Professor Louise Sharpe
BA(Hons), Master of Psychology (MPsych) PhD, Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences of Australia, FAACBT
Professor Louise Sharpe was inducted as a Fellow of AACBT Ltd in 2019.
Professor Sharpe is an expert in Health Psychology with particular expertise in cognitive behavioural treatments for patients coping with chronic physical illness. She is interested in developing treatment programs for novel indications in a range of health conditions and testing their efficacy in randomised controlled trials. Louise is particularly interested in the way in which people adjust to illness and in interventions that prevent the development of psychological problems and/or increased physical disability. Much of her research has focused on chronic pain, but she has recently been investigating fear of cancer recurrence and anxiety and depression in epilepsy. She is particularly interested in the role of cognitive processes in adjustment.
Professor Sharpe was the Scientific Convener for the 2017 AACBT National Conference, and has presented at numerous other conferences for AACBT, as well as local pub discussions and national tour events.
Professor Sharpe’s research interests include:
- The efficacy of cognitive and/or behavioural treatments in the management of chronic pain and rheumatoid arthritis
- Understanding the process of adjustment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other illnesses
- The role of hypervigilance in the development, maintenance, prevention and treatment of chronic pain