Gail Robinson

Professor Gail Robinson is a distinguished clinical and cognitive neuropsychologist with a joint appointment at the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) and the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland. She serves as a Professorial Research Fellow at QBI and Professor at the School of Psychology within the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences. Professor Robinson founded the Neuropsychology Research Clinic at the University of Queensland and has been Director of the Clinical Neuropsychology Doctoral programme during two separate periods (2010-2018 and again from 2023).

Professor Robinson completed her academic training with a Bachelor of Science (Advanced) and Masters at the Australian National University, followed by a PhD in clinical neuropsychology from University College London. Her career spans over 25 years, with 14 years spent at the National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery in London (1996-2010) before transitioning to an academic position at the University of Queensland in 2010.

Her research program bridges theoretical neuroscience with clinical application, focusing on the executive control of language, cognitive assessment methodologies, and management strategies for various neurological conditions. Professor Robinson's work particularly emphasizes neurodegenerative disorders (including dementia), neurodevelopmental disorders, brain tumors, and stroke rehabilitation. She has developed innovative assessment tools, most notably a brief executive language screening test that can predict stroke recovery outcomes in just 20 minutes, demonstrating her commitment to translating research findings into practical clinical applications.

Analysis of Professor Robinson's recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a strong focus on executive functions across various neurological conditions, particularly in stroke recovery, dementia diagnosis, and neurodegenerative diseases like ALS. Her work consistently integrates cognitive assessment with neural mechanisms, often using advanced neuroimaging techniques. A notable trend is her development and validation of efficient clinical tools that can be implemented in acute care settings, reflecting her commitment to practical applications of neuropsychological research.

• ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) in 2012
• NHMRC Boosting Dementia Research Leadership Fellowship in 2018

Professor Robinson leads the Neuropsychology Core of the large-scale Prospective Imaging Study of Ageing (PISA), a longitudinal NHMRC Dementia Team Research grant. She has successfully attracted both internal and national funding to support her research program. In terms of mentoring, she has supervised numerous students and early-career researchers, with frequent collaborators including Amelia Ceslis, Megan Barker, and Philip Mosley appearing as co-authors on multiple publications. Her leadership extends to directing the Clinical Neuropsychology Doctoral programme, shaping the next generation of clinical neuropsychologists.

Professor Robinson's work is conducted through the Neuropsychology Research Clinic at the University of Queensland, which she founded. Her research team spans multiple disciplines, collaborating with experts in neurology, neurosurgery, speech pathology, and cognitive neuroscience. As part of the Queensland Brain Institute, her work benefits from access to state-of-the-art neuroimaging facilities and multidisciplinary research environments. She is also affiliated with the Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research and the Centre for Health Outcomes, Innovation and Clinical Education (CHOICE), reflecting the breadth of her research impact.