Dr Andrea Loftus

Dr Andrea Loftus is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Lecturer at the University of Western Australia's School of Psychology.

First embarking on study in Psychology in North Wales, Dr Loftus went on to complete her PhD at the Universities of St Andrews and Aberdeen, studying the role of vision in upper limb movement and function.

During 2004 - 2006, Dr Loftus was an ARC Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Tasmania, working with Professor Jeff Summers and Professor Jim Caraugh (University of Florida) on therapy-induced cortical plasticity in chronic stroke motor recovery. Moving to the University of Melbourne's School of Behavioural Science in 2006, she explored the role of attentional mechanisms, perceptual asymmetries and special awareness.

Dr Loftus has studied a variety of skilled behaviours using a wide range of specialist technology, including virtual reality, electrical muscle stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation, optoelectronic human movement recording equipment, force transducers and EEG, with a view to applying the findings to the development of rehabilitative techniques in allied healthcare.

In an NRP study Dr Loftus is now working with physiotherapists to assess the potential of electrical stimulation combined with bilateral therapy to improve arm function following stroke. The group will also measure the impact of the program on one-sided neglect and anosognosia (the underestimation of a sensory, perceptual or motor functioning deficit that can sometimes accompany disability after brain injury).

Current NRP (Chief) Co-investigators:
Dr Barbara Singer, Prof Geoff Hammond, UWA
Mr Ian Cooper, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital