Our Speech and Language Therapist advisors are core to the LUNA team. Richard, Fiona, Nicole, Simon, and Sukhi will be working on phase three of LUNA, codesigning the LUNA assessment and therapy programme.
Richard Talbot
Richard is a team lead Speech & Language Therapist in Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, and researcher at City, University of London on the EVA Park project. He has an undergraduate degree in Artificial Intelligence from Sussex University and worked in various technology and teaching roles before completing the MSc in Speech and Language Sciences at UCL in 2008. He is interested in the application of technology to aphasia rehabilitation, discourse in aphasia and bolstering links between research and clinical practice.
Dr Fiona Johnson
Fiona is a Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist, in Hackney Adult Community Rehabilitation Team. She qualified as a Speech & Language Therapist in 2008 and works in community neuro rehabilitation supporting people with long term conditions to maximise their independence in everyday life. Fiona completed a PhD in 2014 which focussed on examining the mechanisms of change and active ingredients within a conversation therapy programme for aphasia, using tools and theory from behaviour change research. She has presented her work at multidisciplinary CENs, the British Aphasiology Society Therapy Symposium, and the UK Stroke Forum – and published in the International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders. She has also run several courses for Speech & Language Therapists focussing on the practical applications of behaviour change theory to common clinical challenges, such as adherence to therapy, generalisation of skills to new situations, and uptake of recommendations. She is looking forward to working with the LUNA team and exploring how these principles and tools can support the maximise the design of the therapy programme.
Nicole Charles
Nicole Charles is the Principal Speech and Language Therapist for Neurorehabilitation at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, working within the Wolfson Neurorehabilitation Services. She qualified as a Speech and Language Therapist with an MSc in Speech and Language Sciences from UCL in 2004 and has worked in Neurorehabilitation for 14 years. During this time, she has also worked as a clinical tutor and lecturer at UCL, teaching Speech and Language Therapy students about the cognitive neuropsychology of language, clinical skills, cognitive communication disorder and multidisciplinary team working. She has a research and specialist interest in cognitive communication disorder and is an active member of the Acquired Brain Injury Clinical Excellence Network. She is looking forward to working with the LUNA team to bring together her interest in neurorehabilitation of language and communication disorders, alongside her interest in the cognitive and discourse elements of communication.
Simon Grobler
Simon is a Specialist Speech & Language Therapist in working with adults with communication and swallowing disorders due to acquired and progressive neurological conditions. He has worked in a range of NHS and private settings including acute hospitals, in-patient rehabilitation units, outpatients, nursing homes and community rehabilitation teams.
Simon’s clinical interests include aphasia (language difficulties) and cognitive communication difficulties. He enjoys working collaboratively with clients and their support network to identify meaningful goals and devise relevant treatment plans.
He is a committee member of the Acquired Brain Injury Clinical Excellence Network. He recently co-chaired the first UK academic and clinical symposium on cognitive communication disorders.
He has a masters in research and his dissertation studied dysphagia in respiratory disorders. He was Principal Investigator for the PD COMM research project at Homerton University Hospital in 2017-18. He has acted as Chief Investigator as his place of work for a variety of research projects in aphasia.
Simon joined the LUNA project to learn more about narrative-based intervention, an often under-used yet highly relevant therapeutic approach for people for aphasia. He hopes to assist the project in ensuring it is applicable to the real world.