November 14, 2022

Dr. Kendrea Garand, ADC co-founder, and Kaylie Holzapfel will be presenting at a learning event hosted by ADC and MLH on Clinical Considerations When Providing Swallowing and AAC Services to Patients with ALS - a specialized learning opportunity! The event will take place on December 1st, 2022. In-person learning in Mobile is available for the first 21 registrants - online Zoom option is available to all!

Register here: https://forms.gle/vLNRgjpfktjC2BiW7

November 8, 2022

Last week, Dr. G had the honor of presenting at the 21st annual Northeast ALS (NEALS) Consortium meeting in Clearwater, FL. It was great to be back in person and be surrounded by admirable clinical researchers and clinicians dedicated to improving the lives of those with ALS until a cure can be found

November 7, 2022

Congrats to our SDI doctoral student, Kevin Renz Ambrocio, on successfully completing and defending his predissertation, Sequential swallowing in healthy adults: a biomechanical analysis. Also want to extend gratitude to the expertise and membership offered by his Committee members: Dr. G (Chair), Dr. Anna Miles, Dr. Dahye Choi and Dr. Brenda Beverly. Well done Kevin!

October 26, 2022

Dr. G was invited to present to Dysphagia Cafe last night for an enrichment webinar with attendees from all over the world! Her title was 'Using simulation and standardized patients to build dysphagia and inter professional competencies in graduate education.' Great to see how educators are devoted to training the next generation of clinicians, educators and scientists!

October 19, 2022

New pub alert! Check out the latest publication from the SDI Lab featuring co-authors, Drs. Beall, Hill, Pearson and Martin-Harris, along with Mrs. Blair and Mrs. Davidson, representing an interdisciplinary collaboration to better understand how aging impacts swallowing function using standardized and validated metrics.

October 12, 2022

The SDI lab is extremely proud and honored to introduce Dr. Ankita Bhutada!! Dr. Bhutada successfully defended her dissertation yesterday Your future is bright! Congrats as well to her committee members, Drs. Garand (Chair), Beverly, Broughton, and Carnaby!

October 3, 2022

The inaugural 2022 ADC Dysphagia Conference was held this past weekend at our second location - The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa at the beautiful Bryant Conference Center. Our speakers included Co-Founders and Co-Directors of the ADC, Dr. G, Dr. Memorie Gosa, as well as Dr. Debra Suiter, and Mrs. Grayson Hill. For our optional 3rd day, we had Gina Armstrong from Eastern Shore Swallowing Diagnostics lead an introductory FEES course at the Speech and Hearing Center. Hands-on training was integrated into the conference program all 3 days, as well as the use of live audience response during presentations. We were so fortunate to have sponsorships, with on-site sponsors represented, including TIMS Medical, Ampcare, LLC, Bracco Diagnostics, and KayPENTAX. We were fortunate to have other sponsorships, including Encore, Northern Speech Services, MedSLP Collective, SpeechPathology.com, National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders, as well as support from University of Alabama and University of South Alabama. Thank you sponsors and thank you attendees for making this first conference event a wild success!!! We already have our advanced topic theme for next year, so stay tuned for more details!

September 19, 2022

Dissertation Defense Announcement! Please join us as Doctoral Candidate, Ankita Bhutada, defends her dissertation project examining EMST in OSA. Not local? Join via Zoom (Zoom link in flyer pic below). See you there!

September 15, 2022

New fall semester, new lab picture! Grateful for a fantastic team Pictured: Dr. Kendrea Garand (PI), Ankita Bhutada (Doctoral Candidate), Kevin Ambrocio (Doctoral Student), Michele Dacy-Nichols (Doctoral Student), Christal Slaughter (Graduate Assistant), and Anna Underwood (Undergraduate Volunteer)

September 12, 2022

Along with clinical faculty (and AAC guru), Ms. Kaylie Holzapfel, we were honored to help kick off this year's 2022 Walk 2 Defeat ALS event this past Thursday (9/8/22) at POST in downtown Mobile.

Click on the link below to donate to this year's Walk 2 Defeat ALS through the ALS Association! Donate, join our SDI team to walk with us on 10/1, and help us spread the word to raise awareness and funds to support patients and their loved ones, and fund research in ALS

https://donate.al.als.org/team/427583

September 1, 2022

Click on the link below to donate to this year's Walk 2 Defeat ALS through the ALS Association! Donate, join our SDI team to walk with us on 10/1, and help us spread the word to raise awareness and funds to support patients and their loved ones, and fund research in ALS

https://donate.al.als.org/team/427583

August 24, 2022

Who's excited for ASHA 2022? We at the SDI lab sure are!! We'll be there featuring current and former members with internal and external collaborations. We're happy to contribute to this year's theme "Reframe Your Thinking: Resilience Reinvented". Hope to see you there!

