Ms Sarah Wright

I am a Sydney-based researcher working across public health (sexual and reproductive health, primary care, chronic disease, ageing), and cognitive psychology (attention, memory, bilingualism, cognitive ageing).

I joined UNSW as a research officer on an NHMRC Partnership project entitled Community Health Navigators Extending Care in the Community (CHECC) in March 2023. I am now the senior project officer on that project, which is a randomised controlled trial evaluating the use of Community Health Navigators to reduce and prevent repeat hospitalisations in people who are elderly or have chronic conditions and have recently been discharged from hospital. Before this, I worked at Family Planning NSW for over five years as the HREC coordinator and conducted research for projects on contraception and abortion provision, and nurse/midwife-led models of care.

I completed my PhD in Cognitive Psychology at the MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University. My Doctoral dissertation investigated why behavioural evidence for cognitive/executive functioning advantages of bilingualism is far less likely to be found for young adults compared to children and older adults. I also hold undergraduate degrees in Social Science (Social Psychology & Social Research) and Psychology (Honours).  

I am particularly interested in health inequalities and inequities, social determinants of health and wellbeing, health care accessibility, neuropsychological conditions resulting in executive dysfunction, including their prevention and progression across the lifespan, and gender-related issues in health care across both physical and mental health. I have experience in quantitative and qualitative methods as well as mixed-methods research.