معرفی
Dr. Joanna Atkinson is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Division of Psychology & Language Sciences at University College London (UCL), specializing in deafness, cognition, language, and clinical psychology. She is also an Honorary Clinical Psychologist at the National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UCL Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, working at the Dementia Research Centre.
Her educational background includes:
- Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Bristol (2005)
- Master of Science from the University of Bristol (1998)
- Bachelor of Science from the University of Bristol (1997)
- Post Doctoral Qualification from the Institute of Psychiatry (2008)
Dr. Atkinson's research focuses on the intersection of deafness, cognition, and language, examining how language experience impacts cognitive development in deaf individuals with particular attention to British Sign Language users. She has developed specialized neuropsychological assessments for deaf populations, including tools for detecting cognitive impairment and dementia in BSL users. Her work bridges clinical psychology, cognitive neuroscience, linguistics, and education, with applications in healthcare services for deaf individuals with neurological conditions. Her recent publications demonstrate expertise in developing cognitive and language assessments for deaf sign language users, studying language disorders in deaf children, and creating appropriate dementia services.
Dr. Atkinson has received several professional recognitions:
- Best Keynote Speaker European Congress on Mental Health and Deafness
- Best Poster Presentation Neurocom, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience
- Commendation for Best Poster Presentation World Congress on Mental Health and Deafness
- Ede Ravenscroft Award for Academic Excellence University of Bristol
She has been actively involved in public engagement, including launching online portal tests for clinical assessment of cognitive decline in deaf BSL users and participating in events like 'Whisperings Within' hosted by Claudia Hammond of BBC Radio 4. Dr. Atkinson has contributed to policy development through her work with Action on Hearing Loss and the NHS Highly Specialist Commissioning Group for Mental Health and Deafness.