August 8, 2022

New CEU course release! Check out the following course on dysphagia in OSA by Drs. Garanda and Emma Wallace through the NSS site!

Course: Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Implications for the Speech-Language Pathologist

August 4, 2022

Rossabi, along with our very own doctoral candidate, Ankita. We also acknowledge previous SDI members: Erin Milford, Kathryn Dinsmore Marcum, and Mary Catherine Reilly who helped with accrual and data collection.

Check out the publication: Pilot Study of Respiratory–Swallow Coordination in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

July 22, 2022

Congratulations to our PhD student, Kevin Renz Ambrocio, for being selected to attend the 2nd Annual Dysphagia Research Society Institute for Education Conference in Milwaukee, WI! This amazing event features presentations and networking opportunities with dysphagia experts across multiple disciplines. We're so proud you're representing the SDI Lab in this amazing opportunity!

July 18, 2022

Publication alert! Check out our latest publication in collaboration with Dr. Emma Wallace from The University of Syndey - Letter to the Editor re: dysphagia in patients post-stroke with OSA. Click here to check it out!!

July 13, 2022

The Alabama Dysphagia Collective will be collaborating with Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare to host a virtual learning series on Wednesday, August 3rd from 12pm - 1pm! Dr. Georgia Malandraki will be presenting on "The Intensive Dysphagia Rehabilitation Approach (IDRA): Combining Neuroscientific knowledge and principles in clinical practice". It is FREE to attend for Alabama Dysphagia professionals and Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare Associates!

June 8, 2022

This past weekend, we were so honored to take part in the inaugural Alabama Dysphagia Conference hosted by the Alabama Dysphagia Collective! What better way to kick off Dysphagia Awareness Month than by bringing together approximately 30 clinicians from 5 states to learn from each other?! One unique opportunity about this conference is that attendees were offered various hands-on opportunities to engage with the material, including smaller breakout sessions surrounding various "hot" topics in dysphagia (e.g., biofeedback in dysphagia management), and an optional third-day introductory FEES training where attendees passed scopes numerous times on each other. Missed this opportunity? No worries - we are hosting the same conference at the University of Alabama from 9/30 - 10/1 - register today at the link below! https://www.flowcode.com/page/aldysphagiaconference2022. Special thanks to our following sponsors, which helped keep registration costs low for our attendees: University of South Alabama, University of Alabama, TIMS, Ampcare, Bracco Diagnostics, Encore Rehabilitation, The Medical SLP Collective, National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders, Northern Speech Services, Eastern Shore Swallowing Diagnostics, SpeechPathology.com, and Pentax Medical.

April 11, 2022

Dr. G was invited to present this past Friday (4/8) at the Alabama Society of Radiologic Technologist annual conference held in Mobile, AL for 2022. Good interdisciplinary practices lead to better patient outcomes! #sdilab

April 7, 2022

Our mind is blown! Dr. G is so excited to be a part of the amazing line-up of speakers (28!!!!) for the upcoming FREE (yes, FREE!) MedSLP Summit in May. Further details can be found here: https://medslpcollective.com/medical-slp-summit/

March 24, 2022

One of our favorite events of the year! This past Monday evening, our College inducted students into the Alpha Eta Society for allied health students and faculty during a celebratory banquet. This year, we were able to celebrate our very own, Ashley Roberts, as she was inducted. Congrats Ashley!

March 21, 2022

Last week was definitely a whirlwind and filled with great things! There were 2 simultaneous virtual conferences that featured work by the SDI lab, including ASHA's Controversies and Consensus in Dysphagia Management and the annual meeting of the Dysphagia Research Society. This work featured collaborations with two other institutions and five healthcare disciplines! Congrats to all for these successful collaborations #ittakesavillage #dysphagia #drs2022 #asha

March 11, 2022

Congratulations to SDI Thesis Student, Courtney, for her success defense of her master's thesis project this morning! We also want to acknowledge her Committee Members, Drs. Ashwini MacDonald and Dahye Choi, for their valuable expertise in the successful completion of this project.

March 9, 2022

The ASHA Online Conference, Controversies and Consensus in Dysphagia Management, that is being held March 9–21, 2022 has now begun! Dr. G is proud to serve as one of the invited speakers - check out this amazing line-up of speakers! #dysphagia #sdilab

February 26, 2022

A great example of interdisciplinary collaborations! SLP + AUD = Latest SDI lab pub! Congrats to doctoral candidate, Ankita, and Dr. Tara Davis for this contribution to the literature.

