Overview
Background
A/Prof Sarah Wallace is a two-time NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow (2020-24; 2025-29) and Certified Practising Speech Pathologist. Her research interests include communication disability in ageing and enabling and measuring meaningful change in post-stroke (language/communication impairment following stroke) aphasia. Sarah uses qualitative and participatory methods to understand the lived experience of communication disability. She works in partnership with people with lived experience, clinicians and community members to co-produce interventions, systems and standards that improve quality of care and outcomes.
Sarah's research themes include: (a) Design and implementation of a national audit system to drive quality improvement in post-stroke aphasia services; (b) Development and implementation of methodological standards to improve aphasia research quality and reduce research wastage; (c) Development of technology-enhanced interventions to support self-management, promote equitable access to information and services, and empower people with aphasia; (d) Development of fit-for-purpose training and resources for aged care workers to help older Australians have better conversations about aged care.
Sarah leads the Lived Experience Lab (LexLab), the Qualitative Collective, and the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Communication Research and Engagement Theme (CommRET). She is a UQ Research Integrity Advisor. Sarah leads four current MRFF-funded projects:
Availability
- Associate Professor Sarah Wallace is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Speech Pathology, The University of Queensland
- Graduate Certificate in Gerontology, La Trobe University
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Research interests
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Ageing and aged care
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Communication disability
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Aphasia rehabilitation
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Core Outcome Set development
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Consensus techniques and stakeholder engagement
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Co-design
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Outcome measurement
Works
Search Professor Sarah Wallace’s works on UQ eSpace
2014
Journal Article
A good outcome for aphasia
Wallace, Sarah J., Worrall, Linda, Rose, Tanya and Le Dorze, Guylaine (2014). A good outcome for aphasia. Aphasiology, Latest articles (11), 1400-1404. doi: 10.1080/02687038.2014.935119
2014
Journal Article
Measuring outcomes in aphasia research: a review of current practice and an agenda for standardisation
Wallace, Sarah J., Worrall, Linda, Rose, Tanya and Le Dorze, Guylaine (2014). Measuring outcomes in aphasia research: a review of current practice and an agenda for standardisation. Aphasiology, Latest articles (11), 1364-1384. doi: 10.1080/02687038.2014.930262
2013
Journal Article
The World Report on Disability as a blueprint for international, national, and local aphasia services
Worrall, Linda E., Howe, Tami, O'Callaghan, Anna, Hill, Anne J., Rose, Miranda, Wallace, Sarah J., Rose, Tanya, Brown, Kyla, Power, Emma, O'Halloran, Robyn and Rohde, Alexia (2013). The World Report on Disability as a blueprint for international, national, and local aphasia services. International Journal of Speech Language Pathology, 15 (1), 106-112. doi: 10.3109/17549507.2012.721004
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Sarah Wallace is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Available projects
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MEASuRE up! Driving High-Quality Care through Adherence to Quality Indicators - Earmarked Domestic Scholarship Available
This research aims to improve outcomes for people with post-stroke aphasia by auditing adherence with quality indicators across multiple sites and determining the impact of an implementation intervention.
An earmarked domestic scholarship is available for this project. https://study.uq.edu.au/study-options/phd-mphil-professional-doctorate/projects/measure-driving-high-quality-care-through-adherence-quality-indicators
This project forms part of a program of research being conducted by A/Prof Sarah Wallace within her Investigator Grant: Lost Voices: Improving Outcomes for Older Australians with Communication Disability through Identification, Inclusion and Improved Quality of Care. The successful applicant will be provided with infrastructure and support through the Queensland Aphasia Research Centre.
Project Description: The translation of existing evidence to practice has the potential to improve outcomes for people with aphasia after stroke. This study will audit adherence with MEASuRES quality indicators across multiple sites and determine the impact of an implementation intervention on improving adherence.
Aim: (1) To identify evidence-practice gaps in aphasia services by collecting a minimum set of quality indicators. (2) To determine the impact of an implementation intervention on identified variances in care.
