CSD Connects: Fall 2023

A Message from the Chair

Dear CSD Community, I am thrilled to welcome you to the inaugural edition of CSD Connects, a platform designed to celebrate our collective achievements. As the incoming chair, I am inspired by the vision of "One CSD," that highlights our commitment to singular excellence in research, education, clinical services, and community engagement. This quarter has been particularly exciting, marked by the addition of several new faculty and staff, a new strategic plan, a new administrative team, the completion of accreditation site visits, and the flourishing of our students, both new and returning. We continue to proudly serve the community through the Northwestern University Center for Audiology, Speech, Language, and Learning.

CSD Connects is organized around the key focus areas highlighted in our strategic plan: 1. Research Excellence and Innovation, 2. Breaking Silos through Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Strategic Partnerships, and Global Outreach, 3. Education, Growth, and Professional Development of Students and Postdoctoral Scholars, 4. Faculty and Staff Development, 5. Communication and Alumni Engagement, and Community Engagement, and 6. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, and 7. High Quality Clinical Services. Each section is crafted to reflect our core themes of "One CSD," "Breaking Silos," and "Amplifying Diverse Voices."

Bharath Chandrasekaran, PhD

Ralph and Jean Sundin Endowed Professor and Chair, ASHA - Fellow

Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

A Message from the Associate Chair

As incoming Associate Chair of the Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, and an implementation scientist dedicated to optimizing systems and processes, I am thrilled to be part of the journey in fortifying the foundation of the department. Aligned with the vision of "One CSD," our primary focus is centralizing administrative workflows to provide optimal support for our faculty, staff, students, and alumni. By the end of the year, we aim to standardize and clearly outline every departmental process, from student hiring to CEU course registration, on a dedicated CSD SharePoint portal. This crucial initiative ensures a robust structure for our future expansions, marking this academic year as pivotal for strengthening the core of our extraordinary CSD house while upholding our unified vision.

Megan Roberts, PhD, CCC-SLP

Professor and Associate Chair, ASHA - Fellow

Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

Research Excellence and Innovation

Dr. Viorica Marian, Ralph and Jean Sundin Endowed Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders published a popular science book titled "The Power of Language, How the Codes We Use to Think, Speak, and Live Transform our Minds"

The Power of Language serves as a thought-provoking exploration of the intricate interplay between language and the human mind. It challenges readers to consider the profound ways in which the codes we use to think, speak and live shape our understanding of the world and ourselves, offering a deeper appreciation for the incredible power of language in our lives.

Read more here and check out the live recording of the Science Friday podcast episode where Professor Dr. Marian talks about her book.

Brainvolts Lab Partners with Northwestern Athletics on Subconcussion Study

Professor Dr. Nina Kraus and the Brainvolts lab recently published “Subconcussion revealed by sound processing in the brain” in Exercise, Sport, and Movement. This study was done in collaboration with Northwestern Athletics and was supported by the NIH. This collaboration aims to better understand subconcussion effects in athletes.

Jim Davis and Joe Lim of the Good Athlete Project interviewed Dr. Kraus about the future of sound in concussion treatment and rehabilitation. Listen to their conversation with Dr. Kraus here.

Dhar Gives ASHA Keynote Presentation at The Research Academic Town Meeting

At the annual Researcher-Academic Town Meeting (RATM) held during the 2023 ASHA Convention, Dr. Sumit Dhar, CSD ASHA Vice President for Science and Research, Associate Provost of Northwestern, and Hugh Knowles Professor of Hearing Science, took center stage as the keynote speaker. The invitation-only event brought together senior researchers, PhD-level academics, new faculty, and students for a discussion on "Getting Ahead of the AI Curve in Health Professions Education," a crucial and swiftly evolving topic. Dr. Dhar's presentation captivated the packed audience. The event itself served as a unique platform for networking, fostering connections among seasoned faculty, researchers, and emerging talents in the academic and research community.

Critical Study on CDC Milestones and Autism Diagnosis Featured in ASHA Leader

A collaborative study led by Professor Dr. Megan Y. Roberts involving several professors and students from the Department, was recently published in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. The paper scrutinized the evidence basis of recent CDC milestones, specifically focusing on expressive vocabulary. The research raises important concerns about the non-representative samples used in determining these milestones and emphasizes the urgent need for future research to establish more accurate and culturally inclusive milestones for U.S. children. Read more about this study at the ASHA Leader.

