Dr Michelle Kelly

Dr Kelly was awarded a PhD and Master of Clinical Psychology in 2012 from the University of New South Wales. She is a Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at the University of Newcastle. Her research focuses on how brain changes that occur with dementia or traumatic brain injury impact on a person’s behaviour and social function. She is exploring the changes in social skills in people with dementia and the impact this can have on family members. She is passionate about improving the quality of life of older adults, including those with a diagnosis of dementia. She also examines the effectiveness of programs designed to support family carers of people with dementia. Dr Kelly is committed to communicating research into the brain, cognition and being human, and, as well as running many community events, clinics and public presentations, she recently curated the Brain@WattSpace art-science exhibition and co-curated Biomes, examining biodiversity. Dr Kelly has 15 peer-reviewed journal articles, presented her research at over 33 conferences and contributed to five published book chapters focusing on social cognition and music and the brain. She has also contributed to a number of non-traditional research outputs in science communication.