Bulletin

Issue: August/September 2006

News

Honour for work with alcohol-related brain injury

Martin Jackson, Director of La Trobe University’s Psychology Clinic, has been recognised for his research and extensive community work in helping people with alcohol and substance related brain injury.

Mr Jackson, with Chancellor Walton.

Arbias Ltd - which since 1990 has provided specialist services for Victorians with alcohol (and substance) related brain injury (ARBI) - recently opened a new training room bearing his name. The room was officially opened by University Chancellor, Mrs Sylvia Walton.

Based in Brunswick, Arbias is a notfor- profit company. It has about 50 staff specialising in disability, alcohol and other drugs, counselling and management. Mr Jackson has been Director of the Arbias Board of Management since 1992 and its senior clinical neuropsychologist since 1998.

Mr Jackson’s research is into the effect of substances on cognitive functioning, particularly alcohol and benzodiazepines, and the ability of neuropsychological testing to predict everyday behaviours, such as driving and managing personal finances.

His research has been published in many journals, including the Medical Journal of Australia and the British Journal of Addiction. He believes that the greatest challenge is to modify people’s substance use patterns to prevent the damage from occurring in the first place.

As well as teaching and training students and clinicians at La Trobe and Arbias, Mr Jackson also trains workers with Turning Point and the Department of Human Services.