Wright Contributes to Study Calling for Balancing Both Basic and Translational Research to Advance Knowledge

Professor Dr. Bev Wright contributed to a collaborative article that came out in October involving multiple labs and universities, emphasizing the dynamic nature of perceptual systems throughout life. The article, "Perceptual Learning: Policy Insights from Basic Research to Real-World Applications," advocates for essential basic research on perceptual learning, highlighting its applications in addressing sensory loss, developmental perceptual disorders, and everyday perceptual skills. Emphasizing the need for balanced regulatory efforts, it calls for close collaboration among funding agencies, regulatory bodies, scientists, clinicians, companies, and consumers to advance knowledge and ensure effective policies in this domain.

Northwestern's 2023 Racial Equity and Community Partnership grant

Drs. Marisha Speights, E. Debbie Lee, and Adriana Weisleder received funding through Northwestern's 2023 Racial Equity and Community Partnership grants program for their work with the Childcare Network of Evanston. Read more about the grant program: http://tinyurl.com/9dyndmbw

Spencer Leads Subaward on a New NIH P50

Assistant Professor Dr. Mercedes Spencer is leading a subaward on an NICHD P50 titled, Learning Disabilities Translational Science Collective: Building on the Florida LDRC. Her project, "Advances in Classification and Identification for Specific Learning Disorders in Reading (T1)," is motivated by the critical and translational need to develop improved models of identification and classification that are better informed by the substantial research literature on SLDs.

Ashley Kim Chung Fat Yim Presents her Research in Multiple Outlets

Research Assistant Professor Dr. Ashley Kim Chung Fat Yim was selected as one of three speakers to give a talk about their research at the inaugural Marginalia Science x Boston College Symposium back in October.

Ashley and Professor Viorica Marian co-edited a special issue on bilingualism and cognition that is now available in Translational Issues in Psychological Science. https://psycnet.apa.org/PsycARTICLES/journal/tps/9/4

Professor Viorica Marian, Dr. Sirada Rochanavibhata (a postdoc in Dr. Marian's lab), and Ashley were recently interviewed in a podcast called HeLPiNG Questions.

New grant and publication from Singh

Research Assistant Professor Dr. Jasleen Singh received an ASHFoundation Clinical Research Grant for her proposal, The Influence of the Drug Facts Label on Self-Determination of Candidacy for Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids. She and Professor Sumit Dhar recently published Customer Archetypes in Hearing Healthcare in the American Journal of Audiology.

New Grants Involving CSD Faculty and Students (Source: Office for Research, School of Communication)

Marisha Speights: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 06/14/23-12/31/24, $493,738, Audio Files for Tech Equity Work

Bharath Chandrasekaran: NIH/NIDCD R01, 07/02/23-03/31/26, $609,119 ($2,149,012), Cortical Contributions to frequency-following response generation and modulation

Pam Souza: NIH/NIA R21, 09/01/23-08/31/25, $443,758, Over-The-Counter Hearing Aid Treatment for Adults

Molly Losh: NIH/NIDCD, 09/01/23-06/30/28, $3,312,691, A Family-Genetic Study of Language in Autism. This is the third renewal of this project!!

Jasleen Singh: American Speech-Language Hearing Foundation, 2023 Clinical Research Grant, 12/1-23-12/31/25. $50,000, The Influence of the Drug Facts Label on Self-Determination of Candidacy for Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids

Kristine McLellan/Jason Sanchez (sponsor): NIH/NIDCD F31 NRSA, 01/01/24-12/31/26, $42,907, Uncovering the Functional Effects of Neurotrophins

Bharath Chandrasekaran: NIH/NIDCD R01, 07/01/23-06/30/24, $149,502 ($155,277 estimated total award), Neural Systems in Auditory and Speech Categorization

Kevin Sitek: NIH/NIDCD Transfer, 05/16/22-04/30/27, $544,489, Investigating human non-lemniscal inferior colliculus contributions to auditory learning with 7T MRI

Education, Growth, and Professional Development of Students and Postdoctoral Scholars

Lillian Thompson Brown

PhD Candidate Lillian Thompson Brown successfully joined The ASHA Minority Student Leadership Program (MSLP), designed to recruit and retain underrepresented minorities in audiology and speech-language pathology. The program offers educational activities, networking with ASHA leaders, and valuable career opportunities, fostering leadership skills. Lillian's transformative experience as an MSLP Fellow strengthened her commitment to supporting underrepresented individuals in pursuing leadership roles in the field.

Rabab Rangwala

PhD Student Rabab Rangwala was awarded a Meritorious Poster certificate for her ASHA poster.

