2023 Boston Speech Motor Control Symposium
The 2023 Boston Speech Motor Control Symposium, a regional conference aimed at bringing together speech motor control researchers in the Boston area and beyond, was held at Boston University on June 12th. The conference kicked off with a thought-provoking speech delivered by former Dean of Sargent College, Dr. Christopher Moore, followed by engaging roundtable discussions with invited speakers and special guests focused on career planning in speech motor control.
Two Guenther Lab PhD students, Jackie Kim and Latane Bullock, and one postdoctoral fellow, Hannah Rowe, presented their work at the symposium. Jackie presented her work entitled, “Increased Local Gyrification Associated with Increased Autism Severity,” which highlighted the structural brain differences underlying autism spectrum disorders. Latane presented his work entitled, “Basal Ganglia Intracranial Local Field Potential Beta and Gamma Dynamics During Speech Production,” which delved into the intricate workings of the basal ganglia and its role in speech production. Lastly, Hannah presented her work entitled, “Preliminary Evidence for Motor- and Planning-Based Subtypes of Stuttering Based on Resting State Functional Connectivity Abnormalities,” which provided evidence for potential subtypes of stuttering and the importance of personalized treatment approaches.
A major highlight of the symposium was the keynote presentation by Dr. Edward Chang, MD, a respected neurosurgeon from the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Chang’s talk focused on the latest developments from his lab, shedding light on our evolving understanding of the speech cortex. His presentation sparked thought-provoking discussions and opened new avenues for future research.
As the symposium concluded, attendees left with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and motivation to continue pushing the boundaries of speech motor control research. The knowledge gained and connections made at the conference will undoubtedly serve as catalysts for future breakthroughs and collaborations in the field.