News
Andrew Wrede Presents Summer Research @ UROP Symposium
Tomorrow, October 18th, undergraduate student Andrew Wrede will be presenting the research he completed with the Stepp Lab this past summer during UROP's Undergraduate Research Symposium from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM! Andrew's poster is titled "Investigating Laryngeal and Acoustic Behaviors in AdLD." The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) provides funding for undergraduate students conducting research projects on campus. Congratulations on all of your hard work, Andrew, and thank you for your meaningful contributions to the work conducted at the Stepp Lab!
Allison Aaron Receives an F31 Grant!
Allison Aaron, MS, CCC-SLP, has received an F31 grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. This project, titled “The Lombard effect in muscle tension dysphonia: Mechanistic and clinical characterization,” seeks to investigate voice changes associated with speaking in challenging acoustic environments to better inform clinical care for individuals with voice disorders. This project will fill a crucial theoretical knowledge gap of the underlying mechanisms of the Lombard effect and inform development of individualized clinical assessment and treatment for individuals with sensorimotor deficits underlying their voice disorders. Congratulations, Allison!
The Stepp Lab Moved!
Big news! The Stepp Lab has officially moved locations! Our new address is:
111 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215
We're so happy to be in our new space and can't wait for everyone to see it!
VHCRC Meetings Open to Public!
Nicole Tomassi Receives Raymond H. Stetson Scholarship!
Nicole Tomassi, one of the Stepp Lab's doctoral candidates, received the Raymond H. Stetson Scholarship in Phonetics and Speech Science from the Acoustical Society of America. The grant honors Professor Raymond H. Stetson, a pioneer investigator in phonetics and speech science. The $30,000 scholarship is awarded to 1-2 promising graduate students each year in order to facilitate their research efforts. Congratulations, Nicole!
Courtney Dunsmuir and Kalei Volk receive Summer UROP Awards!
Congratulations Courtney Dunsmuir and Kalei Volk on receiving Summer UROP Awards! The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) provides funding for undergraduate students conducting research projects on campus. We would like to congratulate Courtney and Kalei and thank them for their continued contribution to research conducted under the Stepp Lab!
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The Stepp Lab is excited to share what is happening inside and outside of the lab! Our monthly newsletter is sent out on the first Tuesday of every month. It is the best way to keep up with our current lab events, publications, and presentations. Read previous editions here, and subscribe to future newsletters here!
Kimberly Dahl Receives a New F31 Grant!
Kimberly Dahl, MS, CCC-SLP, received a new F31 grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). This project, titled "Articulatory and prosodic sensorimotor adaptation in speaker-listener interactions", seeks to understand how speech motor learning occurs in real-life communication by assessing the listener's effect on how speakers control their speech and voice. This work will take the novel approach of manipulating both auditory and listener feedback to extend theories of speech motor control to ecologically valid interactions. The long-term goal is to understand whether external feedback could bolster impaired auditory self-monitoring that may underlie some motor speech disorders.
Courtney Dunsmuir presents at BU’s 25th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium
Stepp lab undergraduate Courtney Dunsmuir ’24 recently presented her summer research conducted through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) at BU's 25th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, held at Boston University on October 21, 2022.
Courtney's research explored the differential contributions of auditory and somatosensory feedback control mechanisms of laryngeal and articulatory speech subsystems in persons with Parkinson's disease.
We would like to congratulate Courtney for her wonderful presentation and continued contribution to research conducted under Stepp Lab! She is also a recipient of Fall UROP 2022 funding.
Courtney Dunsmuir and her poster titled "Investigation of Auditory and Somatosensory Feedback in Vocal and Articulatory Motor Control Function for Individuals with Parkinson's Disease".
Hasini Weerathunge awarded 2022 ASHFoundation New Century Scholars Doctoral Scholarship!
Congratulations to lab member Hasini Weerathunge for winning the ASHFoundation New Century Scholars Doctoral Scholarship! This prestigious award supports strong doctoral candidates pursuing a teacher-investigator career. Hasini will use this scholarship to complete her doctoral research investigating the effects of auditory and somatosensory feedback in laryngeal and articulatory motor control in speakers with Parkinson's disease.