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Role Theme Director - Clinical Sciences
Research area Clinical Sciences
Professor Anderson is a paediatric neuropsychologist, working across clinical, research and academic sectors. She held the position as the Director of Psychology Services at The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH), Melbourne, Australia 2002-2023. She holds executive roles at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, including Director, Clinical Sciences Research and Clinical Lead of the Digital Health program. She is a Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne (Psychology & Pediatrics).

Her primary research and clinical interest focuses on improving outcomes from early childhood brain disorders. Her research team, Brain and Mind Research, has contributed to this field over 25 years, establishing the vulnerability of the young brain to injury and working to better understand factors contributing to resilience and vulnerability in young children. Her recent work has built upon evidence for the importance of the family in maximising recovery from childhood injury and illness, and her team is exploring parent-focused e-health interventions as a means of maximising child outcomes and improving family function.

Major translational achievements include:

- The publication of the Test of Everyday Attention for Children, used by psychologists across the world.
- The development of easily accessed, low-burden, e-health approaches to parent-focused psychosocial treatments as a means of maximising child outcomes and improving family function.
- The development of a novel, comprehensive iPad-delivered assessment tool for social competence (PEERs: patent pending).
- Development of digital health tools for monitoring child post-concussion symptoms (endorsed in a partnership with the Australian Football League (AFL).
- Authorship of the first-ever international paediatric sports concussion guidelines of the International Consensus on Sports Concussion.

Professor Anderson has published over 600 peer-reviewed papers, six books, and has $50M (AUD) in competitive research funds to her credit. She is Associate Editor of the APA journal ‘Neuropsychology’ and the British Psychological Society ‘Journal of Neuropsychology’. She has received a number of honours for her accomplishments: First Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology in Australia (2002), Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences of Australia, fellow of the Australian Psychological Society, and founding fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Scientists.

Professor Anderson is a founding board member of the International Paediatric Brain Injury Society, president of the Australasian Society for the Study of Brain Impairment and past president of the International Neuropsychological Society. She is a member of the Research Advisory Committees of the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute and the Queensland Children’s Hospital Foundation, a Member of the Expert Reference Group, National Collaboration Network for Children’s Health Information, Australian Digital Health Agency. Professor Anderson has also held Australian National Health and Medical Research (NHMRC) Senior Practitioner Fellowships (2009-2019) and Investigator Fellowship (2022-2026).
Professor Anderson is a paediatric neuropsychologist, working across clinical, research and academic sectors. She held the position as the Director of Psychology Services at The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH), Melbourne, Australia 2002-2023. She...
Professor Anderson is a paediatric neuropsychologist, working across clinical, research and academic sectors. She held the position as the Director of Psychology Services at The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH), Melbourne, Australia 2002-2023. She holds executive roles at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, including Director, Clinical Sciences Research and Clinical Lead of the Digital Health program. She is a Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne (Psychology & Pediatrics).

Her primary research and clinical interest focuses on improving outcomes from early childhood brain disorders. Her research team, Brain and Mind Research, has contributed to this field over 25 years, establishing the vulnerability of the young brain to injury and working to better understand factors contributing to resilience and vulnerability in young children. Her recent work has built upon evidence for the importance of the family in maximising recovery from childhood injury and illness, and her team is exploring parent-focused e-health interventions as a means of maximising child outcomes and improving family function.

Major translational achievements include:

- The publication of the Test of Everyday Attention for Children, used by psychologists across the world.
- The development of easily accessed, low-burden, e-health approaches to parent-focused psychosocial treatments as a means of maximising child outcomes and improving family function.
- The development of a novel, comprehensive iPad-delivered assessment tool for social competence (PEERs: patent pending).
- Development of digital health tools for monitoring child post-concussion symptoms (endorsed in a partnership with the Australian Football League (AFL).
- Authorship of the first-ever international paediatric sports concussion guidelines of the International Consensus on Sports Concussion.

Professor Anderson has published over 600 peer-reviewed papers, six books, and has $50M (AUD) in competitive research funds to her credit. She is Associate Editor of the APA journal ‘Neuropsychology’ and the British Psychological Society ‘Journal of Neuropsychology’. She has received a number of honours for her accomplishments: First Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology in Australia (2002), Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences of Australia, fellow of the Australian Psychological Society, and founding fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Scientists.

Professor Anderson is a founding board member of the International Paediatric Brain Injury Society, president of the Australasian Society for the Study of Brain Impairment and past president of the International Neuropsychological Society. She is a member of the Research Advisory Committees of the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute and the Queensland Children’s Hospital Foundation, a Member of the Expert Reference Group, National Collaboration Network for Children’s Health Information, Australian Digital Health Agency. Professor Anderson has also held Australian National Health and Medical Research (NHMRC) Senior Practitioner Fellowships (2009-2019) and Investigator Fellowship (2022-2026).

Top Publications

  • Williams, J, Crowe, LM, Dooley, J, Collie, A, Davis, G, McCrory, P, Clausen, H, Maddocks, D, Anderson, V. Developmental Trajectory of Information-Processing Skills in Children: Computer-Based Assessment.. Appl Neuropsychol Child 5(1) : 35 -43 2016
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  • Bakker, K, Catroppa, C, Anderson, V. Anosmia and olfactory outcomes following paediatric traumatic brain injury.. Brain Inj 30(2) : 191 -198 2016
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  • Hickey, L, Anderson, V, Jordan, B. Family Forward: Promoting Family Adaptation Following Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury.. J Soc Work Disabil Rehabil 15(3-4) : 179 -200 2016
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  • Rayner, M, Dimovski, A, Muscara, F, Yamada, J, Burke, K, McCarthy, M, Hearps, S, Anderson, V, Coe, A, Hayes, L, et al. Participating From the Comfort of Your Living Room: Feasibility of a Group Videoconferencing Intervention to Reduce Distress in Parents of Children with a Serious Illness or Injury. Chlid and Family Behavior Therapy 38(3) : 209 -224 2016
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  • Manly, T, Anderson, V, Robertson, I, Nimmo-Smith, I. The Test of Everyday Attention for Children. Version II. 2016
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