Ada Leung, PhD, BSc
Contact
Associate Professor, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine - Occupational Therapy
- awleung@ualberta.ca
- Phone
- (780) 492-2342
- Address
-
2-12 Corbett (E.A.) Hall
8205 - 114 St NWEdmonton ABT6G 2G4
Overview
About
Ada Leung is a graduate supervisor among the academic staff at the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine.
Research Affiliation
Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta
Peter S. Allen MR Research Centre, University of Alberta
Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Alberta Health Services
Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Hospital
Education
Post-doctoral Fellowship – Cognitive Neuroscience – Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest, University of Toronto – 2008 to 2011
Ph.D. – Rehabilitation Science – Hong Kong Polytechnic University – 2006
Postgraduate Dip. – Epidemiology & Biostatistics – Chinese University of Hong Kong – 2001
B.Sc. – Occupational Therapy – Hong Kong Polytechnic University – 1999
Professional License
Alberta College of Occupational Therapists
Research Interests
Dr. Leung is interested in the scientific basis of cognitive rehabilitation. The long-term goal of her research is to understand the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive recovery and investigate treatment strategies for improving cognitive functions such as memory, attention and executive function, as well as occupational performance for occupational therapy practice. She uses multiple research methods including behavioral and neuropsychological tests, functional magnetic resonance imaging, and event-related potential. Her research participants include healthy adults and special population such as people with stroke, traumatic brain injury, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
Research
Current Research Areas
- Neural basis of executive function and working memory
- Working memory training for improving functional abilities
- Brain-behavior characteristics in adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
Teaching
Interested students looking for a supervisor are welcome to contact her directly.
Announcements
Interested students looking for a supervisor are welcome to contact her directly.
Scholarly Activities
Research - Neural basis of auditory working memory
Working memory allow us to manipulate both new and old memories over a short period of time. There are many examples of auditory working memory in our daily life, e.g., keeping track of auditory signals in a train station, or recalling sound tracks to enjoy music. Dr. Leung is working to investigate the functional organization of the parietal lobe for auditory working memory, i.e., which parts of the parietal lobe are specifically activated in response to different types of sound stimuli in an auditory working memory task. This basic science research recruits healthy young adults and uses fMRI.
Research - Working memory training for improving functional abilities
Working memory training induces neural plastic changes in the brain which can facilitate cognitive and functional recovery. Dr. Leung’s work is to: (1) determine the types of cognitive and functional abilities that can be improved with working memory training; (2) investigate the patterns of neural activation after working memory training; and (3) develop a training protocol which incorporates both working memory training and task-specific training for improving occupational performance. This research recruits healthy and clinical populations, and uses neuropsychological tests and fMRI.
Featured Publications
Leung, A., Brintnell, S., Nelson, M., Kwon, J.
American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2017 January; 71
Leung, A.W.S., Barrett, L.M., Butterworth, D., Werther, K., Dawson, D.R., Brintnell, S.E.
Frontiers in Psychology. 2016 January; 7
Leung, A.W.S., Joliecour, P., Alain, C.
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 2015 January; 27 (11):2186-2196
Leung, A.W.S., Jolicoeur, P., Vachon, F., Alain, C.
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance. 2011 January; 37 (3):727-736
Leung, A.W.S., Alain, C.
Neuroimage. 2011 January; 55
Leung, A.W.S., Cheng, S.K.W., Mak, A.K.Y., Leung, K.K., Li, L.S.W., Lee, T.M.C.
NeuroRehabilitation. 2010 January; 27
Leung, A.W.S., Chan, C.C.H., Lee, A.H.S., Lam, K.W.H.
Perceptual and Motor Skills. 2004 January; 99 (1):235-246