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SPEECH NEUROPHYSIOLOGY LAB
at the University of Michigan
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A message from our director
Happy National Stuttering Awareness Week!
This spring, we’ve been busy publishing new research findings and traveling around the world to present at national and international conferences—even traveling as far as Kobe, Japan! Our latest publications are listed below and reflect a small portion of the work we’ve been doing to uncover the neural bases of stuttering. With warmer days ahead, we’re excited to begin recruiting for our newest fMRI study for adults who stutter (precision individual-specific mapping in stuttering; PRISMS), and to head out into the community for fun events like the Ann Arbor Summer Festival (more on that below). We hope to see you there!
No matter how you choose to celebrate this year's National Stuttering Awareness Week, please do so knowing that we are grateful for you. Our lab's research and the meaningful relationships we're building in our community wouldn't be possible without your help. Whether you've participated in our research, are a frequent reader of the newsletter, attended an event, or have given a financial gift, we are immensely grateful to you for the many ways you're working with us to better the lives of people who stutter.
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Soo-Eun Chang, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Principal Investigator and Director
Speech Neurophysiology Lab
Rosa Casco Solano-Lopez Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Michigan Medicine
University of Michigan
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New publication in Scientific Reports
Emily Garnett, Ph.D., and Soo-Eun Chang, Ph.D., are among the co-authors of a new paper, Differential contribution of working memory to auditory rhythm discrimination in stuttering and nonstuttering adults, published in Scientific Reports. This study found that working memory and rhythm abilities were more strongly connected in adults who stutter than those who don't. In particular, people who stutter who had weaker working memory also tended to have more difficulty with complex rhythm perception tasks, suggesting that cognitive resources like working memory may play a larger role in timing and speech-related processing in stuttering.
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New publication in Neurobiology of Language
Yanni Liu, Ph.D., and Soo-Eun Chang, Ph.D., are among the co-authors of a new paper, Speech Perception and Preparation Are Supported by Distinct Neural Dynamics Across Development, published in Neurobiology of Language. The study used EEG to measure beta oscillations, a type of brain activity involved in speech preparation and coordination, while children and adults prepared to speak, listen, or view speech-related cues. The findings showed that these brain activity patterns continue to develop across childhood. This work helps researchers better understand children’s speech-language development and may inform future stuttering studies.
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New publication in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
Emily Garnett, Ph.D., and Soo-Eun Chang, Ph.D., are among the co-authors of Age-related increases in speech rhythm in typically developing children published in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. This study found that as typically developing children grow older, their speech becomes more rhythmically organized and adult-like, especially during the school-age years. The findings suggest that speech rhythm continues to mature gradually throughout childhood and may reflect ongoing development of speech timing and motor coordination skills.
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New publication in Journal of Communication Disorders
Megan Sheppard, M.A., CCC-SLP, and Soo-Eun Chang, Ph.D, CCC-SLP are among the co-authors of a new paper in the Journal of Communication Disorders. Expressive Language Growth Among Young Children Who Do and Do Not Stutter shares the results of a recent study showing no differences between children who stutter and those who don't when it comes to developing expressive language. The study also noted that in children who recovered from stuttering, higher expressive language scores were linked to less severe stuttering, meaning that more mature language ability may play a role in stuttering recovery.
| | KidZone: Build-a-Brain at the Ann Arbor Summer Festival | | | | |
Saturday, June 20, 2026
5:00p.m. – 8:00p.m.
Ingalls Mall
Swing by the Ann Arbor Summer Festival's KidZone tent and build a brain with us! Members of our lab will guide kids of all ages in a hands-on activity building and wearing your own 3D brain hat. A face painter and balloon artist will be under the tent too. No registration needed to join. Drop in whenever!
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Fourth Wednesday of every month
6:00p.m.–7:30p.m.
Ann Arbor District Library Downtown, 3rd Floor Freespace (or virtual)
In partnership with the Ann Arbor Stuttering Awareness and Research Club (A2STAR ⭐) at UM, we co-host monthly support group meetings open to teens and adults who stutter. This is a supportive group for sharing experiences, and we even like to host social outings! If you'd like to be part of the group and connect with other people who stutter, please fill out our interest form, and we'll send you all the details. This is a hybrid group, so you can join in person or virtually as your schedule allows.
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Congrats to our Art Contest Winners!
To celebrate Stuttering Awareness Week, we launched our first ever Art of Stuttering: Art Contest and Exhibition to highlight the creativity and ingenuity of our stuttering community. Thanks to everyone who submitted their artwork, and special congratulations to our three grand-prize winners featured below!
We were so impressed by all of the talented artists who submitted their work. We encourage you to visit the virtual exhibition to see all of the incredible artwork submitted to the contest.
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First Place
Makayla, Age 9
My art shows how I struggle with my stuttering but also how I get back up and stay confident.
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Second Place (Tie)
Lila, Age 10
I love to play softball, basketball, and volleyball. I like hanging out with my friends and traveling with my family. Don’t let stuttering stop you from doing the things that you love!
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Second Place (Tie)
Nathan, Age 11
| | Speech Neurophysiology Lab around the world | | Our lab members have been busy working locally and abroad to advance stuttering research. Here are a few photos from our recent adventures! | | Stuttering researchers Dr. Ho Ming Chow, Dr. Emily Garnett, and Dr. Soo-Eun Chang presented at ASHA in Washington, D.C. Dr. Chow and Dr. Chang hosted a panel titled "Exploring Neural Heterogeneity in Stuttering: Insights from Neuroimaging Studies," and Dr. Garnett presented a panel called "Successful Research Grant Writing in Communication Sciences and Disorders: Advice From the Experts." | | Janice Chong, co-president of A2STAR, at their film screening of the documentary My Beautiful Stutter | | Dr. Soo-Eun Chang presented her talk, Finding the beat: Why timing matters in the neurorehabilitation of stuttering, at the Neural Control of Movement meeting in Kobe, Japan | | Dr. Sri Nagarajan (UCSF), Dr. Kristina Simonyan (Harvard/MGH), Dr. Soo-Eun Chang, and Dr. Cara Stepp (Boston University) were invited speakers for the speech section at a satellite meeting in Kobe, Japan | | Dr. Emily Garnett views the large exhibit space at the Planet Word Museum in Washington, D.C. | | Dr. Emily Garnett spied a video of Dr. Chang at a special stuttering exhibition at the Planet Word Museum in Washington D.C. | | | |
Participate in our research
Are you or someone you know interested in participating in stuttering research? We are searching for participants of all ages to help us with our research studies and would love your help spreading the word. Our study procedures include surveys, speech and language screenings, and non-invasive brain activity recordings using electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Our participants are compensated for their time and are helping to advance the field of stuttering research!
We are especially excited to begin recruiting for our new adult study, called PRISMS, which uses multiple fMRI sessions to map individualized brain differences. Learn more about that study here, and please get in touch with us if you're interested in participating!
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Looking for more paid research opportunities?
The University of Michigan's Conceptual Development Lab studies how kids think, learn, and perceive the world. They are currently interested in how kids understand a variety of topics including illness, groups, trust, sports, gender, media, digital privacy, and more. Interested in participating in a study or want to learn more? Please fill out their study interest form. Questions? Contact conceptlab@umich.edu.
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