AUT academic awarded Young Psychologist of the Year
Dr Alice Theadom, Deputy Director of AUT’s National Institute for Stroke and Applied Neurosciences (NISAN), has been honoured by the New Zealand Psychological Society for her research accomplishments. The senior psychology lecturer was awarded the G.V. Goddard Early Career Award, in recognition of her scholarly contributions to the field of applied professional psychology.
Dr Theadom originally trained as a health psychologist in the UK, and moved to New Zealand in 2009. She has since focussed her research on understanding people’s adjustment to and recovery from neurological illness and injury.
“I was lucky to become involved in a research study investigating traumatic brain injury,” she says. “As part of that project, I listened to so many stories of people not feeling believed and struggling to understand what had happened to them. I became passionate about helping those affected by traumatic brain injury, and wanted to give them a voice.”
Dr Theadom leads the traumatic brain injury (TBI) and neuromuscular research programmes at NISAN. Her research on mild TBI has been published in notable journals such as Lancet Neurology, the Journal of Neurotrauma and the European Journal of Neurology.
Dr Theadom first decided to pursue psychology after working in an aged care facility.
“I was struck by the fact that small things, such as giving residents little jobs to do and supporting their continued involvement in the community, could make such a big difference to their quality of life and sense of self. This got me interested in psychology and wanting to support people to get the most out of life,” she says.
She hopes her research will help improve public understanding of neurological conditions and the treatment patients receive. “Recognising, believing, knowing and understanding the health condition someone is experiencing can make such a big difference,” she says.
Dr Theadom was honoured to receive the award. “Translating research findings into practice is one of the most difficult tasks researchers face. This award is especially special to me, given its focus on the application of psychology to everyday life.”