Hasini Weerathunge, M.S, B.S.

Dept. of Biomedical Engineering

Boston University

Email: hasiniw@bu.edu

Research Interests

Neuro Computational Modeling; Speech Motor Control; Voice Disorders; Laryngeal Modeling; Neuro Engineering; Signal Processing

 

Education

2018 – Present          Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering (expected), Boston University

2018 – 2022              M.S., Biomedical Engineering, Boston University

2010 – 2015              B.S., Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

Honors and Awards

2022 Boston University Department of Biomedical Engineering Best Student Paper Award
2022 ASHFoundation New Century Scholars Doctoral Scholarship
2022 Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders and Sciences (ANCDS) Student Fellowship
2021 Raymond H. Stetson Scholarship in Phonetics and Speech Science, Honorable Mention Recipient
2020 Rafik. B. Hariri Institute for Computing and Computational Science Engineering Graduate Student Fellow Award
2020 Kathy Yorkston Student Travel Award, Madonna Speech Motor Control Conference
2018 Distinguished Biomedical Engineering Graduate Fellowship
2015 South Asia Workshop on Research Frontiers in Computing Student Scholarship

Recent Publications (For a full list, see Google Scholar)

Weerathunge, H. R., Alzamendi, G. A., Cler, G. J., Guenther, F. H., Stepp, C. E., & Zañartu, M. (2022). LaDIVA: A neurocomputational model providing laryngeal motor control for speech acquisition and production. PLOS Computational Biology, 18(6), e1010159.

Weerathunge, H. R., Voon, T., Tardif, M., Cilento, D., & Stepp, C. E. (2022). Auditory and somatosensory feedback mechanisms of laryngeal and articulatory speech motor control. Experimental Brain Research, 1-19.

Weerathunge, H. R., Tomassi, N. E., & Stepp, C. E. (2022). What Can Altered Auditory Feedback Paradigms Tell Us About Vocal Motor Control in Individuals With Voice Disorders?. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 1-18.

Tomassi, N. E., Weerathunge, H. R., Cushman, M. R., Bohland, J. W., & Stepp, C. E. (2022). Assessing Ecologically Valid Methods of Auditory Feedback Measurement in Individuals With Typical Speech. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 65(1), 121-135.

Abur, D., Subaciute, A., Daliri, A., Lester-Smith, R.A., Lupiani, A.A., Cilento, D., Enos, N.M., Weerathunge, H.R., Tardif, M.C. and Stepp, C.E. (2021). Feedback and Feedforward Auditory-Motor Processes for Voice and Articulation in Parkinson’s Disease. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 64(12), 4682-4694.

Dahl, K. L., Weerathunge, H. R., Buckley, D. P., Dolling, A. S., Díaz-Cádiz, M., Tracy, L. F., & Stepp, C. E. (2021). Reliability and accuracy of expert auditory-perceptual evaluation of voice via telepractice platforms. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 30(6), 2446-2455.

Weerathunge, H. R., Segina, R. K., Tracy, L. & Stepp, C. E (2021). Accuracy of Acoustic Measures of Voice via Telepractice Videoconferencing Platforms. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, doi:10.1044/2021_JSLHR-20-00625.

Weerathunge, H. R., Abur, D., Enos, N. M., Brown, K. M., & Stepp, C. E. (2020). Auditory-motor perturbations of voice fundamental frequency: Feedback delay and amplification. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 63(9), 2846-2860.

Kearney, E., Nieto-Castañón, A., Weerathunge, H. R., Falsini, R., Daliri, A., Abur, D., Ballard, K. J., Change, S. E., Chao, S. C., Heller Murray, E. S., Scott, T. L., & Guenther, F. H. (2020). A simple 3-parameter model for examining adaptation in speech and voice production. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2995.

Weerathunge, W. A. H. R., Bandara, D. M. S. L., Amaratunga, M. G. B., & De Silva, A. C. (2016). Robust algorithm for objective hearing screening of newborns using Automated Auditory Brain-stem Response. In 2016 Moratuwa Engineering Research Conference (MERCon) (pp. 149-155). IEEE.

Invited Talks

Weerathunge, H. R.*, Kiefer , B.*, Sevitz  J., Dahl  K., & Huber, J. (2022). Using Telepractice for the Assessment of Dysarthria and Dysphonia, Motor Speech Disorders and Other Speech Sound Disorders in Adults, Technical Research, ASHA Convention, November 17–19, 2022, New Orleans, Louisiana. (Oral Seminar)

Weerathunge. H.R.*, Alzamendi G.A., Cler G.J., Guenther F.H., Stepp C.E., Zañartu M.‬ (2022). LaDIVA: A neurocomputational model providing laryngeal motor control for speech acquisition and production, University of Wisconsin Division of Otolaryngology, Voice and Swallow Clinics Lecture Series, 2022

Research Presentations

Weerathunge, H. R.*, Cushman, M., & Stepp, C. E. (2022). Effectiveness of VRQOL as a Functional Communication Outcomes Indicator in Persons with Parkinson’s Disease, Technical Research, ASHA Convention, November 17–19, 2022, New Orleans, Louisiana. (Poster Presentation)

Weerathunge. H.R.*, Alzamendi G.A., Cler G.J., Guenther F.H., Stepp C.E., Zañartu M.‬ (2022). LaDIVA: A neurocomputational model providing laryngeal motor control for speech acquisition and production, 21st Biennial Madonna Motor Speech Conference, February 16 – 20, 2022, Charleston, S.C. (Oral Presentation)

Weerathunge. H.R.*, Voon T., Tardiff M., Cilento D. & Stepp C.E.‬ (2022). Auditory and Somatosensory Feedback Mechanisms of Laryngeal and Articulatory Speech Motor Control, 21st Biennial Madonna Motor Speech Conference, February 16 – 20, 2022, Charleston, S.C. (Poster Presentation)

Dahl, K. L.*, Weerathunge, H. R., Buckley, D. P., Dolling, A. S., Díaz-Cádiz, M. E., Tracy, L. F., & Stepp, C. E. (2021). Reliability of expert auditory-perceptual evaluations of voice via telepractice platforms, Technical Research, ASHA Convention, November 18–20, 2021, Virtual/Washington, D.C. (Oral Presentation)

Weerathunge, H. R., Bohland, J.W.* (2021) Modeling studies of speech production under delayed auditory feedback. Boston Speech Motor Control Symposium, June 17- 18, 2021, Virtual/Boston, M.A. (Poster Presentation)

Weerathunge, H. R.*, Segina, R.K., Tracy, L.F., & Stepp, C.E. (2021)  Accuracy of Acoustic Measures of Voice via Telepractice Video Conferencing Platforms. 14th International Conference on Advances in Quantitative Laryngology, Voice, and Speech Research, June 7-10,2021, Virtual/Bogotá, Colombia. (Oral Presentation)

Dahl, K.L.*, Weerathunge, H. R., Buckley, D.P., Dolling, A.S., Díaz-Cádiz, M., Tracy, L.F., & Stepp, C.E. (2021). Reliability of expert auditory-perceptual evaluations of voice via telepractice platforms. 14th International Conference on Advances in Quantitative Laryngology, Voice, and Speech Research, June 7-10,2021, Virtual/Bogotá, Colombia.(Oral Presentation)

Weerathunge, H. R.*, Abur, D., Enos, N. M., Brown, K. M., & Stepp, C. E. (2020). Auditory-motor perturbations of voice fundamental frequency: Feedback delay and amplification. In Madonna Speech Motor Control Conference, February 20 – 23, 2020, Santa Barbara, CA. (Poster Presentation)