About -
TAILOR & CONNECT

Leeanne Carey

BAppSc(OT), PhD, FAOTA, FOTARA

Leeanne Carey is Professor of Occupational Therapy at La Trobe University and Founding Head of the Neurorehabilitation and Recovery research group at The Florey. Her program of stroke research focuses on: stroke recovery; brain function and plasticity; restorative rehabilitation; and knowledge translation.

Professor Carey has led several major cohort, intervention, and implementation clinical trials.

She has developed a successful, neuroscience-based approach to help survivors of stroke regain a sense of touch so that they can use their hands more effectively in daily activities. An important focus has been to translate these discoveries into clinical practice and better outcomes for survivors of stroke.

Brendon Haslam

BAppSc(Physio) MPhysio(Neurological) PhD MACP

Brendon Haslam is a Research Fellow at La Trobe University and The Florey, and is the Clinical Lead for the Staying Connected Program of Research.

He is a physiotherapist with more than 30 years experience with neurological clients and has been awarded Titling by the Australian College of Physiotherapists in 3 disciplines: Research, Neurological and Pain.

His role has included the development of the therapeutic approach for Staying Connected in consultation with the Investigator Team, training therapists in the approach and provision of ongoing clinical support.

Anna Butler

BSc(Hons)Physio MPH Candidate

Anna graduated from the University of Nottingham, UK as a Physiotherapist. After completing her junior rotations she discovered her passion for rehabilitation, with a particular interest in neurological conditions. She worked in neurological rehab units in London and New Zealand before settling in Melbourne and has been working in research ever since. She has worked as a physiotherapist and site coordinator on research projects investigating dancing in Parkinson’s, step training in Multiple Sclerosis and currently upper limb rehabilitation in Stroke. She is kept busy with her 2 children and is a Sydney Swans fan!

Liana Cahill

BOccTher MPH PhD

Dr Cahill is and occupational therapist the Implementation Lead in the Neurorehabilitation and Recovery Group at the Florey. She specialises in adult neurological rehabilitation and her doctoral studies were on knowledge translation in upper limb stroke rehabilitation. She coordinates a Lived Experience Partners group as part of the Tailor and Connect project and is also a Senior Lecturer in Occupational Therapy at Australian Catholic University.

Yvonne Mak-Yuen

BOccTher(Hons) BSc PhD Candidate

Yvonne Mak-Yuen is a registered Occupational Therapist and PhD Candidate. Yvonne is the Assessor Lead for the Staying Connected Program of Research.

Sarah Steinfort

BPhysio(Hons) MPhysio(Neurological) PhD Candidate

Sarah Steinfort is a PhD candidate at La Trobe University who also works clinically as a senior neurological physiotherapist in a community rehabilitation setting. She is a Research Assessor for the TAILOR & CONNECT Study.

Jacinta Sheehan

BAppSc (OT) MOT PhD

Jacinta Sheehan is a Research Officer at La Trobe University, and is a Research Assessor for the TAILOR & CONNECT study.

Amie Malcolm

BHealthSc(OT)

Amie is a qualified Occupational Therapist and is a credentialed TAILOR & CONNECT Research Therapist.

Cindy Yong

BSc(OT)

Cindy is a qualified Occupational Therapist and is a credentialed TAILOR & CONNECT Research Therapist.

Lee Byars

BAppSc(OT) MClinRehab(Neur Occup) MPhysio

Lee has qualifications in both Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, and is a credentialed TAILOR & CONNECT Research Therapist.

Susan Hillier

BAppSc (Physio) PhD

Susan Hillier is a Professor of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation at the University of South Australia. She works clinically with people with neurological and sensori-motor issues as well as researching in this area. She is particularly interested in new ways of approaching rehabilitation so that more people can access support and move towards their goals.

