Dr John Pierce – Future Leader Grant recipient message from Chicago
This Future Leaders Grant enables learning from world-leading researchers in the development of co-designed solutions for with people living with aphasia, with a focus on technology and how Artificial Intelligence could be applied for more personalised and effective aphasia rehabilitation and management.
What has inspired you to pursue a career in stroke research?
I worked as a speech pathologist in rehab for many years and experienced both inspiration and frustration in my role – inspiration at the progress that could be made by survivors of stroke and frustration that there were not more high-quality tools and research to guide clinicians. I decided to transition my career into stroke research to contribute resources and evidence that would have a positive impact on stroke recovery. I’m specifically interested in trying to impact the communication challenge called aphasia.
Why do you believe stroke research is important?
I’ve seen that high quality research can have a big impact, whether it’s data that changes healthcare funding and policies or practical findings for individuals about how to live well after stroke. It’s exciting to see stroke research focusing on both the big picture and the small, everyday challenges, and very motivating to play a small part of that progress. Ultimately, it means every person has a better opportunity to recover.
What does this Future Leader grant enable?
The Future Leader grant is an amazing opportunity for me that enables me to visit leading researchers in institutions within the USA and the UK. The teams I am visiting have a strong reputation for developing innovative technology for stroke and aphasia. Specifically, this grant allows me to learn more about co-designing solutions with people living with aphasia and the development pipeline for technological tools. This knowledge and growth will help me to apply Artificial Intelligence to aphasia rehabilitation and management in the future.
Why is this activity an important step for you as an emerging leader in the field?
Receiving this grant is a big step for me, especially in taking my research to an international level. It's a chance to meet and collaborate with key figures in stroke research, learn from the best, and gain insights that I can bring back to Australia. I believe it will have an impact on how I approach aphasia research far into the future.
What are some of your ambitions/goals in your stroke research specialty?
There are many gaps in stroke rehabilitation, and I believe that technology can fill some of those, especially if designed alongside survivors of stroke. I envision developing AI-powered tools that can make therapy more personalised and effective. Ultimately, this would allow people with aphasia to practise tasks tailored to their ability and interests as often as they like, rather than only when they have access to a speech pathologist. This could improve the equity of aphasia recovery, enabling consistent, quality opportunities to improve language skills, regardless of location or resources.