She also had her first manuscript (first author, too!) accepted this year, Respiratory-Swallow Coordination in Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Izabelle Pinzon

MS-SLL Student Izabelle Pinzon was elected as the Vice President for Finance for National NSSLHA. She presented as the 2023 ASHA Convention, Own It: Imposter Syndrome as a Barrier to Financial Success for Students, and moderated a panelist discussion (Talking Black in America Part II: Performance Traditions Implications for Global Practice). She was also the recipient of a 2023 ASHFoundation Graduate Student Scholarship.

Dr. Weisleder invited to lead the student workshop at this year’s Boston University Conference on Language Development

The student workshop was an event targeted at graduate students and postdocs covering topics about navigating the field and building relevant skills. The topic of the workshop was on community engagement in research on language development. In this interactive workshop, Dr. Weisleder led a discussion on what it means to do research that engages with communities outside the university, particularly those that have been historically excluded from academic and research settings. Dr. Weisleder gave examples from some of her lab’s work, including a project on supporting early literacy in collaboration with Northwestern Settlement House that was funded by NU’s Racial Equity and Community Partnership grants program. Dr. Weisleder was also joined by Jordan Lee, a PhD student in Dr. Megan Roberts’ lab, who gave examples from her project engaging autistic adults and caregivers to improve autism early intervention research.

Mel McDaniel

Mel McDaniel, a CSD Undergraduate Student, shares her story about getting involved with research and various campus activities. Read more about her experience here.

Undergraduate NSSLHA Meet the Chair Event

Dr. Chandrasekaran met with the undergraduate of the NU NSSLHA chapter. He shared with the students his vision for the department, as well as listened to their ideas.

Breaking Silos: Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Strategic Partnerships and Global Outreach

Narins Receives 2023 Hugh Knowles Prize for Distinguished Achievement

The Knowles Hearing Center is excited to announce that Dr. Peter Narins is the 2023 recipient of the Hugh Knowles Prize for Distinguished Achievement. As a part of the award, Dr. Narins delivered an inspiriting talk as a part of the award, "High-End Audio: Neuroethology of Ultrasonic Communication in Amphibians."

Dr. Narins is a distinguished scientist known for his work in the field of biology, particularly in the area of animal communication and sensory biology. He is a Professor of Integrative Biology and Physiology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His research primarily focuses on the mechanisms and evolution of communication systems in various animals, including amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. Read more about Dr. Narins here.

Northwestern CSD Associate Professor contributes to largest-ever study of child development from before birth to age 10

In late 2023, babies are being born who are already part of a national research study that has learned about their gestation and family history, and will track their brain and behavioral development for the next decade. The national multi-NIH institute-funded HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) study is the first of its kind to enroll pregnant parents and collect detailed data about the factors that shape children’s development. Over 7,000 children will be followed from the second trimester of gestation through age 10. There are 27 sites around the US that were selected to be part of the study, with the goal of enrolling a very diverse sample that includes families affected by adversity and by substance use as part of the NIH HEAL initiative. CSD Associate Professor Dr. Elizabeth Norton is one of the two principal investigators for the HBCD site at Northwestern. HBCD includes measures of all kinds of determinants of health and development, from genetic samples, to MRI brain scans, to parent responsiveness to child communication attempts. Dr. Norton is an active member of the neuroimaging aspects of the study, bringing her expertise in both MRI and EEG. Given her research interests in child language and reading (she leads the Language, Education, and Reading Neuroscience (LEARN) Lab), she is also involved in ensuring that child communication is assessed throughout the study. She plans to use the MRI and EEG data – collected starting within four weeks of birth and again 3-4 more times before age 5 – to study how brain structure and function set children up for successful or challenging language acquisition. Dr. Norton is also featured in the video explaining MRI to parents used by all the sites around the country.

Dr. Norton notes that her experiences doing the type of interdisciplinary work that drew her to Northwestern makes engaging in a wide-ranging project HBCD easy. Norton is a leader in the university-wide Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences and she collaborates actively with colleagues who range from pediatric neurologists to bioethicists to social workers.

HBCD is a great opportunity for researchers to have access to a representative dataset, as all HBCD data will be released to the scientific community starting in 2024. For example, several CSD faculty published a paper this year detailing how the CDC’s child language milestones did not align with data from large or diverse research samples. HBCD will provide an ideal dataset to re-examine milestones and other patterns of development. If you would like to learn more or if you know an expectant parent who might want to participate in Chicago or around the US, visit hbcdstudy.org.