Brenton Hordacre

BPhysio (Hons) PhD

Dr Brenton Hordacre is a registered Physiotherapist and Neuroscientist, recognised for discovering the first-in-human evidence of a window of heightened plasticity early after stroke. His work seeks to improve stroke outcomes by discovering innovations to enhance neuroplasticity, and challenge current models of rehabilitation. He is Co-Director of Innovation, Implementation and Clinical Translation (IIMPACT) in Health research concentration at the University of South Australia.

Dr Hordacre is the Manager for the TAILOR & CONNECT Adelaide Site.

Catherine Kimber

BAppSc (Physio)

Catherine is a qualified Physiotherapist and Research Assessor for the TAILOR & CONNECT Research Study.

Bella Moon

BPhysio MRes Candidate

Bella is a qualified Physiotherapist and is a credentialed TAILOR & CONNECT Research Therapist.

Michael Pollack

MBBS FAFRM (RACP) FACRM FFPM (ANZCA) MMedSci (ClinEpi)

Professor Michael Pollack MB, BS; FACRM; FAFRM (RACP); FFPNANZCA; MMed.Sci (Clin Epi.) is a nationally recognised leader and clinician in rehabilitation medicine in Australia. He is currently medical co lead, Rehabilitation Stream, Hunter New England Health, and Conjoint Professor, University of Newcastle. He is also on the Executive Counsel of the Rehabilitation Clinical Network, Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI New South Wales Health). He is the Stream Leader for the Clinical Theme for the Centre for Rehab Innovations (CRI) at the University of Newcastle. Professor Pollack is an active Clinician in Rehabilitation Medicine, with a strong focus on stroke rehabilitation. He has held multiple leadership positions in Australia in the field of Rehabilitation Medicine, including co-chairing previous editions of National Guidelines for Stroke Rehabilitation, and National Framework for Stroke Rehabilitation, working with the Stroke Foundation. He has also chaired Stroke Services New South Wales, and the Rehabilitation Clinical Network (ACI, New South Wales Health). Often leading the push for the delivery of evidence based best practice in rehabilitation, Professor Pollack has also demonstrated a strong interest and activity in rehabilitation models of care (currently chairing the Model of Care Working Group, rehabilitation clinical network, ACI). Professor Pollack has also maintained a strong interest in research, with multiple publications focusing on rehabilitation models, epidemiology, and outcomes. He has maintained a strong advocacy role and has been (and remains) a patron for a number of consumer advocacy groups.

Michael Nilsson

MD PhD FRACP FAFRM (RACP)

Professor Michael Nilsson, MD, PhD, FAFRM (RACP) is an internationally recognized leader in rehabilitation medicine and translational neuroscience. He is Emeritus Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine and Director of the Centre for Rehab Innovations (CRI) at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He has held senior academic and clinical leadership roles in Sweden and Australia. His research has advanced understanding of long-term recovery after neurological and musculoskeletal conditions highlighting the role of, for example, environmental enrichment, stress modulation, and neuroplasticity. Big data sets from Swedish patient-, population- and conscription registries have been utilised in translational rehabilitation research programs.  A champion of translational science, he has led several collaborations that have contributed to new models of rehabilitation care and influenced best practice globally. He holds academic affiliations and senior advisory roles with LKC Medicine, Singapore, La Trobe University, Melbourne, and the University of Gothenburg and was recently elected chair of the Research Committee of the Asia-Oceanian Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine.

Louise Saxton

BComm BPysch

Louise is the Newcastle Site Manager for TAILOR & CONNECT. She has over 15 years of project coordination expertise, ensuring smooth operations and participant engagement in multiple research projects. Louise is currently completing her Honours in Psychological Science, driven by a strong interest in health research and behavioural science.

Nicole de Carteret

BAppSc (Physio) GradCertPhysio (Hands)

Nicole is a qualified Physiotherapist and Research Assessor for the TAILOR & CONNECT Research Study.

Kath Bourke

BAppSc(Physio)

Kath is a qualified Physiotherapist and is a TAILOR & CONNECT Research Assessor.

Alana Stoeger

BPhysio MPH

Alana is a qualified Physiotherapist and is a credentialed TAILOR & CONNECT Research Therapist.

