Deborah Apthorp

Dr. Deborah Apthorp is a researcher at the University of New England's School of Psychology within the Faculty of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences and Education. She leads innovative Parkinson's disease research focusing on early diagnosis and progression tracking through EEG brain imaging, eye-tracking, visual perception tests, finger-tapping assessments, and postural sway analysis. Her work addresses critical healthcare needs as Parkinson's affects approximately 80,000 Australians with cases projected to increase 30-50% in the next decade.

Her research interests span multiple neuroscience domains:

• Neurological disorders, particularly Parkinson's disease
• Motor function and control mechanisms
• EEG and brain imaging techniques
• Postural stability assessment
• Machine learning applications in neurological diagnosis
• Cognitive performance in neurological conditions

Dr. Apthorp has pioneered a mobile research lab initiative funded by the Perpetual Foundation's Impact Philanthropy program, bringing cutting-edge neurological research directly to rural and regional communities in NSW and southern Queensland. This addresses healthcare disparities by ensuring people outside major metropolitan areas can participate in research that has traditionally been concentrated in cities.

Her scientific contributions include numerous publications on Parkinson's disease diagnostics, with recent work analyzing EEG data, developing machine learning algorithms for disease classification, and establishing objective measurement techniques for disease progression. Her research demonstrates significant interdisciplinary collaboration between neuroscience, computer science, and clinical practice.

Dr. Apthorp's work has received recognition through Impact Philanthropy funding from the Perpetual Foundation, supporting her mobile research lab initiative. This funding enables extension of previous Parkinson's research she began at the Australian National University into rural and regional Australia.

She maintains strong collaborative relationships with colleagues at the Australian National University's Research School of Computer Science and clinicians at The Canberra Hospital, creating comprehensive research frameworks that bridge multiple disciplines to address complex neurological questions. Her commitment to equitable research access strengthens UNE's role as a regional university contributing meaningfully to community health outcomes.