Speech-Language Pathology Research

Lori-Ann Ferraro, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Dr. Lori-Ann Ferraro’s research interests include the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (in both didactic and clinical learning and their connections to clinical practice), collaborative learning, administration in clinical education, and competency-based education. Her research interests are two-fold: 1. examining novel and innovative models of clinical education that also provide efficacious learning experiences for students and how to help students construct the connections between theoretical constructs taught in didactic settings and their clinical application and 2. discovering factors that impact SLPs’ willingness to become a clinical instructor, which spans clinical placement shortages.

Sabrina Horvath, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Dr. Sabrina Horvath’s research focuses on how children develop language during the preschool years. She is particularly interested in whether children who have or who are at risk for developing language disorder, such as late talkers, use the same strategies to learn language as typically developing toddlers. Long-term, this research will be used to support earlier identification of and more efficacious interventions for children with language disorder.

Dr. Theresa Hopkins-Rossabi, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, BCS-S

Dr. Theresa Hopkins-Rossabi’s research focuses on swallowing function and outcomes in several patient populations. In addition, Dr. Rossabi’s research interests include competency-based education at the graduate level in the integration of knowledge and skills required for excellence in clinical practice.

Dr. Christina Pelatti, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Dr. Christina Pelatti’s research expertise is in the areas of oral and written language in children, and she is particularly interested in examining factors that impact children with developmental (e.g., Down syndrome, DLD) and acquired (e.g., traumatic brain injury) disorders. Her work is interprofessional in nature, and her goal is to answer questions that are clinically applicable to professionals, children, and their families.

Dr. Kelly Richardson, Ph.D.

Dr. Kelly Richardson is an Associate Professor in the Division of Speech-Language Pathology. Her research aims to assess the impact of speech and voice interventions on adults with neurodegenerative diseases. Specifically, she seeks to understand the physiologic and psychosocial impact of behavioral and prosthetic treatments on individuals with Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Janina Wilmskoetter, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Dr. Janina Wilmskoetter is dedicated to advancing the field of language (aphasia) and swallowing disorders (dysphagia) following brain injury. In her research, she primarily investigates the intricate neuroanatomical foundations of aphasia and dysphagia after strokes, seeking to elucidate the underlying factors contributing to the varying degrees of recovery observed among individuals. Dr. Wilmskoetter’s goal is to pioneer evidence-based, neuroanatomically informed, personalized interventions, with the aim of optimizing recovery outcomes for individuals with a stroke.