Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Heather completed her BPsych(hons) and Combined PhD/Master of Clinical Neuropsychology at Macquarie University in 2008 and 2013 respectively. She has held positions as a Clinical Neuropsychologist in the Neurology Department at Liverpool Hospital and as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of New South Wales and Macquarie University. Currently, she is a Lecturer in Clinical Neuropsychology at Macquarie University and holds a position as a Senior Clinical Neuropsychologist in the Royal North Shore Hospital Neurology Department.
Research interests
Heather's primary research interest is in the area of nutritional neuroscience. Her studies have examined the effect of Western-style diets, high in saturated fat, refined sugar and processed foods, on cognition and mood. And conversely, the therapeutic potential of consuming a healthy, Mediterranean-style diet on improving symptoms of depressed mood.
Heather's has additional interest in the assessment and remediation of cognition and social function in neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis and brain injury. Current projects include the role of inflammation in cognitive fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis, the efficacy of a group memory training program in people with multiple sclerosis, and the impact of a group therapy program on cognition and mood in binge eating disorder.
Research student supervision
Heather supervises students in PhD, Masters of Clinical Neuropsychology and Honours. Topics include nutritional neuroscience, Western-style diet impact on cognition, therapeutic potential of Mediterranean-style diet, eating behaviour and cognitive remediation.
Teaching
Heather currently convenes and teaches on the following units:
1) PSYN855 (Convenor) Neuroanatomy for Neuropsychologists
2) PSYN916 (Lecturer) Advanced Neuropsychological Assessment
3) PSYN917 (Lecturer) Neuropsychological Practice
4) PSYN918 (Lecturer) Clinical Neuropsychology Research Proposal
5) PSY344 (Lecturer) Neuropsychology in Clinical Practice
6) MEDI921 (Lecturer) Musculoskeletal, Neurosciences and Aging
Education/Academic qualification
Psychology, Combined PhD/Masters of Clinical Neuropsychology, A high fat and refined sugar diet affects the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex: implications for memory, inhibition and sensitivity to interoceptive signals, Macquarie University
2009 → 2013
Award Date: 11 Nov 2013
Psychology, Bachelor of Psychology (honours), Macquarie University
2005 → 2008
Award Date: 3 Nov 2008
External positions
Senior Clinical Neuropsychologist, Royal North Shore Hospital
20 Mar 2019 → …
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Caregiver experiences with feeding issues in dementia
Stevenson, D., Francis, H., Matovic, D., Willcock, S., Heriseanu, A., Norberg, M., Oxenham, V. & Powell, A.
14/04/25 → 14/04/26
Project: Research
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Diet, inflammation and mood: An intervention study and a causal analysis of physiological mechanisms
1/04/17 → …
Project: Research
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Examining the real world effectiveness and potential of a remotely-delivered psychological treatment for people with MS
Gandy, M., Dear, B., Titov, N., Karin, E., Balakumar, T., Francis, H., Oxenham, V., Fontes Villalba , A. & Parratt, J.
1/01/22 → 31/12/24
Project: Research
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The regulation of desire by bodily state
Stevenson, D., Francis, H. & Yeomans, M.
4/06/21 → 3/06/24
Project: Research
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BDRC: Biomolecular Discovery Research Centre
Sunna, A., Packer, N., Paulsen, I., Guillemin, G., Li, M., Sofronov, G., Haynes, P., Mabbutt, B., Tetu, S., Thaysen-Andersen, M., Ponton, F., Garcia-Bennett, A., Wang, Y., Cain, A., Kroukamp, H., Maselko, M., Francis, H., Liquet-Weiland, B., Rodger, A., Lee, A., Connor, M., Inglis, D., Carthey, A. & Asadnia, M.
1/01/20 → 31/12/22
Project: Other
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Advances and challenges in the assessment of decision-making capacity in older adults
Francis, H. M., Barry, L., Oxenham, V. & Wearne, T. A., 12 Apr 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Advances in Psychiatry and Behavioral Health.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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As good as fresh nutritionally but not perceived that way: implicit and explicit biases towards canned and frozen fruits and vegetables
Dudley, L. M., Saluja, S., Stevenson, R. J., Francis, H. M. & Case, T. I., Aug 2025, In: Food Quality and Preference. 129, p. 1-12 12 p., 105517.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)12 Downloads (Pure) -
Barriers to adequate fruit and vegetable consumption: exploring biases towards canned & frozen food in a qualitative study
Dudley, L., Stevenson, R., Mruk, A., Saluja, S. & Francis, H. M., 2025, (Submitted) (SSRN).Research output: Working paper › Preprint
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Perceived cognitive impairment and occupational functioning in prostate cancer survivors: an exploratory cross-sectional analysis
Pembroke, L., Sherman, K. A., Dhillon, H. M., Francis, H., Gillatt, D. & Gurney, H., 15 Jan 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Journal of Cancer Survivorship. 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Psychological induction of interoceptive hunger cues and their effect on food desire
Stevenson, R. J., Saluja, S., Forsyth, J., Rodgers, S., Brasher, S., Ho, V. & Francis, H. M., 1 Feb 2025, In: Appetite. 206, p. 1-15 15 p., 107855.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile22 Downloads (Pure)
Activities
- 1 Presentation
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Dementia and Decision-Making: Who Decides?
Lise Barry (Speaker), Heather Francis (Speaker), Clement Loy (Speaker) & Margaret Hall (Speaker)
20 Mar 2024Activity: Talk or presentation › Presentation
Press/Media
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Cognitive impacts of multiple sclerosis now clear
Wendy Wu, Milena Gandy & Heather Francis
29/07/24
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research