiological and Psychosocial Predictors of the Recovery Program. David and Emerita Professor Linda Worrall developed the Aphasia LIFT program that is the basis for the new CHAT program which is a key priority of QARC.

Researchers

Dr Sarah Wallace - Postdoctoral Researcher

Sarah is a Speech Pathologist and National Health and Medical Research Council Emerging Leadership Research Fellow. Sarah’s research themes include: (1) Enabling meaningful change through an understanding of the patient perspective, and development and evaluation of interventions which seek to produce meaningful outcomes for people living with aphasia; and (2) Measuring meaningful outcomes and improving outcome measurement methods and practices in research and clinical settings.

Within QARC, Sarah leads research to develop a minimum datasetfor aphasia services, the co-design of the QARC, and the implementation of the CommuniCATE program.

Lisa Anemaat - PhD Candidate

Lisa is a speech pathologist who completed her PhD with the Queensland Aphasia Research Centre (QARC), completed 2023. She has also worked with the STARS Education and Research Alliance as the Research Consumer Group Project Officer (since 2022), supporting and empowering consumers (including those with aphasia) to be involved in health service research.

Lisa’s PhD, used Experience-Based Co-Design (EBCD) to co-design services for QARC. Her research explored the unmet needs and priorities of stroke survivors to inform service development across remote, regional and metropolitan areas of Queensland. Lisa started her career as a registered nurse and spent 14 years working cross-culturally in the Peoples Republic of China. As the CCI conjoint research fellow, Lisa will lead a program of research focussed on CCI in health services research, aligned with the research priorities of STARS (Metro North Health) and the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (UQ).

Dr Sonia Brownsett - Postdoctoral researcher

Sonia is a Speech Pathologist and Neuroscience researcher. Sonia has worked across hyperacute, acute and rehabilitation services in the UK’s National Health Service. She completed her PhD at Imperial College London where she investigated the contribution of cognitive brain networks to language recovery after stroke. As a postdoctoral fellow at UCL, she co-developed, alongside people with aphasia, ListenIn, an evidence-based therapy app that uses gamification techniques to deliver a high dose.

Her current research interests include the neurobiology of language and language recovery, the dose of aphasia rehabilitation, the use of neuromodulation techniques to support language recovery. Sonia’s research includes people with all types of aphasia and currently focuses on language difficulties after stroke, epilepsy, and brain tumours. Sonia is currently leading the neurobiological predictors project within QARC.

Dr Jade Dignam - Postdoctoral Researcher

Jade is a Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist who graduated from Speech Pathology at UQ in 2008. She has worked clinically across acute and rehabilitation health services in Queensland and New South Wales. Jade completed her PhD at the University of Queensland in 2016 and her research investigated the efficacy of an intensive, comprehensive aphasia program. Her research interests include intensity and dose of aphasia rehabilitation, comprehensive aphasia therapy programs and cognition and aphasia rehabilitation. Jade enjoys conducting clinically-based research with meaningful outcomes for people with aphasia and speech pathologists. Jade is currently leading a feasibility study for the implementation of the Comprehensive High-Dose Aphasia Treatment (CHAT) program.

Dr Kirstine Shrubsole - Research Fellow

Kirstine is an implementation scientist and National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Emerging Leadership Research Fellow. Kirstine’s research aims to improve implementation of evidence into practice in aphasia services. Within QARC, Kirstine is currently leading a research program to develop an implementation toolkit for speech pathologists. She collaborates with the QARC team to evaluate implementation on several projects including: the Comprehensive High-Dose Aphasia Treatment (CHAT) program; the Better Conversations about Care project, and The Right Treatment for the Right Person at the Right Time project. Kirstine is also the co-founder and Deputy Lead of the Collaboration of Aphasia Triallists’ Implementation Science in Aphasia working group.

Dr Marie-Pier McSween - Postdoctoral Researcher

Marie is a post-doctoral research fellow and certified practicing speech pathologist from Canada. Her research interests include novel word learning across the lifespan and post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation. To date, Marie's research has focused on examiningthe acute effects of exercise, the influence of white noise and dopamine modulation (using Levodopa) on new word learning in healthy adults using neuroimaging. Currently, Marie is a post-doctoral research fellow on a NHMRC funded study examining current speech pathology clinical practices in post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation and evaluating the implementation of the Comprehensive High-dose Aphasia Treatment (CHAT) program.

Dr Zheng Yen Ng - Postdoctoral Researcher

Zheng is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at QARC, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland. He previously worked in the United Kingdom as Research Coordinator and supported family social events at a charity for people with hearing loss. His PhD research investigated family-centred care in healthcare services for families of young children with hearing loss and diverse language and cultural backgrounds. Within the QARC team, Zheng conducts research on care and experiences of people living with aphasia and people living with dementia. He aims to support individuals and families navigating healthcare services, particularly culturally diverse communities, through evidence-based qualitative research and resource development.

Michelle King - Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Michelle is a sociologist and lawyer: her research focuses on decision-making and the operation of law and regulation in practice for people with disabilities and other impairments to communication and legal capacity. Her work examines decision-making in practice in a range of areas, including health and aged care, banking and finance, income support, voting, and the NDIS.

