Rate My Professor Sharon Savage

Dr Sharon Savage is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Newcastle, Australia, and a registered Clinical Neuropsychologist. She specializes in neuropsychological rehabilitation and cognitive interventions for neurodegenerative diseases. Savage completed her Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) and Master of Clinical Neuropsychology at Macquarie University, followed by a PhD from the University of New South Wales in 2011, with a thesis on assessment and cognitive interventions for patients with semantic dementia. She also earned a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice from the University of Exeter in the UK.

Her professional career spans multiple prestigious institutions. From 2007 to 2014, she served as a Research Neuropsychologist in the Frontotemporal Dementia Research Group at Neuroscience Research Australia. She then moved to the University of Exeter, holding positions as Associate Research Fellow (2014-2015), Research Fellow (2015-2016), and Lecturer in Ageing and Dementia (2016-2022). Since joining the University of Newcastle, she has contributed to teaching courses such as Psychological Assessment and supervises PhD and Masters students. Savage's research focuses on clinical neuropsychology (30%), memory and attention (30%), and psychology of ageing (40%), with key areas including frontotemporal dementia, semantic dementia, primary progressive aphasia, transient epileptic amnesia, adult-onset epilepsy, naming therapy, and young-onset dementia. She has attracted grants totaling $1,306,610 across 13 projects and is a lead creator of the Sydney Language Battery (SYDBAT). Notable publications include 'Successful word retraining, maintenance and transference of practice to everyday activities: A single case experimental design in early onset alcohol-induced brain damage' (Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 2023), 'Clinical outcomes in transient epileptic amnesia: A 10-year follow-up cohort study of 47 cases' (Epilepsia, 2022), 'Cognitive Intervention in Semantic Dementia: Maintaining Words Over Time' (Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders, 2015), 'Giving Words New Life: Generalization of Word Retraining Outcomes in Semantic Dementia' (Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 2014), and 'Knowing What You Don't Know: Language Insight in Semantic Dementia' (Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 2015). Her work enhances differential diagnosis, treatment, and caregiver support in cognitive disorders.