Robinson research projects
Professor Robinson’s Neuropsychology Research Unit conducts neuropsychological projects with individuals with a range of neurological, neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), stroke, brain tumour, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, frontotemporal dementia, autism spectrum disorder, corpus callosal dysgenesis, bipolar disorder, motor neurone disease (MND) and highly superior autobiographical memory.
In addition, our research focuses on understanding cognition and behaviour in healthy individuals of all ages, as well as those who are in later years of life or ageing naturally.
Specific projects include:
Executive control of language generation
Contribute to our understanding of the cognitive mechanisms that are crucial for producing propositional (or conversational) language. This is investigated in both healthy (all ages) and neurological populations.
PISA - Prospective Imaging Study of Ageing: Genes, Brain and Behaviour (Dementia Research Team Grant 2015-2021)
The aim of PISA is to identify preclinical biomarkers of ageing and dementia by investigating clinical cohorts (AD and MCI) and healthy middle-aged Australians at high and low genetic risk for AD and follow them longitudinally.
Frontal lobe functions following stroke
Acute predictors of long-term outcomes – Investigate neuropsychological consequences of stroke in the acute phase that can predict independent living and ability to function in daily life after 1 year.
Motor Neurone Disease
Identify cognitive and behavioural changes and develop an online carer’s behaviour rating questionnaire (OCQ).
Primary Progressive Aphasia
Discover the critical cognitive processes affected, develop a novel assessment tool that can differentiate between the different presentations and create personalised and tailored behavioural and brain stimulation interventions.
Movement Disorders
Identify neurocognitive patterns that can differentiate between PD and atypical parkinsonian disorders like CBD and PSP.
Corpus Callosal Dysgenesis
Discovering the consequences and effective interventions for disorders of the corpus callosum, the largest fibre connecting the left and right brain, with the International Research Consortium for Corpus Callosum & Cerebral Connectivity (https://irc5.org/).
Community links
The Neuropsychology Research Unit and UQNRC are well integrated with local health services via the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) Memory, MND and Movement Disorders Clinics, Neurosciences at the Mater Hospital, BrizBrain & Spine at the Wesley Hospital (brain tumours), and stroke units at the RBWH and Princess Alexandra Hospitals. The Robinson group provides a Dementia Diagnostic Service, which developed from the PISA project (referrals are accepted from Neurologists, Psychiatrists and Geriatricians).
Participate as a volunteer for neuropsychology research
If you are interested in volunteering as a research participant please email the Neuropsychology Research Clinic. We welcome individuals who are either healthy or those with a neurological diagnosis. If you have a neurological disorder, please provide a referral from your medical specialist (e.g. Neurologist, Psychiatrist, or Geriatrician).
Available PhD projects
PhD projects are available for any of the above projects. Please contact Professor Gail Robinson to discuss possibilities.