February 25, 2022

Publication alert! Check out our review article on how to appraise a meta-analysis publication, our most recent in a planned series to help readers navigate through the various types of research articles. Always a great collaboration with Drs. Cara Donohue and Giselle Carnaby!

https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2021_AJSLP-21-00267

February 15, 2022

Congrats to Dr. G on being elected to the Faculty Senate as a representative for the College of Allied Health Professions!

January 25, 2022

Congrats to Dr. G for being selected as part of ASHA’s 2022 Leadership Development Program (LDP)! The LDP program encourages development of leadership skills and giving back to the profession through volunteering.

More information about the LDP can be found here: https://www.asha.org/.../Leadership-Development-Program/

December 16, 2021

Congrats SDI doctoral candidate, Ankita Bhutada, on her latest publication stemming from her predissertation project! #sdilab #osa #dysphagiawareness

https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2021_PERSP-21-00171

December 15, 2021

On Friday, December 10, SDI Lab Thesis Student, Courtney Petersen, successfully defended her thesis proposal! Congrats Courtney!! We also want to recognize her committee members, Drs. Dahye Choi and Ashwini MacDonald for sharing their expertise to this project. #sdilab

November 24, 2021

Collaborations involving the SDI lab were well represented at the ASHA 2021 Convention. Former and current members of the SDI lab participated in 5 technical research sessions and 1 poster session. These collaborations included work across 6 US states and 2 countries. Congrats to all of the authors on the success of these works, many of which are already published. #sdilab #dysphagiawareness #dowhatyoulove

November 24, 2021

Congratulations to Ankita Bhutada, SDI doctoral candidate, on the receipt of the New Century Doctoral Scholarship at the 2021 ASHA Convention. We are so proud of you! #sdilab #osa #dysphagiawareness #WeareSouth

October 23, 2021

A beautiful (and very sunny ) day to Walk to Defeat ALS. This was our best year yet to raise funds - we raised over $1400. Thank you for your support! Join us back in 2022!

October 22, 2021

Congrats to Mrs. Allie Zimmerman, a 2020 SDI Alumna, who was nominated for the university-wide Outstanding Thesis of the Year Award by the Department of Speech Pathology & Audiology. This work was later published in the Dysphagia journal. Congrats Allie!

October 20, 2021

Check out our latest publication! And huge thanks to collaborators, Dr. Debra Mehuron Suiter, Dr. Amy Chen, Ms. Justine Zohar, and Ms. Stephanie Reyes for making this pilot study come to publication. As always, if you are an ASHA member, you can access the publication for free. #sdilab #ALS #dysphagiawareness

https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2021_AJSLP-21-00092

October 19, 2021

Join Alabama Dysphagia Collective for their last FREE CEU event for 2021 with special guest, Dr. Corkins. Don't worry, we'll have another 4 CEU events (always for free!) for next year as well.

October 2, 2021

What an honor for Dr. G to participate on the NIH Motor Function, Speech and Rehabilitation (MFSR) Study Section as a temporary reviewer for the October meeting as part of their Early Career Reviewer (ECR) Program. To learn more about this amazing program, check out the following website: https://public.csr.nih.gov/ForReviewers/BecomeAReviewer/ECR

October 2, 2021

Dr. G was honored to be an invited speaker at the 2021 KSHA Convention last week to present on the value of a comprehensive cranial nerve examination for assessment of motor speech and swallowing functions. #sdilab

October 2, 2021

Check out our lab's latest international publication that included an analysis of over 800 survey respondents led by Dr. Emma Wallace #sdilab #osa #dysphagia

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34586555/

September 24, 2021

We just crossed the $1,000 mark! We are so grateful for your support in our efforts to help those with ALS. Haven't donated yet? No worries, there's still time. Donate by using the link below.

https://donate.al.als.org/team/368801

September 21, 2021

We are so very proud to share that Ankita Bhutada is the recipient of the prestigious ASHA 2021 New Century Doctoral Scholarship! Congrats Ankita! #sdilab #Dysphagia #ashfoundation

September 17, 2021

On September 16 and 17th, Dr. G had the honor of attending the ASHA Special Interest Group 13 Coordinating Committee "face-to-face" meeting. This amazing group of women leaders advocated for those with communication and swallowing disorders on Capitol Hill (Dr. G met virtually with staff members of Senator Tuberville, Senator Shelby and Congressman Carl), and brainstormed innovate ways to promote dysphagia awareness and best clinical practices to serve those with dysphagia. For more information on SIG 13, including how to become involved, check out: https://www.asha.org/sig/