Georgie Turner

BPhysio

Georgie is a qualified Physiotherapist and is a credentialed TAILOR & CONNECT Research Therapist.

Nicole Gintings

BHSc(OT) CHT(USA) AHT(Aus)

Nicole is a qualified Physiotherapist and is a credentialed TAILOR & CONNECT Research Therapist.

Damminda Alahakoon

BSc Hons CompScience PhD

Damminda Alahakoon is a Professor of Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, La Trobe University Business School (since 2015). He is also the Founding Director of the Research Centre for Data Analytics and Cognition (CDAC) at La Trobe. He serves as a Visiting Professor at the Lulea University of Technology Sweden and the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka.

Damminda has over 15 years of experience as an academic in several Australian Universities as well as over 10 years in the IT and finance industries in Sri Lanka, Australia, and The Netherlands. His research is focused on the areas of Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Advanced Data Analytics, Text and Social Media Analytics, Business Intelligence, and the harnessing of such theories for practical tools and innovative technology for the industry. His research has been adopted in a range of domains from healthcare, utilities, smart cities, education, industrial optimization, and national security. He has been a keynote and invited speaker for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Big Data and Data Analytics, and AI adoption at academic and industry forums.

Damminda’s work on unsupervised self-structuring AI and the Growing Self Organizing Map (GSOM) algorithm has received international recognition and adopted in diverse fields by industry, government, and academia. He has advanced and extended the GSOM as a new paradigm in artificial learning with theoretical innovations and practical outcomes published in over 150 peer-reviewed research articles. Damminda has received over 5 million dollars in academic research grants as well as over a million dollars in direct industry funding for R&D projects.

Isuru Senadheera

BSc(Eng) Hons MSC(IT)

Isuru is a PhD candidate at La Trobe University. His research focuses on Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics, with a particular emphasis on health technologies. With a blend of research and a decade of industry experience, Isuru contributes his expertise to industry projects, utilising AI to solve real-world challenges. His core research centres on sensor data analysis, unsupervised learning, predictive modelling, Natural Language Processing and its applications.

Prasad Hetteriarachchige

BSC(CompSc&Eng) PhD Candidate

Prasad is a PhD candidate at La Trobe University, specialising in AI-driven solutions for healthcare and rehabilitation. He has industry experience in leading software engineering companies in Sri Lanka and Singapore. His research focuses on integrating Generative AI, Deep Learning, Computer Vision and human activity recognition. Prasad is passionate about bridging the gap between AI and real-world applications and is dedicated to developing innovative AI-powered tools.

Alistair Walsh

PhD Candidate

Alistair Walsh is a PhD candidate at La Trobe University. His thesis is in the use of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in predicting recovery trajectories following stroke. He has previously worked for the Australian Defence Force’s Science and Technology Organisation, developing Physiological Measures of Cognitive Load. Prior to working in the scientific field, Alistair was a professional musician producing electronic dance music. Alistair is responsible for the building and management of the REDCap database used to store all clinical assessment and therapy data obtained in TAILOR & CONNECT.

John & Bridget Noble

John & Bridget Noble are stroke survivors/thrivers/Champions!

John had a large left hemisphere ischaemic (blockage) stroke in February 2021 at the age of 79.  The major condition from his stroke was Aphasia with Ideational Apraxia, both of which led to little to no language, only the word “Yes” – a beaming smile and little to no meaning of what anything was!  Weakness on the right side prevailed, but with a lot of hard work, absolute belief in neural plasticity, no dementia related indications, these two have brought Quality of Life, humour, active advocacy, massive and remarkable recovery to their lives with a lot of seeking new pathways, finding excellent therapeutic teamwork and DIY sourced programs.

They now advocate for stroke survivors, helping make communication simple, basic and meaningful for so many impaired brain injured people as well as the 44% low literacy population in Australia. Their lives are enriched by giving presentations, called their “Stroke of Genius!”, their story, which is an inspiration to anyone who might want to receive hope, that with work, their condition can improve no matter what their age!