Research Assistant
Secretary for the PATH Research Committee
9399 1040
Morgan completed a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours First Class) and received the Macquarie University Award for Academic Excellence. She is a registered Provisional Psychologist, and is currently undertaking a Master of Clinical Psychology at Macquarie University.
Morgan has previously worked as a research assistant on a range of projects including cognition, behavioural neuropharmacology, and personality.
At NeuRA, Morgan works as a research assistant across various driving and ageing-related projects. She is also the secretary for the PATH Research Committee.
Morgan is particularly interested in the relationship between psychopathology, health and cognitive functioning across the lifespan, and she would like to complete a PhD looking at these factors in the future.
Older adults represent a growing sector of the driving population in Australia, and while driving can be important for maintaining social engagement in late life, age-related changes such as cognitive and visual impairment can impact on driving safety.
The Driving, Ageing, Safety and Health (DASH) project is designed to develop and validate screening measures for older drivers to support determinations of driving safety. The DASH project is a collaboration with Joanne Wood and the Queensland University of Technology.
Over 550 older drivers, across three groups, were followed for two years to evaluate how well laboratory assessments and an on-road test predict driving outcomes. The three groups included a) older drivers referred for assessment by GPs and Road Safety Authorities, b) older drivers with eye disease and c) older drivers drawn from the community.
Primary Aims:
Secondary Aims:
Findings from this research project will enable health professionals and licensing authorities to assist in their decision-making regarding the fitness to drive of older adults.
DASH is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council.
KIRSTY ZMISA
Executive Assistant
: 9399 1021
: k.zmisa@neura.edu.au