The Future of Aphasia Research: My Journey

By Dr John Pierce

Getting the Stroke Foundation Future Leader Grant has been an amazing chance to take my research beyond my university and even outside Australia. Thanks to this support, I visited two top research centres, the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab in Chicago and City University in London. I learned about working with stroke survivors to design research, creating new technology, and mixing research with healthcare.

One of the biggest lessons from Chicago was seeing how research and clinical care can work together in one place. Research helps doctors and therapists find the best treatments, and they make sure research stays practical. It was inspiring to see this in action. I also learned more about how to test new technology alongside the people who need it most.

This grant helped me build strong partnerships that are already shaping future aphasia research. I attended some incredible workshops on technology and AI for aphasia. In June, I will lead a meeting on AI the international Collaboration of Aphasia Trialists. I have also been invited to join the USA National Aphasia Association’s AI working group. We will work with survivors of stroke with aphasia to find out how they want AI to help in their daily lives.

Another exciting result of this grant is a new project I’m leading to create treatment resources for people with very mild aphasia. This group is often discharged from therapy too soon and left out of research. In this project, I will work closely with a team that includes a researcher from the UK.

Looking ahead, I am applying for grants to expand therapy resources for people who speak different languages and to test new ways to include stroke survivors in designing therapy tools. The knowledge I gained through this grant will help make these projects successful.

Australia is a leader in stroke research, and a big reason for this is the support of the Stroke Foundation community. Donors like you make a huge difference. Your support helps early research like mine get started, which then leads to bigger projects that can change lives. Helping researchers connect with stroke survivors is also so important, as universities and hospitals can’t do this alone.

To everyone who has supported this work - thank you. Your generosity is making a real difference for survivors of stroke, and I’m so grateful to be part of it.