Dr Anna Leonard, PhD is a research active lecturer within the School of Medicine at the University of Adelaide and leads the Spinal Cord Injury program within the Translational Neuropathology Laboratory. Dr Leonard’s research is primarily focused on understanding the acute secondary injury processes that occur following spinal cord injury and how these can be targeted to improve outcome. She actively collaborates across disciplines and with clinical colleagues to improve the translational potential of her work. Anna is also involved in traumatic brain injury, stroke and neurodegenerative research. Anna has been recognised as a successful early career researcher through numerous peer-reviewed awards and research grants. Her PhD (2012) was awarded both the Dean’s Commendations for Doctoral Thesis Excellence and the University of Adelaide’s Doctoral Medal.) Anna was awarded the Neil Sachse Fellowship to continue her research into spinal cord injury at the University of Adelaide. In 2014, she undertook postdoctoral training within A/Prof Candace Floyd’s lab (University of Alabama at Birmingham) to gain expertise in a large animal model of spinal cord injury. In 2016, Dr Leonard returned to the University of Adelaide as a lecturer and research fellow (Royal Adelaide Hospital Research Committee Early Career Fellowship). She was subsequently appointed to Lecturer at The University of Adelaide in the discipline of Anatomy and Pathology in 2017. Anna is also an active lecturer into the Bachelor of Health & Medical Sciences program at The University of Adelaide. She is passionate about engaging students in neuroscience and promoting career awareness and readiness in her undergraduate teaching. Additionally, she is an experienced and dedicated supervisor at both undergraduate and post-graduate levels.