At QARC, Michelle works on the Better Conversations about Care project, coordinating the lived experience and co-design of the research. Michelle is also a health consumer and disability advocate, with experience in strategic policy development, implementation, and evaluation, including the co-design of Queensland Health’s strategy for transition to adulthood health care, and Australia's National Living Evidence Guidelines for Covid-19 and Monkeypox.

Dr Jennifer Lee - Postdoctoral research fellow

Jen is a Research Officer. She has completed degrees in science and neuroscience from the University of Sydney, and is experienced with neuroimaging, psychology, and ageing research. Jen’s doctoral research investigated changes in music and language processing in healthy ageing adults. She has also worked on an NHMRC research trial which investigated the benefits of music listening in people with aphasia after having a stroke. In her current role with QARC, Jen will support research aiming to improve digital access for people with communication disability.

Emma Caird - Project Manager

Emma is a Speech Pathologist who completed her degree in Speech Pathology at The University of Queensland in 2006. She has worked clinically primarily within acute hospital settings in Queensland, New South Wales and the United Kingdom with clinical interests in the management of swallowing and communication disorders in acquired brain injury.Since 2013 Emma has worked at The University of Queensland supporting and managing research projects and initiatives. Emma enjoys working collaboratively with clinicians and researchers to achieve common goals and outcomes.

Margot Sexton - Admin Officer

Margot joined the QARC team in 2021 as the QARC Administrative Officer.

Margot has a varied background in allied health and research and has worked as a research assistant and administrative officer in university research centres. She is the friendly voice that will most likely greet you when you call QARC.

Hannah Wedley - Research Speech Pathologist

Hannah is a Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist, who has completed a Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours with University Medal) from the University of Queensland.

Hannah has worked clinically within health services across metropolitan and regional Queensland. She has experience in working with people with aphasia across acute, subacute and day therapy settings and is passionate about advocating for increased accessibility to services. She is interested in how rehabilitation research translates to clinical practice and has joined the QARC team as a research Speech Pathologist, to work on TeleCHAT and CHAT feasibility studies.

Pippa Evans - Research Speech Pathologist

Pippa is a Speech Pathologist, who has a Bachelor of Languages and Linguistics from Griffith University and a Master of Speech Language Pathology from the University of Sydney (USYD). As a new graduate, she worked as a research assistant investigating Childhood Apraxia of Speech at USYD.
More recently, Pippa has worked clinically within health services across Western Sydney and at Rockhampton Hospital. She has experience working with people with swallowing disorders, dysarthria and aphasia across acute, subacute and day therapy settings. She is passionate about educating student speech pathologists and adapting rehabilitation to suit different patients and service delivery models. She has joined the QARC team as a research Speech Pathologist to work on the AMP Project (Aphasia Recovery with Music Exposure).

Kori Ramajoo - Research Speech Pathologist

Kori is a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist, with a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) and a Master of Speech Language Pathology, from University of Queensland.

Kori has worked clinically with swallowing and communication disorders in adults living in the community and age care across metropolitan and regional NSW and QLD. She has a passion for research and has worked as a research officer on studies investigating the neurobiological basis of language using neuroimaging in healthy and clinical populations. She has joined the QARC Aphasia Tech Hub as a research speech pathologist to work with people living with aphasia and significant others to improve their access to technology. Her role also involves providing information to clinicians on the evidence-base behind therapy programs delivered through technology devices.

Adele Coleman - B.SpPath(Hons), Certified SPA member

As a Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist at Queensland Aphasia Rehabilitation Centre (QARC), Adele brings a unique blend of clinical expertise, research skills, and broad customer service experience to the team. With a Bachelor of Speech Pathology with first class Honours (Aphasia related) from the University of Queensland (2011), Adele has gained extensive experience working in Queensland community, hospital, and research settings over the past 12 years.

As a former training and development manager in a sizable private Brisbane allied health practice, Adele has also developed exceptional skills in training, mentoring, and customer service. Her diverse clinical and administrative background make her an asset to the QARC team. Adele's passion for developing improved rehabilitation treatment pathways and increased accessibility to services for people with aphasia has inspired her to join the QARC team, as a research Speech Pathologist. Her ability to appreciate the complex needs of clients with aphasia, and to communicate processes and research findings in a clear and concise manner, makes her an excellent advocate for QARC’s research participants.

Natalie Hickey - Research Speech Pathologist

Natalie is a Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist, having graduated from The University of Sydney in 2006 with a Ba Applied Science (Speech Pathology).

Natalie has worked in Tertiary Hospital settings (both acute and subacute), community settings and private practice in NSW, VIC and QLD. She has specialised skills in working clinically in a rehabilitation setting with adults with acquired communication and swallowing disorders. Natalie has previously been involved in studies with QARC investigating the feasibility of implementation of aphasia therapies into a clinical setting as a clinician.

Natalie has a passion for supporting people with aphasia by contributing to the development and implementation of evidence-based aphasia therapies and has joined the QARC team to work on the CHAT-Maintain project.

