معرفی
Andrea Kusec serves as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, collaborating with Professor Nele Demeyere on the OX-CHRONIC project investigating long-term cognitive, emotional, and participation outcomes following stroke. Her work bridges neuropsychological research with clinical rehabilitation practice through the Translational Neuropsychology research group.
She earned her PhD from the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at the University of Cambridge under Dr. Tom Manly, supported by the Gates Cambridge Trust. Her doctoral research developed and tested a novel behavioral intervention for low mood in acquired brain injury through randomized controlled trials delivered both remotely and in person.
Dr. Kusec's research centers on the cognition-emotion interface in predicting mental health outcomes after stroke and traumatic brain injury. She employs participatory mixed-methods approaches to develop clinically relevant interventions while centering the experiences of individuals with brain injury. Current priorities include elucidating mechanisms of post-injury mental health difficulties and adapting psychological therapies for cognitive impairments.
Analysis of her recent publications reveals three dominant themes: (1) validation of cognitive assessment tools (Oxford Cognitive Screen, Oxford Visual Perception Screen) for stroke survivors; (2) domain-specific relationships between cognitive impairments and mood disorders across recovery phases; (3) development of behavioral activation interventions for low mood in acquired brain injury. Her work consistently emphasizes translational value through remote assessment methods and patient-centered outcomes.
Scientific awards: None documented in available sources.
Her Gates Cambridge Trust-funded PhD established her research trajectory in intervention development, culminating in the MAPLES randomized controlled trial. Current work is supported by the OX-CHRONIC project grant examining chronic stroke outcomes. She has not supervised any doctoral students but actively collaborates with multidisciplinary stroke rehabilitation teams.
As a core member of Oxford's Translational Neuropsychology group, she contributes to developing evidence-based cognitive assessments and mental health interventions for brain injury rehabilitation. Her team emphasizes real-world applicability through remote delivery methods and close partnership with stroke survivor communities.
