Frances Cochrane

Dr Frances Cochrane is a senior lecturer and course coordinator of the Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) program, and a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP).  Her PhD research focused on speech pathology services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults with acquired neurogenic communication disorders.

Fran also was in an Educational Designer (Lead) role at JCU within the Directorate of Learning, Teaching and Student Engagement from 2020 - 2022.  Since her appointment at JCU, Fran have been awarded two College of Healthcare Sciences Teaching Awards, an Inclusive and Accessible LearnJCU Site Award, an Award for Excellence (Innovation and Change), and an Inclusive Practice Award.  Fran was also a finalist in the 2025 Student Voice Australasia (SVA) Student Voice Awards for the category "Staff Excellence in Student Voice".

Fran and co-researchers were awarded the International Journal of Speech Language Pathology (IJSLP) Editors Award for the best publication in 2024, for the paper: "Working together...I can't stress how important it is": Indigenous Health Liaison Officers' insights into working with speech-language pathologists and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with stroke and TBI.