Dr Michelle Byrnes
Dr Michelle Byrnes has completed two PhDs at the University of Western Australia (UWA), most recently in Clinical Psychology (2010). She is currently Head of the Clinical Psychology Research Unit at the Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders (CNND) and is a Research Fellow - part-time at Curtin University's School of Psychology and part-time at UWA's School of Medicine and Pharmacology.
Dr Byrnes' first PhD was in Neurophysiology (1994) and during the early years of her involvement with the NRP, Dr Byrnes was a Research Fellow in the Brain Research Laboratory at the Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders (CNND), working alongside Professor Gary Thickbroom. At this time her research focused on cortical re-organisation after brain injury and stroke. She worked extensively with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, specifically investigating the extent to which secondary motor areas in the undamaged cerebral hemisphere are recruited during recovery of motor function following injury.
Since 2007, two NRP grants have supported Dr Byrnes' burgeoning research career in clinical psychology. One pilot project focused on the problem of chronic pain and multidisciplinary approaches to facilitate coping with pain following spinal cord injury, in collaboration with Prof Stephan Schug and other clinical investigators at the Sir George Bedbrook Spinal Unit, Shenton Park. The second project assessed the efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) following neurotrauma, in collaboration with Professor D Blacker and Dr J Beilby.
Having again been successful with an NRP grant, Dr Byrnes is now leading a randomised controlled effectiveness trial of a group program of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for patients with spinal cord injury and stroke who are experiencing chronic pain.
Current NRP Co-investigators:
Ms Janet Beilby (Curtin University)
Mr Mitch Hart (private practitioner)
Prof Stephan Schug (UWA and Royal Perth Hospital)
