MEMBER

Sarah Wilson is a Cognitive Neuroscientist and Clinical Neuropsychologist whose work seeks to understand relationships between the mind, brain, human behaviour and its disorders.  In recognition of her sustained contributions to both health and social sciences research in Australia, Sarah is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (FAHMS) and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia (FASSA).  She has pioneered music neuroscience research in Australia, demonstrating how music can enhance brain functioning in healthy individuals and facilitate recovery after brain injury. She is Founding Director of Music Mind & Wellbeing, an interdisciplinary initiative that links neuroscience with music and emotional and social wellbeing, fostering research spanning music, science, health and education. Clinically, she has characterized a new clinical syndrome that arises following the treatment of epilepsy and other chronic disorders, leading to better management of the cognitive, emotional, and social difficulties faced by individuals with neurological disorders. She has established a hospital-based rehabilitation service for epilepsy patients and their families, and a community-based Psychosocial Clinic for patients with functional neurological disorders. Her approach to patient care has been used as a benchmark of best practice (International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Commission Report, 2011), changing clinical practice around the globe. She is current Chair of the ILAE Diagnostic Methods Commission (2017-21) and previous Chair of the ILAE Neuropsychology Task Force (2013-17), where she established the first set of international standards for neuropsychological practice in epilepsy. In the field of Clinical Neuropsychology, Sarah is currently listed in the top 10 most cited researchers on Google Scholar.

Sarah leads a vibrant research team who employ behavioural, genetic, and neuroimaging techniques. To support this work, she has secured continual funding since the commencement of her career (>$10 million), resulting in >140 peer-reviewed scientific publications (h-index=40, i10-index=82, Google Scholar). She is regularly invited to speak at leading international conferences, chair workshops and symposia, and give media interviews nationally and internationally (>200). Her research and that of her team has been awarded 2 national and 8 international prizes and over the course of her career, she has mentored and supervised 108 Honours and Graduate students, 7 Postdoctoral Fellows, 1 Senior Research Fellow, and 8 Clinical Neuropsychology Registrars.