Dr. Speights joins leading experts in Sydney, Australia

Assistant Professor Dr. Marisha Speights was invited to attend "The Huddle," a research meeting at the University of Sydney (USyd), hosted by Dr. David Evans (Sydney School of Education and Social Work) and Dr. Kirrie Ballard (Communication Sciences and Disorders). The event, held in November, gathered leading experts including Dr. Beena Ahmed (University of New South Wales, UNSW), Dr. Mostafa Shahin (UNSW), Dr. Tuende Szalay (USyd), and Dr. Joanne Arciuli (Flinders Univ). This assembly provided a platform for specialists in educational and speech therapy applications, Australian and American English, assistive technology, automated speech recognition, AI, and app/game design to discuss the future of AI in detecting and treating speech disorders in children. Dr. Speights opened the event with a public lecture on developing speech technologies for child speech disorder assessment, followed by an interactive panel discussion with attendees from across Australia. The second day featured a workshop with stakeholders from various organizations, including Royal Far West, Catholic Education, the Association of Independent Schools, and the Isolated Children's Parents' Association NSW to gain insights for use of software applications in the education, hospital, and clinic environments. The Huddle group also engaged in collaboration meetings at the UNSW and visited Dr. Ahmed’s lab to explore the AusKid Talk project. This project parallels Dr. Speights' work, aiming to build a comprehensive research database of annotated typically developing and disordered speech of children (read more about this project in the Fall 2023 SoC Dialogue Magazine). The event ended with plans for an international collaboration to advance the development of speech assessment and therapy technologies supported by AI to address health disparities in early detection and intervention for children in both Australia and the US.

Sitek's New Leadership Role

Research Assistant Professor Dr. Kevin Sitek is serving as the Communications Committee Chair in the Organization for Human Brain Mapping for 2023–2024. The Organization for Human Brain Mapping (OHBM) is an international society dedicated to advancing the understanding of the anatomical and functional organization of the human brain using neuroimaging. A primary function of the society is to provide educational forums for the exchange of up-to-the-minute and groundbreaking research across neuroimaging methods and applications.

Speech Processing Symposium

The SoundBrain Lab hosted a mini-symposium titled "Speech processing in challenging listening environments: Towards a multi-dimensional framework. This event brought together scientists and students from CSD, linguistics, neurobiology, otolaryngology, psychology and developmental science.

Faculty and Staff Development

Investiture

In November Dr. Bharath Chandrasekaran was formally honored as the Ralph and Jean Sundin Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the School of Communication Investiture Ceremony hosted by Dean E. Patrick Johnson.

NUCASLL Leadership Update

Associate Clinical Professor Dr. Nathan Waller was announced as the Director of SLL at NUCASLL, starting January 2024. With over 16 years of clinical experience, including at NUCASLL and the Voice Clinic, Dr. Waller's diverse background in clinical models and his contributions to program development and university service make him an ideal fit for this vital role.

Dr. Waller and Dr. Diane Novak, Director of Audiology and Associate Clinical Professor, will collaborate closely with the department's leadership to foster a unified approach and propel CSD towards the goal of comprehensive care and leading-edge, evidence-based services. This structure opens doors for exciting collaborative grants, positioning NUCASLL as a trailblazer in translational research within our field.

Faculty Awards

Bonnie Martin-Harris: Gold Medal Award, Dysphagia Research Society. The Gold Medal is a high honor awarded in recognition of extraordinary distinguished service and/or contributions to the Dysphagia Research Society over a sustained period of time.

Megan York Roberts: Fellowship of the Association, American Speech Language and Hearing Association. Fellowship is awarded to those who have made outstanding contributions to the discipline of communication sciences and disorders.

Stacy Kaplan: Certificate of Recognition for Special Contributions in Higher Education, American Speech Language and Hearing Association. This certificate is designed to signify distinguished achievement and/or contributions in one or more of the following areas: university or college classroom teaching. clinical teaching; student mentoring.

Marisha Speights: Leadership Fellowship in AI, National Institutes of Health. Fellows receive mentorship from an experienced, skilled individual who will guide the fellow in applying AI/ML methods to address health disparities, and leadership skills to navigate the organizational cultures and climates in order to strengthen their communities.

Dr. Martin-Harris Led Mentoring Workshop for School of Communication

Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and CSD Professor Dr. Martin-Harris organized a workshop for SoC as part of continued focus on mentorship titled CommFutures: Mentoring Best Practices. This workshop covered all the essential skills and practices for creating successful mentoring partnerships.

