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Doctor of Philosophy (The University of Melbourne)
Professor Sullivan completed her PhD in clinical neuropsychology, graduating in 1998 from the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, at the University of Melbourne. Prior to that she completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Melbourne, majoring in psychology and criminology. Professor Sullivan completed her Honours psychology project in psychophysiology, under the supervision of Professor David Badcock. She completed her PhD thesis in the area of clinical memory assessment, under the supervision of Professor Stephen Bowden.
Professor Sullivan is a registered psychologist, with an area of practice endorsement (clinical neuropsychology). She has held clinical appointments in major teaching hospitals, and has worked in stroke wards, memory clinics, and rehabilitation settings. In 2007-2021 she was a Board accredited supervisor of psychologists.
Professor Sullivan established and leads a clinical neuropsychology research group at QUT. Her research in clinical neuropsychology includes applications in stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and mild traumatic brain injury. Professor Sullivan's research investigates the effects on cognition and psychological state of various health conditions, how psychosocial factors can impact recovery, and how functions can be restored or optimised through person-centred psychological and multi-modal therapies.
Professor Sullivan is a member of the Australian Centre for Health Law Research and QUT's Centre for Biomedical Technology, Medical Imaging, Biomechanics and Robotics Technologies Group. She is also working on projects, supported by the Australian Government's Traumatic Brain Injury Mission.
Professor Sullivan regularly serves as an invited reviewer for major Australian Government Funding Agencies, including the National Health and Medical Research Council. She is also regularly serves as a peer reviewer for specialist international journals such as
- Disability and Rehabilitation
- The Clinical Neuropsychologist
- Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology
- Preventative Medicine
- Neurorehabilitation
- Preventive Medicine
- Patient education and Counselling
Professor Sullivan has published multiple book chapters, government reports, and over 155 peer-reviewed journal articles in leading neuropsychology journals (see Publications for a selection of these journal articles). Her research has influenced government policies and guidelines and is cited in key documents such as
- a report by the Publications Office of the European Union, entitled Study on driver training, testing, and medical fitness
- a report by the US Government Accountability Office, entitled Domestic Violence: Improved data needed to identify the prevalence of brain injuries among victims
- a briefing paper for the Royal Commission into Aged Care and Quality Standards, entitled Dementia in Australia: Nature, prevalence and care
Professor Sullivan is a level 3 (mentoring) supervisor, and she has supervised to completion more than 50 Honours and 20 PhD students (see Supervision for an abbreviated list of QUT PhD students supervised by Professor Sullivan). Professor Sullivan welcomes your expression of interest in undertaking research training with her.
For a full cv, please contact karen.sullivan@qut.edu.au
Additional information
Professional practice including employment in the public hospital sector as a clinical neuropsychologist in aged care, stroke units, memory clinics (early dementia assessment services) and community assessment teams.
International partnerships, links with the research groups in Germany, Canada, and the United States of America.
Interdisciplinary partnerships, links with areas such as nursing, exercise physiology, education, and law.
Industry collaboration
- Projects with Queensland Health
- Links with the former NHMRC-funded, Dementia Collaborative Research Centre, Carers and Consumers (until 2021)
- Collaborations with the practitioner community
Industry reports/publications (example)
- Sullivan, K.A., Smith, S.S., Lurie-Beck, J. & Horswill, M.S. (2011). Are older drivers' perceptions of their driving ability reflected in performance on a driving simulation task? Report of the NRMA-ACT Road Safety Trust and the Queensland Department of Main Roads and Transport.
Research tools For information about the following measures, please contact Professor Sullivan (karen.sullivan@qut.edu.au)
- The Modified Rivermead Postconcussion Symptoms Questionnaire
- Cerebrovascular Attitudes and Beliefs Scale-Revised
- The Stroke Knowledge Test (including non-English versions)
- The Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Test (including a version of this test for indigenous Australians)
- Type
- Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
- Reference year
- 2017
- Details
- Nominee for the 2017 David Gardiner QUT Teacher of the Year Award
- Type
- Committee Role/Editor or Chair of an Academic Conference
- Reference year
- 2017
- Details
- Outgoing Poster Chair, responsible for coordinating peer review of poster and free paper abstracts, and prize judging.
- Type
- Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
- Reference year
- 2010
- Details
- Recipient of the 2010 QUT Vice Chancellor's Performance Award
- Type
- Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
- Reference year
- 2005
- Details
- 2005 Winner, Faculty of Health Teaching Excellence award
- Type
- Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
- Reference year
- 2004
- Details
- Commendation, QUT Vice Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award
- Type
- Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
- Reference year
- 2004
- Details
- Winner, Australian Psychological Society Ethics Prize 2004. This prize is made in recognition of a significant scholarly, research, pedagogical or professional contribution in the areas of professional or research ethics. My research in this area has lead to 2 peer-reviewed high impact publications, and 1 invited book chapter.
- Type
- Other
- Reference year
- 2001
- Details
- Convenor, Course Approvals Committee of the Australian Psychological Society, College of Clinical Neuropsychologists; This college is a college of specialist psychologists and membership is dependent on satisfactory completion of professional development activities assessed biannually. This committee has oversight of the professional accredition of neuropsychology training programs nationally. In this role I was responsible for overseeing Australian Psychological Society CCN course approvals processes (e.g., co-ordinating university site visits) when submissions are received from Australian Universities for post-graduate courses.
