Our Team

Dr. Karen Borschmann is a research physiotherapist. She focuses on young stroke, improving health services, and making care easier for people.

She is the Project Manager for Clinical Research and Evaluation at the Young Stroke Service.

Professor Christopher Bladin is a practicing Neurologist who is currently the Director of Stroke in Ambulance Victoria, with  appointments at Monash University and Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health.

He has extensive research funding with interest in stroke thrombolysis, acute stroke brain imaging, and stroke telemedicine.

In 2013 with Government funding he commenced the Victorian Stroke Telemedicine (VST) service delivering acute stroke care in the Emergency Depts. of 20 hospitals across regional Victoria and Tasmania, Australia.

Professor Amy Brodtmann leads the Cognitive Health Initiative at Monash University.

She also leads the Cognitive Neurology Services and dementia trials at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Eastern Cognitive Disorders Clinic.

Her research focuses on improving the diagnostic odyssey for people with dementia and understanding vascular contributions to late-life brain health.

She sits on the editorial boards of Neurology, Stroke and International Journal of Stroke and is on the Science Committee for the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting.

Her vision is brain health for all: developing measures of brain health and identifying opportunities for brain health promotion. She brings this vision to the YSS.

Professor Dominique Cadilhac is a senior researcher who works to improve care and outcomes for stroke patients. She works at Monash University and The Florey.

Dominique is the Vice President of the Australian and New Zealand Stroke Organization and the Director of the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry.

She leads economic studies for the Young Stroke Service.

Lisa is a member of the YSS Governance/Advisory Committee and Chief Investigator on the project.

She is Chief Executive Officer of Stroke Foundation and has more than 25 years experience in health, including general and emergency medicine, anaesthesia and intensive care and more recently in the non-profit health sector in senior management and executive roles.

Lisa is a member of the Australian Stroke Alliance Board, World Stroke Organization Board, co-chair of the WSO Stroke Support Organization Committee, and member of the Australian Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance.

Professor Emma Power is a speech pathologist. She works at the University of Technology Sydney.  
Emma enjoys teaching and research.

Emma has worked with stroke survivors and their families for 28 years.  During this time, she has also worked with stroke organisations.

Emma helps people to improve their communication skills after a stroke. She also works with family members, friends, and staff. She teaches ways to help people to communicate and take part.

Emma believes in including all people with communication difficulties. Services that are not accessible can leave people out. Communicating better can help more people take part.  

Emma’s job on the Young Stroke project is to make it easier for people with communication and thinking difficulties to join in. This inclusion will improve the Young Stroke Service.

Professor Lena Sanci (MBBS, PhD, FRACGP, Dip. RANZCOG) Is Chair of General Practice and Head of Department of General Practice and Primary Care at The University of Melbourne.

She has expertise in the co-design of interventions, implementation, and evaluation, clinical trials and cohort studies in primary care and online settings.

Associate Professor Dana Wong is a Clinical Neuropsychologist in the School of Psychology and Public Health at La Trobe University.

She is a Chief Investigator on the Young Stroke Service project and leads the
Neuropsychological Intervention Service.

Dana’s clinical practice and research focuses on cognitive rehabilitation and psychological therapies to support survivors of stroke with managing and adjusting to changes in their cognitive functions (thinking skills), mood, fatigue and identity.

Dana is President of the Australasian Society for the Study of Brain Impairment and a committee member for the Organisation for Psychological Research into Stroke (OPsyRIS).