Rallapalli Organizes HearAI Sydney '23

Research Assistant Professor Dr. Varsha Rallapalli hosted and attended HearAI Sydney '23, a workshop inspired by Listening into 2030, held in Berkeley CA in 2016. The workshop in Sydney focused on innovative use of AI to help assist individualization of hearing aid fittings for diverse patients across the lifespan. The workshop brought together participants from industry, clinic, and academia at various career stages.

Meet our Newest Administrative Team Members

Katie Belardi (new Assistant Chair of Operations) came to Northwestern from the University of Pittsburgh where she directed the research operations in the Department of Communication and Science and Disorders. She brings unique experience as a research-trained speech-language pathologist with over seven years of experience in higher education.

Keisha Etienne (new Business Administrator) brings her broad knowledge for university systems and managerial leadership from her time at Pritzker School of Law School, the School of Education and Social Policy (SESP) and Kellogg. She is joining us from Kellogg’s Marketing Department as the Department Manager.

Brittany Pugh (new Administrative Assistant) has recently returned to the Chicagoland area and more specifically the Northwestern community, after living in Denver. Previously, Brittany worked as an Administrative Assistant for the Office of General Counsel at the University of Denver and as a Program Assistant in the Department of Molecular Biosciences here at NU.

Karolina Fiala (new Financial Coordinator) came to Northwestern with extensive experience in various industries, including non-profit, medical administration field, and real estate. Her roles varied from administration, accounting, and management to domestic violence advocacy.

High Quality Clinical Services

Healthy Hearing Event

We had the pleasure of hosting 50 community members who joined our audiologists and first and second-year AuD students in providing complimentary hearing screenings and an opportunity to experience the latest hearing device technology in our innovative Virtual Sound Room (ViSoR) . This event provides an opportunity for AuD students to apply and expand their clinical knowledge and skills and engage meaningfully with attendees.

Our Downtown Speech Language and Learning team prepping for the holidays!

CSD Connect - July 2023

CSD faculty hosted a continuing education event for CSD Alumni and off campus clinical partners on the topic of Inclusion, Ethics, and Innovation in Clinical Learning and Teaching.

Speakers included academic and clinical faculty, including Dr. Mercedes Spencer, Dr. Denise Drane, Dr. Marisha Speights, Dr. E. Debbie Lee, Dr. Adriana Weisleder, Dr. Viorica Marian, Shauna Connelly, Kristin Larsen, Dr. Carolyn Lisowski, and Sharon Veis. We had over 60 attendees from the community. In 2024 we are planning to host several more continuing education events. Stay tuned!

Community Engagement, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

Identify-affirming care for mental health clinicians

Assistant Clinical Professor Stephanie Boron had the honor of speaking with the Fleet and Family Services mental health clinicians at the Great Lakes Naval Station. These clinicians support the social-emotional needs of active-duty members and their families. Stephanie guided the group through a conversation about embracing neurodivergent brains, shifting toward strength-based clinical language, and providing identity-affirming support to neurodivergent clients within their on-base community.

News from Alumni

Preeti Sivasankar, alumna of the PhD program and current Chair of Purdue's Department of Speech Language and Hearing Sciences was awarded the Leadership in Action from Susan Bulkeley Butler Center. She also received the Career Research Achievement Award from Purdue's College of Health and Human Sciences.

Kate Gottfred, alumna of the PhD program, received Honors of the Association from the American Speech Language and Hearing Association. Previously she was awarded Northwestern University School of Communications Alumni of the Year in 2010, and was named one of 26 Trailblazer Alumnae Who Changed the World by Northwestern University School of Communication

Teri Bellis, alumna of the PhD Program, received Honors of the Association from the American Speech Language and Hearing Association

Jessica Wacher, alumna of the SLPD and MS SLL programs, Full time assistant clinical professor at DePaul University

Sue Ellen Krause, alumna of the PhD program, was named an ASHA Fellow 2015 and ISHA Fellow 2019.

Lisa Mitchell, alumna of the SLPD program, was appointed to the Professional Advisory Council for Apraxia Kids.

Carolyn Stevens, alumna of the MS SLL program, landed a highly-competitive CF at Henry Ford Health in Detroit.

Shannon Steele, alumna of the MS SLL program, is currently finishing a year-long Master of Education at Harvard before moving on to her clinical fellowship.

ASHA 2023 in Boston, MA was a blast! We had students, faculty and alumni receiving honors. The highlight was the Northwestern University Open House on Friday evening. We enjoyed reconnecting with many alumni and friends and look forward to gathering together again next year.