Postgraduate Profile

Jo Steel

PhD Candidate, School of Humanities & Social Science

Faculty/Division: Education and Arts
Discipline: Speech Pathology
Email: Joanne.Steel@uon.edu.au
Location:  General Purpose Building, Room GP217
Campus:  Callaghan Campus, Newcastle

Current Research

PhD Thesis working title: Speech Pathology assessment of cognitive-communication during post-traumatic amnesia.
Supervisors: Prof. Alison Ferguson, Dr Elizabeth Spencer and A/Prof. Leanne Togher

Following traumatic brain injury (e.g. after motor vehicle accidents), damage to diverse areas of the brain may affect the ability to communicate effectively. This can have a long-term impact on social relationships and employment, particularly after a severe injury. Post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) is a period after injury that may last from under 5 minutes to several weeks, when the injured person is in a state of confusion and unable to remember events after the injury. During PTA the person with injury may be communicating in a confused and unusual way. This can be distressing for family and friends as it is unclear how predictive this behaviour is of long-term communicative outcome. Traditionally, assessment and rehabilitation are delayed until the end of PTA due to the widely held belief that new learning is not possible at this time. The purpose of this research is to increase understanding of the nature of communication in this period, by examining the cognitive-communication functioning of people with injury while they are still in PTA, and at three months after emergence. At present, there is little information about the types of communication difficulties experienced during PTA, or how these may or may not resolve in the early stages after injury. Early identification of communication problems may improve planning of speech pathology services and may ultimately help people with traumatic brain injury who are at risk of developing long-term social communication difficulties.

Qualifications

  • 2010 PhD Candidate, University of Newcastle
  • BSPath (Honours First Class) University of Newcastle
  • BA (Hons) Fine Art, London University Goldsmiths College

Awards and Prizes

  • 2010 University Medal and Faculty Medal in Speech Pathology
  • 2010 Australian Postgraduate Award
  • 2010 Speech Pathology Australia Student Award for outstanding achievement
  • 2009 Vice Chancellor's Honours Scholarship for academic excellence
  • 2009 Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Honours Scholarship
  • 2008 Ray Cattell Prize for excellence in a language essay

Conference presentations and proceedings

Steel, J., Ferguson, A., & Spencer, E. (2011, June). Cognitive-linguistic assessment following traumatic brain injury: A critical review of the literature. Paper presented at the Speech Pathology Australia National Conference 2011, Darwin, Australia.

Steel, J., Ferguson, A., & Spencer, E. (2010, May). High-level language assessment following traumatic brain injury: Methods in clinical practice. Abstracts of the 33rd Brain Impairment Conference, May 6-8, 2010, Gold Coast. Brain Impairment, 11, 46-90.

Membership of Professional Networks