- Type
- Appointment to State/National/International Reference Group or Government Committees
- Reference year
- 2000
- Details
- Panel of Assessors, under the Health Practitioners (Professional standards) Act, 1999 Queensland. Membership is by application, supported by evidence of suitable academic and professional work experience, and referees reports. Activities: this panel provides advice to the Minister for Health on matters relating to breaches of professional standards.
- Type
- Membership of Learned Societies
- Reference year
- 2000
- Details
- Member of the Australian Psychological Society, College of Clinical Neuropsychologists Membership Committee. This college is a college of specialist psychologists. Membership is dependent on successful completion of professional development/continuing education assessed biannually. The membership committee was responsible for vetting applications for membership, from applicants nationally and internationally. In addition to general responibilities as a committee member, I had a specific role of assessing overseas academic qualifications.
- Hennessy, M. & Sullivan, K. (2023). A 'Network of Understanding and Compassion': A Qualitative Study of Survivor Perspectives on Unmet Needs After Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in Regional Communities. Brain Impairment, 24(1). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/225967
- Sullivan, K., Keyter, A., Jones, K., Ameratunga, S., Starkey, N., Barker-Collo, S., Webb, J. & Theadom, A. (2023). Atypical symptom reporting after mild traumatic brain injury. Brain Impairment, 24(1). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/233281
- Sullivan, K., (2022). Recovery after traumatic brain injury: An integrative review of the role of social factors on postinjury outcomes. Applied Neuropsychology: Adult. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/235306
- Singaravelu Jaganathan, K. & Sullivan, K. (2022). Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation: An Exercise Immunology Perspective. Exercise Immunology Review, 28, 47–57. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/235310
- Sullivan, K. & Bennett, D. (2021). An Experimental Study of the Effects of Biased Responding on the Modified Rivermead Post-concussion Symptoms Questionnaire and Validity Indicators. Psychological Injury and Law, 14(3), 161–170. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/225965
- Sullivan, K., (2021). Can Adults Recognize Concussion Symptoms? A Critical Review of Empirical Research Using the Rosenbaum Concussion Knowledge and Attitudes Survey. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 31(6), 509–515. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/200051
- Sullivan, K., Kaye, S., Blaine, H., Edmed, S., Meares, S., Rossa, K. & Haden, C. (2020). Psychological approaches for the management of persistent postconcussion symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury: a systematic review. Disability and Rehabilitation, 42(16), 2243–2251. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/123598
- Singaravelu Jaganathan, K. & Sullivan, K. (2020). Moving towards individualised and interdisciplinary approaches to treat persistent post-concussion symptoms. EClinicalMedicine, 18, 1–2.
- Sullivan, K., Blaine, H., Kaye, S., Theadom, A., Haden, C. & Smith, S. (2018). A systematic review of psychological interventions for sleep and fatigue after mild traumatic brain injury. Journal of Neurotrauma, 35(2), 195–209. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/222959
- Sullivan, K., Hills, A. & Iverson, G. (2018). Graded combined aerobic resistance exercise (CARE) to prevent or treat the persistent post-concussion syndrome. Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports, 18, 1–11. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/121462
- Title
- PREdiction and Diagnosis using Imaging and Clinical biomarkers Trial in Traumatic Brain Injury: the value of Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Primary fund type
- CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
- Project ID
- MRF1201961
- Start year
- 2021
- Keywords
- Title
- Reducing Crash Risk for Young Drivers: A Randomized Control Trial to Improve Sleep
- Primary fund type
- CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
- Project ID
- 1163614
- Start year
- 2019
- Keywords
- road safety; sleepiness; prevention; young adults; behavioural intervention
PhD, Principal Supervisor
Other supervisors: Professor Graham Kerr
PhD, Associate Supervisor
Other supervisors: Professor Graham Kerr- Augmenting the prognostic utility of current methods of predicting persistent postconcussionsymptoms (PPCS): social cognitive and interoceptive impairments as possible predictors of PPCS
PhD, Principal Supervisor
Other supervisors: Dr Sherrie-Anne Kaye - Is it Me or I? How the Body in Action shapes the Self
PhD, Associate Supervisor
Other supervisors: Professor Graham Kerr
- From the laboratory to the community: A study exploring factors to make exercise for persistent post-concussion symptoms more accessible (2022)
- The Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Balance Control in Parkinson's Disease (PD) (2021)
- Does Cognitive Functioning Help Distinguish Subjects with Dissociative Identity Disorder from those with Schizophrenia? (2018)
- Risk Taking Behaviour in Young Adults: The Role of Sleep and Associated Psychophysiological States (2018)
- Influences on Sleep-Wake Behaviour in Older Adults and Community Dementia Care: Light Exposure and Partner Impact (2016)
- The Quality of Life and Caregiving Burden among Caregivers of People with Dementia in Hanoi, Bac Ninh and Hai Phong, Vietnam (2015)
- Sustaining safety and mobility amongst older adults: The Multilevel Older Driver Self-regulation Model (2014)
- The Influence of Psychosocial Factors on Expectations and Persistent Symptom Report After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (2014)
- The impact of a model of nurse education to improve knowledge and recognition of delirium in older persons by registered nurses (2012)