SPEECH NEUROPHYSIOLOGY LAB

at the University of Michigan

Summer 2024

News and Updates

A message from our director


Warm days and sunny skies mean that the official start of summer is just around the corner! As the trees and flowers bloom around us, I'm reminded of all the incredible growth within our lab as well. We started the season off strong with new publications highlighting our latest research findings. Members of our lab have traveled near and far to help raise awareness of stuttering research. We even partnered with the Ann Arbor Stuttering Awareness and Research Club to start a new support group for people who stutter so they can connect and share their experiences.


Keep reading to learn more about these exciting activities, as well as fun events coming up this summer. To all of our research participants: we couldn't do this important work without you, so I hope you know that these successes are your successes too. Thank you for partnering with us and helping to make a difference in stuttering research!

Headshot of Dr. Soo-Eun Chang

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

New publication in Journal of Fluency Disorders


Dr. Yanni Liu’s new paper, Brain response to errors in children who stutter, was recently published in the Journal of Fluency Disorders. In this paper, our researchers sought to better understand the connection between stuttering and anxiety. Studies show that about half of all adults who stutter report social anxiety disorders. But do children who stutter also experience these higher levels of anxiety? Does their anxiety grow with age? This study is the first one of its kind, investigating signs of anxiety within the brains of preschool-aged and school-aged children who stutter.


We sat down with Dr. Liu to learn more about this research and the latest (surprising!) findings.

Read our interview with Dr. Liu

New publication in PLOS Biology


Dr. Soo-Eun Chang recently penned an article published in PLOS Biology’s latest edition of Unsolved Mystery. Partnering with lead-author Dr. Nicole Neef at the Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology in Göttingen, Germany, their article, Knowns and unknowns about the neurobiology of stuttering, explores everything stuttering researchers currently know and don’t know about stuttering. 


To help break down the complex neurobiology, we wrote a summary of both the biggest research findings—and the biggest mysteries—researchers are still trying to solve! 

Read our summary

Save the date: Stuttering Day Camp


Michigan Medicine Pediatric Speech-Language Pathology is hosting the Alexander M. Mashour Pediatric Stuttering Day Camp on Friday, August 23, 2024. This free day camp will be held at Domino's Farms Petting Farm and is open to 3-12 year old children who stutter. Register now to join this fun-filled day of crafts, activities, a farm tour, and more!

Learn more and register

Stuttering Support Group


In conjunction with the Ann Arbor Stuttering Awareness and Research Club (A2STAR ⭐) at the University of Michigan, we co-host monthly support group meetings open to teens and adults who stutter. The group serves as a safe space for folks to connect with one another, share experiences, and navigate challenges together. If you'd like to be part of the group, click below for full details.

Learn more about the support group

Speech Neurophysiology Lab events near and far

This spring, our lab members hosted events here in Ann Arbor, and even shared research findings at a conference in France! Here are a few photos from our recent adventures.

Dr. Emily Garnett presents a poster at the International Seminar on Speech Production in Autrans, France

Dr. Fiona Höbler presents a poster at the International Seminar on Speech Production in Autrans, France

Members of our lab enjoy a day in the French Alps

Left to right: Fiona Höbler, Emily Garnett, Hasini Weerathunge


Dr. Shanley Treleaven presents a poster at the 2024 World Congress on Stuttering & Cluttering in Austin, TX

Lucas is wearing a blue shirt and khakis and standing in front of a crowd of young children reading out loud to them from a picture book.

Lucas Campbell reads Your Fantastic, Elastic Brain to children at AADL

Spotlight: get to know our lab members

Shanley Treleaven, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Read our interview with Shanley

Hasini Weerathunge, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Read our interview with Hasini

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!

Get Involved
Yellow award ribbon that reads "Brain Scientist"

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