The School’s PhD program provides research and educational opportunities for students to develop scholarly excellence in the study of human communication.
Click on the names below for an insight into the research topics, interests and background of current SASS doctoral students.
Supervisor:
Dr. Navid Shahnaz & Dr. David Stapells
Bio:
Ronald is a PhD student at the School of Audiology and Speech Sciences at the University of British Columbia. His research is focused on furthering our understanding on how acoustic stimulus parameters are processed from the cochlea up to the brainstem in infants and adults with normal hearing and hearing loss. In addition, Ronald’s research investigates the estimation of physiological thresholds in infants using both air and bone conducted stimuli.
Research Topic:
Frequency and place specificity of the human auditory brainstem responses to NB CE-Chirp® LS in adults with normal hearing versus cochlear hearing loss.
Research Interests:
Acoustic calibration; The effects of stimulus rates and masking noise on auditory brainstem and steady-state responses; Development or assessment of statistical and/or objective methods of response detection in auditory evoked potentials; Maturation of physiologic thresholds.
Supervisor:
Dr. Tami Howe
Bio:
Katharine is a registered speech-language pathologist and PhD student in speech-language pathology. Before starting her PhD at the UBC SASS, Katharine completed a BA in International Relations, MA in Linguistics, and a MSc in Speech-Language Pathology.
Research Topic:
The met and unmet communication needs of individuals with primary progressive aphasia and their families: A stakeholder consensus
Research Interests:
Dementia-related communication disorders; Primary progressive aphasia and other language-led dementias; Knowledge translation; the World Health Organization International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health; Rights-based approaches to communication disability
Supervisor:
Dr. Navid Shahnaz
Bio:
May is a PhD student at the School of Audiology and Speech Sciences, UBC. She received both her Bachelor of Medicine and General Surgery and Master Degree in Audiology at Menoufyia University, Egypt. May worked as an audiologist in Egypt for 7 years at Menoufiya University Hospital. She worked as an assistant lecturer of Audiology at the faculty of Medicine Menoufyia University, Egypt.
Research Topic:
The long-term effect of COVID-19 on Auditory and Vestibular system.
Supervisor:
Dr. Lorienne Jenstad
Bio:
Danielle is a PhD student at the School of Audiology and Speech Sciences and a practicing audiologist and hearing instrument practitioner. She received her BA in Linguistics/Psychology from the University of Manitoba and MSc from the University of British Columbia School of Audiology and Speech Sciences. She serves on additional committees focused on hearing health advocacy in British Columbia, notably the Speech and Hearing BC Indigenous Services Working Group. Danielle is working on the Breaking Barriers research project co-led by Dr. Lorienne Jenstad and Dr. Brenda Poon. This project is aimed at empowering primary care providers to instigate change in the hearing health care of their patients.
Supervisor:
Dr. Stacey Skoretz
Bio:
Veronica completed her clinical master’s degree in speech-language pathology at the School of Audiology and Speech Sciences, which included a thesis with Dr. Skoretz: “Determining the Feasibility of Assessing Salivary Biomarkers and Swallowing Perception in those with Sjogren’s Syndrome and Healthy Controls”. She has completed training in salivary bioscience at the University of California-Irvine’s Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, and has a diploma in linguistics from UBC and a BSc in biological sciences from the University of Alberta.
Research Topic:
Veronica’s doctoral research is focused on volumetric and compositional changes in saliva and how these changes impact swallow physiology and perception in disease and healthy conditions.
Research Interests:
Dysphagia, swallowing, salivary biomarkers, chronic illness, patient perceptions of swallowing, quality of life
Supervisor:
Dr. Tami Howe
Bio:
I am a registered speech-language pathologist and part-time PhD student at the School of Audiology and Speech Sciences, UBC. I received my BA in Linguistics and Psychology from Simon Fraser University and Masters in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Alberta. I have extensive clinical experience in acute, rehabilitation and community settings in Prince George, BC. I have had the opportunity to be a clinical educator with UBC-SNAP (Student Northern Aphasia Project) in which SLP students were paired to co-lead aphasia conversation therapy groups and teach other healthcare students about aphasia and supportive conversation strategies.
Research Topic:
I am interested in understanding what the experience of living alone for people with aphasia is and how it affects their community participation.
Research Interests:
Stroke, aphasia, quality of life, Life Participation Approach to Aphasia, community reintegration post-stroke, knowledge translation, neurogenic communication disorders, novel service delivery models, clinical education models, and interdisciplinary education.
Supervisor:
Dr. Stacey Skoretz
Bio:
Ann-Marie is a PhD student at the School of Audiology and Speech Sciences, UBC. She received both her B.A. in Psychology and M.Sc. in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Alberta. Ann-Marie has extensive clinical experience in acute care and rehabilitation hospitals in Canada, the UK and Australia, with a particular interest in critical care.
Research Topic:
Ann-Marie is studying the biomechanics of swallowing following tracheostomy and the science behind the implementation of evidence-based practice.