/
/
/
Dr Sharon Savage

Dr Sharon Savage

Senior Lecturer, University of Newcastle

Research Programs

Contact

Recognised as a world leader in semantic dementia (SD) research, leading the largest group of patients to complete a telehealth, tailored SD rehabilitation training program
Co-created the Sydney Language Battery (SYDBAT), improving the speed and accuracy of diagnosis of language impairments in older adults
Improved clinical knowledge of Transient Epileptic Amnesia (TEA). Demonstrated that TEA is not simply a prodromal phase of Alzheimer’s disease

Dr Sharon Savage is a registered Clinical Neuropsychologist and Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Newcastle, Australia.

She hold three degrees in Psychology: a Bachelor of Psychology (Hons) – Macquarie University, a Master of Clinical Neuropsychology – Macquarie University, and a PhD from the University of New South Wales.

While completing her Masters degree, Sharon worked at the Rehabilitation Studies Unit (University of Sydney) on projects designed to help clinicians identify methodologically rigorous evidence-based psychological treatments (NeuroBITE). Following the completion of her Masters, she joined the Frontotemporal Dementia Research Group at Neuroscience Research Australia, while also undertaking clinical work in developmental assessment.

From 2007 to 2014, Sharon contributed to several important studies into Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), including investigations of autobiographical memory and emotion recognition deficits, and the overlap between FTD and motor neurone disease. She was also involved in studies of caregiver burden and carer interventions. Her PhD investigated assessment and cognitive interventions for patients with Semantic Dementia.

Upon completion of her doctoral studies, Sharon took a position at the University of Exeter Medical School, UK, as a Research Fellow on the TIME project. During her 5 years in Exeter, Sharon collaborated with Professor Adam Zeman to examine the long-term prognosis of Transient Epileptic Amnesia and with the REACH (Research into Ageing and Cognitive Health) team (directed by Professor Linda Clare, to supervise projects focused on psychosocial interventions for people with mild to moderate dementia.