Speech Perception & Acoustics (SPA) Laboratories
Robert Allen Fox, Ph.D. and Ewa Jacewicz, Ph.D.
The Speech Perception & Acoustics Laboratories (SPA Labs) are a research unit affiliated with the Department of Speech and Hearing Science. The current research program consists of several projects in speech communication which underscore the importance of variation in speech. The variation comes from diverse sources such as speaker characteristics, the geographic region in which the speaker was raised, or from factors related to the dynamic character of broadly defined speech units. The approach taken at the SPA Labs is data-driven and the focus is on constructing large corpora of speech which would provide conclusive answers to the questions asked. The current research addresses several issues in human speech perception, acoustic amplitude variation in coarticulated vowels, dialectal variation in acoustic characteristics of speech, phonetic aspects of sound change, cognitive processing in individuals who stutter, and learning second language phonology.
Psychoacoustics Lab
In the Psychoacoustics Laboratory we are working on projects that investigate the ability of listeners to extract information from complex, time-varying sounds. These sounds are acoustically similar to speech, music or environmental sounds, but they do not require the cognitive processing necessary to recognize or understand those sounds. We are testing our model of peripheral auditory processing, which suggests that the auditory nervous system responds to the spectral center-of-gravity, COG, of the neural activity generated by such sounds. The COG is the “balance point” for this activity. As the COG changes over time, listeners hear changes in the sounds that are often described as rising or falling pitches.
The Speech Psychoacoustics Laboratory
Work performed in the Speech Psychoacoustics Laboratory seeks to clarify the processing mechanisms involved in human hearing, and the limitations to these mechanisms imposed by hearing impairment or cochlear prostheses. Relationships between basic psychoacoustic phenomena involving simple stimuli and the perception of complex signals such as speech are explored.
Childhood Cognition, Communication, and Brain Injury (CABI) Lab
Research in the Childhood Cognition, Communication, and Brain Injury Lab (CABI Lab) focuses on improving outcomes for children and adolescents with acquired brain injury (ABI) and other complex medical conditions. Our work seeks to improve gaps in access to and utilization of services designed to support children with ABI and to identify specific approaches that would improve assessment and treatment practices following pediatric ABI. To inform our work in children with ABI, some of our research focuses on expanding our understanding of children with typical development in areas such as academic discourse.
Speech Recognition and Aging Laboratory
The Speech Recognition and Aging Laboratory (SR&A Lab), housed in the Department of Speech & Hearing Science, is dedicated to gaining a better understanding of the speech understanding problems exhibited by older adult listeners with hearing loss. There is a growing body of evidence that suggests older adults have difficulty processing binaural auditory information (i.e., binaural interference), especially in noisy listening environments. Current lab projects are focused on studying the binaural interference phenomenon among aging listeners.
Developmental Speech Lab
The Developmental Speech Lab seeks to better understand the development of speech perception and language in typically developing children and those with hearing loss, and, based on this knowledge, design better approaches to intervention and remediation. This work is inherently multidisciplinary and we collaborate with colleagues across the University and the country. Our current research focuses on the role of family environment in spoken language and executive function outcomes in children with hearing loss, basic speech perception in toddlers believed to have a core deficit in phonological encoding, and children’s ability to cope with variability in speech – specifically variability due to nonnative accents.
Auditory Physiology Lab
The Auditory Physiology Lab pursues research in the area of acquired sensorineural hearing loss from noise, drugs, and aging. We are interested in the biological mechanisms underlying the damage to the cochlea that leads to the sensorineural hearing loss. Noise, drugs, and aging have many common factors through which they create hearing loss, as well as many key differences. In addition, different types of hearing losses interact with each other, creating unique patterns of hearing loss and cochlear pathology. In addition to studying the mechanisms of hearing loss and interactions, we are working to develop new methods to detect hearing loss early, and to find new ways to protect the ear from hearing loss with different drugs and dietary supplements.
Language, Assistive Technology, and Autism (LATA) Lab
Research in the Language, Assistive, Technology, and Autism (LATA) Lab examines the processes that underlie language development in children with and without autism spectrum disorders. The aim is to determine how similarities and differences in these underlying processes, such as attention and executive function, influence language development. This work will inform language intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders.
Aphasia Laboratory
The Aphasia Laboratory investigates language processing after brain damage, specifically focusing on word-retrieval deficits. Research in this lab seeks to address limitations in aphasia treatment delivery including dosing of therapy, maintenance and generalization of treatment effects, and the neural substrates underlying aphasia rehabilitation.
Voice/Resonance Laboratory
Our research team in the Voice/Resonance Laboratory works towards understanding the anatomic, physiologic, and acoustic aspects of the normal and abnormal speech production mechanism, with special emphasis on voice and resonance, by combining bio-imaging techniques and acoustic analysis method. Current projects include identifying vital anatomic features that can serve as reliable prognostic indicators of the speech outcome in individuals with repaired cleft palate and assessing multi-dimensional outcomes of an intervention program used for individuals with hypernasality.
Child Language and Motor Lab
The Child Language and Motor Lab seeks to understand relationships between motor speech, limb motor, and language skills in children with speech and language disorders. We are particularly interested in language and motor relationships in children with developmental language disorder (DLD) and childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). Currently, we are investigating timing and rhythmic abilities in children with CAS and morphological, phonological, and motor speech skills in children with DLD versus CAS. The long-term goal of this work is to improve intervention outcomes for children with speech and language disorders.
Crane Center For Early Childhood Research and Policy
Laura M. Justice, Ph.D.
The Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy is a multidisciplinary research center dedicated to conducting high-quality research that improves children’s learning and development at home, in school and in the community. We partner with The A. Sophie Rogers School for Early Learning to provide effective, research-based curriculum that focuses on language and literacy development and building essential social skills. We also work with a network of community partners to provide early childhood programming and family engagement.
Language and Literacy Assessment in Multilingual Acquisition (LLAMA) Lab
The Language and Literacy Assessment in Multilingual Acquisition (LLAMA) Lab is dedicated to advancing the understanding and assessment of Spanish-English bilingual children with and without speech and language disorders. We aim to improve diagnostic and intervention practices, ensuring that bilingual children receive accurate and effective support. Our team employs cutting-edge methodologies and collaborates with educational and clinical professionals to bridge the gap in current assessment tools and intervention strategies. Through our work, we strive to foster equitable and inclusive practices that recognize the unique linguistic and cultural experiences of bilingual children.
Deglutition Technologies and Digital Health (DegluTech) Lab
The Deglutition Technologies and Digital Health (DegluTech) Lab is dedicated to improving the health outcomes and quality of life of patients with swallowing disorders (dysphagia). Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, our multidisciplinary team aims to expand access to high-quality services, particularly for underserved communities. We address critical challenges in dysphagia management through three key focus areas: 1) investigating the feasibility and clinical efficacy of innovative digital health interventions, 2) developing and testing new technologies for dysphagia management, and 3) examining the cross-system interactions between swallowing and breathing in patients with swallowing disorders. Our long-term goal is to leverage technology and innovation to overcome barriers in healthcare delivery and provide evidence-based solutions that improve the lives of individuals with dysphagia.
Child Multilingualism & Technology (CoMeT) Lab
The Child Multilingualism & Technology (CoMeT) Lab examines speech/language development and disorders in culturally and linguistically diverse children, emphasizing the use of clinical technology to enhance speech-language pathology practices. Our research investigates: 1) Typical and atypical patterns of speech/language development among children who speak non-mainstream languages and dialects; 2) Culturally responsive assessment and intervention, and 3) The feasibility and implementation of technology to assess and treat childhood speech/language disorders.