Laura Scott – Associate

I completed my Master of Clinical Neuropsychology at Macquarie University in 2012. I am a registered psychologist through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and hold endorsement in the area of clinical neuropsychology.
I am an active contributor to the Victorian neuropsychology community with regular participation in a number of professional networks. I established the Melbourne Neuropsychology Peer Consultation Group which ran from 2013 to 2015 and continue to provide peer consultation for other clinical neuropsychologists on a regular basis.

My professional roles have been varied and have included research and service development roles alongside my clinical work. As a clinician I have worked in different hospital settings including subacute, aged and palliative care. I have also worked in both inpatient and community mental health services. This has brought me into contact with clients who presented with a wide range of brain injuries and disorders including traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, hypoxia, dementia, drug and alcohol related brain injury, ADHD, developmental disorders, genetic diseases and severe mental illness.

I am very experienced in the administration and interpretation of neuropsychological assessments including the assessment of decision making capacity. I regularly provide tailored psychoeducation and support to clients, their families and support workers. I have developed particular expertise in behaviour management and have provided education and training to a number of other health professionals on this topic.

I enjoy research and have often been involved in research and clinical work concurrently. My undergraduate thesis focussed on better understanding the way the illicit drug MDMA (known as ‘Ecstasy’) effects various neurotransmitter systems. My postgraduate thesis examined the impacts of opioid analgesics on cognitive function in acute care settings. During my studies I also worked at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre where I conducted extensive interviews with regular recreational and injecting drug users and people experiencing homelessness. In more recent years my research interests turned toward better understanding the experience of people with younger onset dementia and ways to more effectively manage behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.

I am enthusiastic about raising the profile of neuropsychology and its applications in numerous social domains. I have published a number of papers and technical reports, presented at conferences both nationally and internationally, and have provided training to a range of consumers on a variety of topics associated with acquired brain injury.