Associate Professor Tony Angwin - Head of Speech Pathology, SHRS, UQ

Anthony Angwin is a speech pathologist and associate professor in the School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Queensland. Anthony’s research themes include: (1) understanding the brain mechanisms that underpin language processing and learning, and (2) developing technology to support communication and therapy outcomes for people living with aphasia.

Dr Sam Harvey - Postdoctoral research fellow

Sam is a Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist and Postdoctoral Research Fellow and is an affiliate researcher with the CRE Aphasia Recovery and Rehabilitation. Sam has over ten years’ experience working as a speech pathologist with adults who live with the consequences of brain injury. Sam’s doctoral thesis focused on the question of how the amount of treatment a person with aphasia receives affects recovery of language and communication after a stroke.

Sam is co-lead of the Collaboration of Aphasia Trialists dose and intensity working group, he is an Early Career Researcher representative for the International Collaborative Network of N-of-1 trials and Single-Case Designs, and is an ambassador for open science practices in speech-language pathology with CSDisseminate.

He is currently working on a number of aphasia research projects at QARC aiming to improve the consistency of care that people with aphasia receive.

Ryan Deslandes - Research assistant

Ryan is a developer whose interests are grounded in free and open source software and hardware. His interest in technology as prosthesis led to a summer research scholarship with the Florence Project. During this scholarship he worked with the Project researchers and other scholars to explore designing for people living with dementia. This culminated in developing a prototype connected-calendar for a family friend living with dementia. After this scholarship he returned to the Florence Project as a developer/research assistant helping to implement the Project's prototype knowledge system and creating various plugin applications. As part of this project he designed and built The Florence Player- a simple to use and customisable DIY music/internet radio player for people living with dementia based on free/open source components.

Ryan has a Bachelor of Science (Mathematics) from the University of Queensland and a Graduate Certificate in Creative Industries from the Queensland University of Technology and is currently finishing a Diploma in Science minoring in Computer Science.

Penni Burfein - Advanced Speech Pathologist and Team Leader (Neurorehabilitation), RBWH

Penni is a Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist within the Metro North Hospital and Health Service (MNHHS). She completed her degree in Speech Pathology at The University of Queensland (UQ) in 1996 and has worked across Queensland in acute hospital, rehabilitation and community roles since graduation. She has specialised in working with people who have acquired communication and swallowing disorders in a rehabilitation context and has a passion for the support and implementation of aphasia research into the clinical environment with UQ research partners. Penni is currently enrolled in a research higher degree at UQ investigating return to work following post stroke aphasia concurrently with her clinical role.

Dr Asmita Manchha - Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Dr Asmita Manchha is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. At the heart of Asmita’s research is her passion for developing resources to empower aged care employees and promote a greater recognition of the aged care sector. Asmita’s doctoral research examined the nature and consequences of the stigma of working in aged care. 

At QARC, Asmita works on the Conversations about Care (an Aged Care research project), leading a work stream that focuses on exploring ways in which we can identify and support older adults’ communication needs.

Helen Wallace

Helen Wallace is a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist. She has worked with people with aphasia for many years, in the UK and Australia. She is completing her PhD at QARC, looking at returning to driving for people for aphasia. She completed her Master’s in Speech Pathology in the UK at the University of Sheffield.

Research affiliates

Dr Peter Worthy - Postdoctoral researcher

Peter is an interaction designer with a specific focus on the design of technology using human-centred and co-design approaches. Peter worked as a lawyer for over 15 years before completing a Master of Interaction Design at UQ. His PhD research looked at the socio-technical nature of internet of things technology (such as smart homes) and methods to understand how the design of that technology relates to human values. Recently, Peter has been working on the Florence Project funded by the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language. The Florence Project worked with people living with dementia to design technology to support communication needs. His research interests include the design of technology to better meet people’s needs and expectations as well as working with co-design methodologies to support technology design. Peter is involved in the LifeCHAT project focused on the design of the technology to support LifeCHAT.

Dr Megan Isaacs - Postdoctoral Researcher

Megan is a post-doctoral research fellow who graduated with a Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours Class I with University Medal) from the University of Queensland in 2012. Megan’s PhD was awarded in 2017, and explored the neural substrates of language processing in Parkinson’s disease using a combination of behavioural tasks and fMRI. She has supported multiple projects within the UQ Centre for Clinical Research, UQ School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, and Southern Cross University in the capacity of research officer / assistant, including exercise-enhanced language learning in health ageing, technology-enhanced treatment for aphasia in student clinics (CommuniCATE), clinical implementation of Communication Partner Training for aphasia, and development of minimum reporting standards for aphasia research (DESCRIBE). Megan is currently a post-doctoral research fellow on an MRFF-funded study that aims to develop a novel smartphone application to allow people with aphasia to self-manage their communication therapy (LifeCHAT).

The University of Queensland

• Professor Emerita Linda Worrall
• Professor Katie McMahon
• Dr Rachelle Pitt
• Dr Tracy Roxbury