I am a translational researcher and speech-language pathologist whose scholarship focuses on rare diseases and complex communication profiles to improve clinical understanding, intervention, and quality of life for individuals with unique needs. My primary research area centers on Smith-Magenis Syndrome (SMS) and other rare and complex cases. Using data from the International SMS Patient Registry, I have helped to define the language and communication phenotype of SMS and described developmental outcomes as related to genetic subtypes. I have also documented variability in speech, literacy, and use of sign language and AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) in SMS. I have expanded this work through research focused on other rare conditions, such as Sanfilippo syndrome (MPS IIIA) and autoimmune encephalitis, using both case studies and larger sample methods to provide urgently needed clinical information for under-researched populations. A second line of my research explores intervention and patient-centered treatment approaches to address communication disabilities. Research focused on intervention and patient-centered care is essential for addressing the needs of individuals with complex or underrepresented clinical profiles. Patient-centered care includes treatment approaches that emphasize individualized treatment goals, respect each person's values and lived experiences, and actively involves patients in decisions about their care. By prioritizing individualized goals and real-world outcomes in my research, the results enhance the relevance and impact of clinical decision-making across diverse communication challenges.
keywords
Smith-Magenis Syndrome, developmental disabilities, learning disabilities, developmental language disorder, reading and phonological skill, dyslexia, neuroscience, brain activation, fMRI, reading development, reading skill and intervention, special education, speech and language impairment, speech and language intervention, autoimmune encephalitis, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
SLHS 2010 - Science of Human Communication
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2022 / Fall 2022
Discusses how human communication (the process by which a thought is transmitted from the brain of a speaker to the brain of a listener) involves a complex interaction of acoustics, anatomy, physiology, neurobiology, and psychology.
SLHS 4576 - Communication Neuroscience
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Spring 2018 / Spring 2019 / Spring 2020 / Spring 2021 / Summer 2022 / Summer 2023 / Fall 2023 / Summer 2024 / Fall 2024
Provides an introduction to neuroscience with an emphasis on the systems that support human communication including speech perception and production, language, memory and cognition. Topic areas will include auditory processing, language, memory and motor systems. Development of brain systems and structures will be explored, as well as neurologically based disorders. Neuroscientific methods surveyed will include MRI, fMRI, EEG, MEG, NIRS, lesion studies and electrophysiology.
SLHS 5242 - Language Disorders in School Age Children
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Spring 2020 / Spring 2021 / Spring 2022 / Spring 2023 / Spring 2024
Addresses the nature, assessment, and treatment of developmental language disorders in school age children. Recommended prerequisite: undergraduate background in SLHS.
SLHS 5252 - Acquired Language Disorders in Adults
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2023 / Fall 2024
Introduces the neural bases and medical etiologies of acquired language disorders in adults, explores the ways in which normal language processing may become disordered, and studies current methods of evaluation and treatment design. Recommended prerequisite: undergraduate background in SLHS.
SLHS 5576 - Neuroanatomy and Neurophysiology of Communication
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Fall 2019 / Fall 2020 / Fall 2021 / Fall 2022 / Fall 2023 / Fall 2024
Provides an introduction to the neuroanatomy and neurophysiology that collectively give rise to human communication including speech perception and production. We will consider how speech, language and hearing are represented in and controlled by the central nervous system and how neuropathologies affect processes of communication.
SLHS 5612 - Language Learning Disabilities
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2018 / Spring 2019
Expands upon the nature of Language Disorders in SLHS 5242 (School Age Language Disorders) including language-based difficulties in reading, written language and mathematical achievement, as well as deficits in executive functioning. Students will explore clinical management options through studies of intervention methods as well as through clinical case examples. Specifically, we will examine adaptive instruction and evidence-based intervention.
SLHS 6950 - Master's Thesis
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2019 / Summer 2022 / Fall 2022 / Spring 2023 / Fall 2023 / Spring 2024 / Fall 2024
