ProfessorAshley Craig

Professor Craig was the Professor of Behavioural Sciences in the Faculty of Science, University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) from 1999 to 2007. He also held the position of Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Science, UTS from 2001 to 2005, and was founding chair of the UTS Human Research Ethics Committee from 1993 to 2001. He was Alternate Dean, University Graduate School, UTS from 2002-2005, and was acting Dean of Science for various times between 2001-2004. Professor Craig was invited to take up a visiting Professorship in South-West University (SWU), Bulgaria 2002, and was granted an Honorary Doctorate (Honoris Causa) in 2002 for his contribution to neurological research by SWU.

In mid 2007, Professor Craig left his UTS Professorship in order to join colleagues at the John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research in the Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney. In addition to working in a Senior Clinical Psychologist role where he treats psychological injury (eg. depression, PTSD) arising from physical injury such as spinal cord injury, head injury, musculoskeletal injuries, and problems of chronic pain, he is conducting research in the area of neurological disorders, specifically in the field of psychological injury arising from traumatic injury (eg. spinal cord injury). For instance, his team was the first to conduct, in Australia and overseas, a clinical trial assessing mental health in adults with acute spinal cord injury, from admission to 6 years after the injury. He established the efficacy of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for improving adjustment to SCI, and in other studies with colleagues, he found showed that brain activity (EEG) is substantially altered as a result of sustaining a SCI. He has also found a significant association between neuropathic pain and brain wave activity in SCI people, and has studied the association between chronic fatigue, quality of life, mental health, feelings of helplessness (self efficacy) and pain in people with SCI. He also developed and co-invented "hands-free" control technology known as the Mind Switch. The Mind Switch uses conscious control of brain wave activity and allows a severely disabled persons such as someone with tetraplegia to manipulate devices such as their TV, PC, room lights and so on. The Mind Switch to date is the only novel brain computer interface hands-free control technology that has undergone a clinical trial (Craig et al., 2002) and shown to be effective.

In October 2013 Professor Craig accepted the position of Professor of Rehabilitation Studies (Psychosocial Health). This position continues his involvement in researching injury and recovery. This professorial position is part-funded by icare NSW with a major emphasis on investigating psychological injury and health determinants associated with motor vehicle crashes. Professor Craig has been an Editor-in-Chief for an international Elsevier Journal (2007-2011). He has published over 350 refereed journal papers, book chapters, and refereed conference papers. He has won over $50 million from sources such as the Australian Research Council, NHMRC, MRFF, NSW Ministry of Health, icare and SIRA in the past 25 years and graduated over 25 Post Graduate students.