A universal aphasia battery for assessing language disorders in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who speak traditional languages and creoles

Aphasia is a debilitating language disorder that commonly results from stroke. Assessment of aphasia is a critical first step for management and treatment, yet there are currently no aphasia assessments in most of the world’s languages, including any of the Indigenous languages of Australia. In this project, we will develop materials for the aphasia assessment in several traditional languages and creoles spoken by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and we will create a foundation for the development of aphasia batteries in other Indigenous and community languages.

HDR students on this project will work on developing aphasia assessments for multiple Indigenous languages, including Kalaw Kawaw Ya, Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole), Pintupi-Luritja, Pitjantjatjara, Warlpiri, NT Kriol, as well as for Aboriginal English.

This project will require you to develop knowledge of aphasia assessment, psycholinguistics, linguistics, and working collaboratively with Indigenous Australians. Prior experience in one or more of these areas will be beneficial. The project is well suited to students with a background in speech pathology or linguistics, but students with other backgrounds will be considered.

Applications from Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged.

The School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at UQ features a nationally recognised Speech Pathology program, and you will join a vibrant research environment of dozens of academic staff and 100+ HDR students. We work in collaboration with the Queensland Aphasia Research Centre, dedicated to optimising the lives of people living with aphasia through research, service, and partnerships.

Collaborators on this project include Ms Leonora Adidi, a Torres Strait Islander and NAATI-certified interpreter of Kalaw Kawaw Ya and Yumplatok, Ms Lavinia Heffernan, a Pintupi-Luritja woman and NAATI-certified Pintupi-Luritja interpreter, and Prof Caroline Jones and A/Prof Carmel O’Shannessy, linguists who have experience working with Indigenous community members to develop clinical language materials.

Students will travel to remote Indigenous communities in Far North Queensland and Central Australia to work with speakers of the targeted languages.

This project is supported by the Research project scholarship.

Learn more about the Research project scholarship.

Your application will be assessed on a competitive basis.

We take into account your:

• previous academic record
• publication record
• honours and awards
• employment history

A working knowledge of aphasia assessment, psycholinguistics, linguistics, and/or Australian Aboriginal languages would be of benefit to someone working on this project.

You will demonstrate academic achievement in the field/s of speech pathology, linguistics, or another relevant field and the potential for scholastic success.

A background or knowledge of working with Indigenous Australians is highly desirable.

To be considered for this scholarship, please email the following documents to Associate Professor Stephen Wilson (smwilson@uq.edu.au):

• Cover letter
• CV
• Academic transcript/s
• Evidence for meeting UQ's English language proficiency requirements eg TOEFL, IELTS

Please note the following: Submitting the above documents does not constitute a full application for admission into The University of Queensland's PhD program. If you are selected as the preferred applicant, you will then be invited to submit a full application for admission. You can familiarise yourself with the documents required for this process on the UQ Study website.