Design: Mixed-methods design with a nonrandomized, multicentre, controlled before and after comparison, with a process evaluation. Baseline collection of MEASuRES quality indicators for 12 months via chart audit. Adherence to indicators will be assessed for each site. Tailored implementation interventions will be matched to identified variances in care quality in collaboration work being undertaken by Dr Kirstine Shrubsole, whose EL1 Investigator Grant (2024-28) is developing an aphasia implementation toolkit. Post-intervention collection of indicators for 12 months.
Outputs and outcomes: Evidence of current implementation gaps and effectiveness of implementation interventions.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
The M.O.S.T-Project: Meaningful Outcomes for School-aged Children and Adolescents with Cognitive-Communication Disorders from Traumatic Brain Injuries
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Anthony Angwin, Dr Tanya Rose
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Doctor Philosophy
Measuring what Matters: Interpreting meaningful outcomes in clinical care and economic evaluation for people with post-stroke aphasia.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Sam Harvey
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Doctor Philosophy
Measuring what Matters: Interpreting meaningful outcomes in clinical care and economic evaluation for people with post-stroke aphasia.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Sam Harvey
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Doctor Philosophy
How can we help people with aphasia return to driving following stroke?
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor David Copland, Dr Hannah Gullo
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Doctor Philosophy
Measuring conversation in couples where one person has aphasia: development of a patient-reported outcome measure
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Kirstine Shrubsole
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Doctor Philosophy
Unspoken, Unheard, Unmet: Improving Access to Preventative Health Care through Better Conversations about Care.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Kirstine Shrubsole
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Doctor Philosophy
International Stakeholder Perspectives, Experiences, and Priorities for Aphasia Awareness: Co-design of a Unified Campaign
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
International Stakeholder Perspectives, Experiences, and Priorities for Aphasia Awareness: Co-design of a Unified Campaign
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
Measuring conversation in couples where one person has aphasia: development of a patient-reported outcome measure
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Kirstine Shrubsole
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Doctor Philosophy
Describing the delivery and outcomes of post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation in Australia using a minimum dataset
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor David Copland
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Doctor Philosophy
Measuring what Matters: Interpreting meaningful outcomes in clinical care and economic evaluation for people with post-stroke aphasia.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Sam Harvey
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Doctor Philosophy
Measuring Conversation in Aphasia: Development of an Outcome Measure
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Kirstine Shrubsole
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Doctor Philosophy
Unspoken, Unheard, Unmet: Improving Access to Preventative Health Care through Better Conversations about Care.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Kirstine Shrubsole
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Doctor Philosophy
Describing the delivery and outcomes of post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation in Australia using a minimum dataset
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor David Copland
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Doctor Philosophy
Co-Designing Technology-Enhanced Training for Aged Care Workers
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Peter Worthy
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Doctor Philosophy
Development and evaluation of a Co-Designed Implementation Toolkit to improve speech pathology provision of evidence-based aphasia services.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor David Copland, Dr Kirstine Shrubsole
Completed supervision
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2025
Doctor Philosophy
Measuring conversation in couples where one person has aphasia: development of a patient-reported outcome measure
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Kirstine Shrubsole
-
2025
Doctor Philosophy
Measuring what Matters: Interpreting meaningful outcomes in clinical care and economic evaluation for people with post-stroke aphasia.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Sam Harvey
-
2025
Doctor Philosophy
International Stakeholder Perspectives, Experiences, and Priorities for Aphasia Awareness: Co-design of a Unified Campaign
Principal Advisor
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
The M.O.S.T-Project: Meaningful Outcomes for School-aged Children and Adolescents with Cognitive-Communication Disorders arising from Traumatic Brain Injuries
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Anthony Angwin, Dr Tanya Rose
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Using experience-based co-design to understand unmet needs and priorities across the continuum of care: A blueprint for aphasia service development
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor David Copland
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Prognostication in post-stroke aphasia
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor David Copland
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Self-management of aphasia: building and supporting a communication infrastructure
Associate Advisor
Media
Enquiries
Contact Associate Professor Sarah Wallace directly for media enquiries about:
- Aged care
- Aphasia
- Co-design
- Communication
- Lived experience
- Speech pathology
- Stroke
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