Dr Joan O'Donnell

Senior Lecturer
BAppSc(OT), MSc(Med), PhD

Email: joan.odonnell@nd.edu.au
ORCID

  • Biography

    Dr Joan O'Donnell is a Senior Lecturer in the Occupational Therapy Discipline within the School of Health Sciences. Joan has a BAppSc(OT) and MSc(Med) from the University of Sydney and a PhD in Clinical Medicine from Macquarie University. During her PhD candidature, Joan was awarded a Post-Graduate Research Fellowship and the Dean's Award for Excellence in Higher Degree Research. Joan's research focussed on quality of life and medical fitness to drive following neurological disorders and cerebrovascular surgery. Joan is a registered occupational therapy driver assessor who has worked in public and private institutions in neurosurgery, neurology, oncology, orthopaedics, aged care, occupational rehabilitation and driving assessments. Her current research projects include driving after spinal surgery, older drivers' use of advanced vehicle technology (MOVETech) and cognitive assessments to screen fitness to drive.

  • Teaching areas

    • Professional Communication
    • Neuroscience for occupational therapy practice
    • Driver screening for occupational therapists
    • Evidence-based practice
    • Cognitive assessment and interventions
    • Aging and Disability across the Lifespan
    • Research Honours

  • Research expertise and supervision

    • Medical conditions and fitness to drive
    • Functional outcomes measurement
    • Quality of life
    • Function after Cerebrovascular neurosurgery
    • Functional cognition
    • Neuroscience for occupational therapy
    • Screening of older drivers

  • Journals articles and proceedings

    • Johnston BJ, Parekh V, O'Donnell JM, Price J, Wesson J, Mackenzie L. (2026) Predictive validity of the Addenbrooke’s cognitive Examination III for on-road driving outcomes in a clinical fitness-to-drive population: a prospective cohort study. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives. 39(102183) DOI: 10.1016/j.trip.2026.102183
    • Johnston BJ, O'Donnell JM, Parekh V, Wesson J, Mackenzie L. (2026) Predictive validity and clinical relevance of DriveSafe DriveAware as a cognitive assessment of fitness to drive in medically at-risk drivers. Clin Rehabil. Aug 25:2692155261471411. doi: 10.1177/02692155261471411.
    • Nguyen H, Ren K, Coxon K, Neville N, O’Donnell JM et al. (2026) Increasing the Competency and Confidence of Older Drivers in the Use of Advanced Vehicle Technologies: The MOVETech Randomized Controlled Trial. SAE Int. J. Trans. Safety:14(1):207-221. https://doi.org/10.4271/09-14-01-0013
    • O’Donnell J. M., Xu W., Shu C-C., Issa R. M., Cheal B., Brown J. (2025) Medical conditions affecting physical capabilities and adverse driving outcomes: An evidence and gap map. Journal of Safety Research. Volume 94, September 2025, Pages 415-424 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2025.08.002
    • Belinda J. Johnston, Lynette Mackenzie, Joan M. O’Donnell & Jacqueline Wesson (2025): Cognitive clinical assessments to predict performance on an on-road assessment: a scoping review. Disability and Rehabilitation. DOI:10.1080/09638288.2025.2512057
    • Pearce G., O'Donnell J. M., Pimental R., Blake E., Mackenzie L. (2023) Interventions to Facilitate Return to Work after Stroke: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(15) 6469.
      DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20156469
    • O'Donnell J.M., Morgan M.K. Manuguerra M., Bervini D., Assaad N.A., (2021) Patient functional outcomes and quality of life after surgery for unruptured brain arteriovenous malformation. Acta Neurochirurgica, 163(7), 2047-2054. DOI: 10.1007/s00701-021-04827-x
    • Johnston B.J., O'Donnell J.M., Manuguerra M., Davidson A.S., (2021) Test–retest reliability of touchscreen DriveSafe DriveAware. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 68(2), 106-114. DOI: 10.1111/1440-1630.12706
    • O'Donnell J.M., Morgan M.K., Manuguerra M., (2019) Patient functional outcomes and quality of life after surgery for unruptured intracranial aneurysm: a prospective cohort study. Journal of Neurosurgery, 130(1):278-285 ISSN: 0022-3085; DOI:10.3171/2017.8.JNS171576
    • O'Donnell, J. M., Al-Shahi Salman, R., Manuguerra, M., Assaad, N., & Morgan, M. K. (2018). Quality of life and disability 12 months after surgery vs. conservative management for unruptured brain arteriovenous malformations: Scottish population-based and Australian hospital-based studies. Acta Neurochirurgica, 160:559-66: doi:10.1007/s00701-017-3451-2.
    • Morgan M.K., O'Donnell J.M., Heller G.Z., Rogers J. M. (2018) Comparing outcome scales for unruptured intracranial aneurysms: A prospective cohort study. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience 58: 56-63.
    • O'Donnell J. M., Morgan M.K., Bervini D., Heller G.Z., Assaad N.A. (2016) The Risk of Seizure After Surgery for Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms: A Prospective Cohort Study. Neurosurgery 0:1–8, 2015; DOI: 10.1227/NEU.0000000000001176
    • O'Donnell J. M., Morgan M.K., Heller G.Z. (2017), The risk of seizure following surgery for brain arteriovenous malformation (bAVM): A prospective cohort study. Neurosurgery 81(6): 935-948 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/neuros/nyx101
    • O'Donnell J., Morgan M.K.,(2015) Reply to Letter to the Editor: Quality of life of patients affected by unruptured brain AVMs. Journal of Neurosurgery  122(4), 984-986 http://thejns.org.simsrad.net.ocs.mq.edu.au/doi/full/10.3171/2014.9.JNS141969
    • Lai, L. T., O'Donnell J., Morgan M.K. (2013). "The risk of seizures during the in-hospital admission for surgical or endovascular treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms." Journal of Clinical Neuroscience 20(11): 1498-1502.
    • O'Donnell J., Morgan M.K., et al, DriveSafe/DriveAware: A Normal Population Test Retest Reliability Study (2013). "Wednesday 24th July." Australian Occupational Therapy Journal 60: 1-50.
    • O'Donnell J., Morgan M.K., et al DriveSafe/DriveAware: A Normal Population Test Retest Reliability Study (2013). "Wednesday 24th July." Australian Occupational Therapy Journal 60: 1-50.
    • O'Donnell J., Morgan M.K., et al Fitness to drive After Surgery for Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms and Brain AVMs: Pre and Post Treatment Results on DriveSafe/DriveAware (2013). "Wednesday 24th July." Australian Occupational Therapy Journal 60: 1-50.

  • Conference papers

    • 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 & 2026 Invited Panel Speaker: Case Discussions. Masterclass – Diseases of the Aging Brain. NSW Sydney, October. Speakers – Brain Master Class
    • 2025 Invited Speaker: Driving and Dementia. Australia New Zealand Society of Geriatric Medicine (ANZSGM), National Conference, International Convention Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney, NSW. 11th June
    • 2022 Invited Speaker: ASSESSING DRIVING IN THE ELDERLY – PITFALLS AND PEARLS. Masterclass – Diseases of the Aging Brain. NSW Sydney, October 2022.
    • 2019 Invited speaker: Assessing fitness to drive. Australian New Zealand Society of Occupational Medicine NSW/ACT Branch Weekend Meeting. Orange NSW; 24-25 August

  • Professional affiliations

    • Member of Occupational Therapy Australia
    • Member of the NSW/ACT Occupational Therapy Driving Interest Group
    • Registered Occupational Therapy Driving Assessor