Rate My Professor Alexandra Adams

Dr Alexandra Adams is a Lecturer and early career researcher in the School of Psychological Sciences within the School of Science at the University of Newcastle, Australia. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy and a Bachelor of Psychological Sciences (Honours), both obtained from the University of Queensland. Appointed in the College of Engineering, Science and Environment, her research investigates the influences of changes across the central and enteric nervous systems on cognitive functioning and social behaviour. Her early work focused on improving understanding of social cognitive function in stroke, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and healthy aging. Her current research program centres on the microbiota-gut-brain axis, aiming to clarify the role of the gut in cognitive functioning, social behaviour, and emotional wellbeing through cross-sectional studies, longitudinal designs, and meta-analytic methods. She is an investigator on a NSW Ministry of Health Early-Mid Career Researcher Grant totalling $499,987 from 2023 to 2025 and currently supervises two higher degree research students as principal supervisor for one and co-supervisor for the other.

Dr Adams has produced a substantial body of peer-reviewed publications demonstrating her contributions to neuropsychology and biological psychology. Key journal articles include Henry JD, Coundouris SP, Gomes L, Adams A, Manchery N, Blum S, 'Cladribine effects on emotional awareness and reasoning: The CLEAR study' in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders (2025); Kellett D, Adams AG, Pollack M, 'National Disability Insurance Scheme timeframes and functional outcomes for inpatient rehabilitation patients: a 5-year retrospective audit' in Australian Health Review (2024); von Hippel C, Pearson S, Coulon S, Adams AG, Zacher H, 'Interactions Across the Ages: How Concerns About Warmth and Competence Impact Age-Based Stereotype Threat in the Workplace' in Psychology and Aging (2023); Adams AG, Henry JD, von Hippel W, Laakso E-L, Molenberghs P, Robinson GA, Schweitzer D, 'A Comprehensive Assessment of Poststroke Social Cognitive Function' in Neuropsychology (2021); and Coundouris SP, Adams AG, Henry JD, 'Empathy and theory of mind in Parkinson's disease: A meta-analysis' in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews (2020). Additional meta-analyses cover social perceptual function in Parkinson’s disease and social cognitive function following stroke, both published in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews (2019). Her research interests are allocated as cognition (40%), social and affective neuroscience (30%), and biological psychology not elsewhere classified (30%), with keywords encompassing cognition, emotional wellbeing, gut-brain axis, social cognition, and stroke.