FLAG Researcher Spotlight: Professor Alice Theadom

Prof Alice Theadom

“I love working with others and find having a range of perspectives on a project so useful, so if you're interested in mTBI or concussion, please get in touch!”

Please tell us who you are, your institution and your title

Kia ora, I'm Alice Theadom, a Professor of Psychology and Brain Health at AUT

What is your current area of research, and how did you get involved?

I have been specialising in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and concussion for over 15 years. I started specialising in mTBI after working on a study that aimed to find out how many people experienced a brain injury of all severities. I was struck by the stories from participants who had experienced a so-called 'mTBI'  who were still experiencing life-changing problems. Sub-analysis showed this to be a significant problem. This finding is what led me to focus specifically on mTBI to try and understand why some people take longer to recover than others and to find ways we can help people recover faster. As a horse rider (and not a very good one!) I  have also experienced several concussions myself and often hear about other equestrians struggling to recover from them so I am very passionate about finding ways we can help people affected by these injuries - and those around them. 

What exciting projects are you working on right now?

There are so many exciting projects going on around NZ at the moment in this space, but I am particularly excited about some work we are doing in partnership with ACC, Te Whatu Ora and other universities to try and identify people at risk of prolonged recovery from mTBI in primary care and Emergency Departments. The aim is to screen people and facilitate early access to specialist treatment for those at risk to see if it improves their recovery. If our screening tool works, this will improve clinical care and prevent people from experiencing longer-term problems.

What skills or qualities do you think are essential for success in neuroscience?

Resilience! Academic life is full of knockbacks, barriers and disappointments. It’s so easy to feel disheartened when you have put so much effort into a paper/grant etc, only to have it rejected. But finding good people to work with and persevering with your ideas will mean you do get there in the end. It’s important to share success with your colleagues once you get it - we all love hearing some good news!

Are you interested in setting up some new collaborations? What would you like to collaborate on, and how can people contact you if they’re interested?

I love working with others and find having a range of perspectives on a project so useful, so if you're interested in mTBI or concussion, please get in touch!  I am also the Director for the TBI Network, which aims to connect students, researchers, clinicians and the public who want to make a difference and work in a supportive, collaborative and community-centred way, so if my area is not your thing, do still get in touch I can connect you with our awesome community of researchers working in TBI. My email is alice.theadom@aut.ac.nz 

Interviewed by: Sam Guy (PhD Student, AUT)