Lab Director
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Hayo Terband, Ph.D.
Title/Position
Lab Director
Assistant Professor
I'm an Assistant Professor in the Communication Sciences and Disorders at Iowa. My main research interest is speech-language acquisition in normal and disordered development. More specifically, how do phonological and sensorimotor impairments relate to underlying deficits and adaptive strategies, and how do these express themselves in symptomatology?
Doctoral Students
Bhavana Bhat
Title/Position
Doctoral Student
I am a second-year PhD student at the Speech Sensorimotor Development Lab. I am excited to be part of this lab and explore approaches to understand speech-motor control in both typical and disordered children. My specific research interests lie in studying the diagnostic markers for children with apraxia of speech. My background as a speech-language pathologist has provided me with valuable clinical experience and insights into the challenges faced by this group of children. I hope to contribute to the formulation and refinement of suitable treatment techniques that will help these children improve their communication abilities.
Thushani Munasinghe
Title/Position
Doctoral Student
I am a second-year PhD student in the Speech Sensorimotor Development Lab. My research focuses on auditory processing and higher-level cognitive mechanisms involved in speech perception and production, particularly in children with speech sound disorders. I am especially interested in understanding the developmental processes that support effective communication and how these processes interact across different levels of the speech perception hierarchy.
Graduate Research Assistants
Emma Mueller
Title/Position
Graduate Research Assistant
I am a first-year graduate student in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Iowa. As a clinician, I hope to work in pediatrics and with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I’m excited to be a part of the Speech Sensorimotor Development Lab and have the opportunity to learn more about phonological disorders while gaining invaluable experience working with children and families in our community!
Saloni Upadhyay
Title/Position
Graduate Research Assistant
I am a second-year graduate student in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Iowa. I am excited to be part of the Speech Sensorimotor Development Lab to expand my knowledge about assessments and interventions for speech sound disorders and to hone my lab managerial skills. My research interests include investigating changes in speech and language abilities in multilingual populations across the lifespan. Clinically, I am interested in working with multilingual populations and would like to work in a pediatric outpatient clinic or inpatient rehabilitation after I graduate.
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Madelynn Barbatti
Title/Position
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I am a fourth-year undergraduate student studying Speech and Hearing Science. My goal is to attend a graduate program and become a Speech-Language Pathologist. I am excited to join this lab as I hope to gain research experience that could be beneficial to me in my future endeavors! I look forward to expanding my knowledge in the development of articulation, phonology, and oral-motor control.
Sophia Chesney
Title/Position
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I am a second-year student at the University of Iowa majoring in Speech and Hearing Sciences. I hope to attend a graduate program to become a Speech Language Pathologist in the future. I became a part of the Speech Sensorimotor Development Lab to dip my toes into the water and gain some experience regarding what speech language pathologists do in their day-to-day life. My goal with this lab is to become familiar with more people in the profession and gain new knowledge about the topics of phonetics and sound processing/word formulation in pediatric populations. I hope to eventually work in a hospital treating children who struggle with speech disorders and maybe (just maybe) open a practice of my own one day!
Shannon Condon
Title/Position
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I am a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Iowa studying Speech and Hearing Sciences. After receiving my undergraduate degree, I plan on attending a graduate program to gain my master's degree in Speech Pathology. I joined the staff at the SSD lab to deepen my understanding of pediatric speech processing and development. I also wanted to gain research experience before I began my graduate studies. My hope is to one day work in a clinical setting with children with both language and speech disorders.
Brinn Johnson
Title/Position
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I am a second-year student at the University of Iowa studying Speech and Hearing Science and Spanish. I became a part of the Speech Sensorimotor Development Lab to grow my experience in the field and further my understanding and passion for Speech Language Pathology. My goal with this lab is to get a more hands-on approach to experience work as an SLP, especially with children, and further my knowledge of phonetics. In the future, I hope to work as a Pediatric Speech Language Pathologist in a clinic!
Ellie Kilburg
Title/Position
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I am a first-year undergraduate student studying Speech and Hearing Sciences here at the University of Iowa. My intention in joining the Speech Sensorimotor Development Lab is to pursue my interest of speech studies and gain both knowledge and experience in a research setting. I plan to attend a graduate program and work as a Speech-Language Pathologist in a hospital or school. I look forward to the hands-on involvement and insight into pediatric speech development that this lab will provide!
Camryn McIlravy
Title/Position
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I am a third-year undergraduate student studying Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University of Iowa. My goal is to attend graduate school to become a Speech-Language Pathologist and work with children in a hospital or clinical setting. I am excited to join the Speech Sensorimotor Development Lab to explore the research side of Speech Pathology through hands-on experience! I look forward to gaining valuable insights into pediatric speech development that will support my future career!
Heaven Ross
Title/Position
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I am a third-year undergraduate student studying Speech and Hearing Science at the University of Iowa. After completing my degree, I plan to attend graduate school to further my education and pursue a career in Speech-Language Pathology. I joined the Speech Sensorimotor Lab to gain valuable research experience and deepen my understanding of speech science. This opportunity allows me to explore my passion for communication disorders while building skills that will support my future academic and professional goals.
Emma Ward
Title/Position
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I am a second-year undergraduate student studying Speech and Hearing Science here at the University of Iowa. In the future, I would like to attend a graduate program to become a Speech-Language Pathologist, and eventually work in a hospital setting primarily with children struggling with speech disorders. I'm excited to be a part of this lab, so that I can gain experience in the research side of Speech Pathology and learn more about the career. My goal in this lab is to learn about the development of articulation, phonology, and oral-motor control, while gaining skills that could assist me in the future.