September 11, 2021

Dr. G and Dr. Georgia Malandraki were featured on the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine's podcast hosted by Dr. Elie Naddaf. Check it out below! #dysphagiawareness #sdilab #neuromuscular #IBM

https://www.aanem.org/Education/Podcasts?fileid=4113

August 28, 2021

Woo hoo! We have raised over $500 for the upcoming Walk to Defeat ALS! Thank you to all of those have helped raise funds and opened their wallets to help support. #weaintdoneyet #ALSawareness #sdilab #ALSA

https://donate.al.als.org/team/368801

August 5, 2021

ASHA members can access for FREE the following new publication just released today! Congrats to Drs. Cara Donohue, Giselle Carnaby and Kendrea Garand!

https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2021_AJSLP-21-00004

August 3, 2021

Thank you for your support in helping the SDI Research Lab to raise funds for those living with ALS! The majority of individuals with ALS will experience changes to their speech and swallowing, which is why the SDI lab is dedicated to providing clinical and research efforts towards this patient population.

July 22, 2021

Check out Dr. G and Dr. Emma Wallace on the Swallow Your Pride podcast where they dive into a discussion about dysphagia in obstructive sleep apea. Thanks Theresa Richard Slp for hosting us!

July 8, 2021

FREE CEU! Register Now! ASHA approved CE event for Alabama SLPs and MLH Associates scheduled for August 29, 2021. Register via email at ALDysphagiaCollective@gmail.com.

June 24, 2021

Dr. G was nominated by SDI doctoral student, Ankita Bhutada, to be highlighted as part of ASHA SIG 13's Community Feature in honor of Dysphagia Awareness Month. Check out the graphic here highlighting her work to help raise dysphagia awareness and support those with dysphagia!

June 17, 2021

Congrats doctoral student, Ankita Bhutada, on being selected to participate in the DRS interdisciplinary fall conference! We are so proud that you are representing the SDI lab in this amazing opportunity!

June 9, 2021

Are you an SLP in Alabama? Do you want to have FREE access to ALL content on MedBridge, including the almost 100 courses related to dysphagia (https://www.medbridgeeducation.com), for one-year? Well, Dr. Garand (Co-Founder/Co-Director of the ADC) worked with the Alabama Chapter of the ALS Association to make it so! For more information about participating in the SLP Provider Education and Outreach Program, please contact Melissa Enfinger, Director of Care Services and Public Policy, via email at melissa@alsalabama.org or by calling 334-312-3328. https://www.als.org/alabama

June 2, 2021

Join Dr. G for her ASHA webinar later this month on the clinical swallowing examination. Can't make it? No worries! Watch the recording later through on-demand!!

Check out the live webinar here https://on.asha.org/3wxyk9k and on-demand webinar here https://on.asha.org/3hYjm8v

May 25, 2021

Introducing the first ever doctoral candidate of the SDI Lab - Ms. Ankita Bhutada! And as is tradition in our department, the tiara was transferred from the last doctoral candidate to her this morning. Congrats Ankita on this HUGE milestone on your doctoral journey! Proud of you #sdilab #dysphagia

May 24, 2021

A great way to kick off the work week is finding out that your doctoral student's project is funded - Congratulations Ankita!

April 15, 2021

We are so excited to share our latest pub in the Dysphagia journal from the work of previous master's thesis student, Mrs. Allie Zimmerman. We also want to recognize her co-authors, Drs. Estis and Smith from the University of South Alabama, as well as Dr. Shune from the University of Oregon. Congrats Allie - we are so proud! And thank you to her Committee Members for their valuable expertise and time!

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00455-021-10301-8

April 14, 2021

Congrats to SDI lab member, Addison Grissett, on being inducted into Alpha Eta Society last night! Dr. Garand was also 1 of 4 faculty members inducted as well. Alpha Eta Society is the national honor society for allied health professions. Way to go!

April 2, 2021

The SDI lab is proud to share the latest interdisciplinary publication reviewing the effects of music therapy for patients with ALS. Check it out (for free!) here: https://www.austmta.org.au/.../active-music-interventions...

March 22, 2021

The SDI lab is ecstatic to share the Alabama Dysphagia Collective Facebook page recently launched. Dr. Garand, Principal Investigator of the SDI Lab, is Co-Founder and Co-Director of the ADC, along with Dr. Memorie Gosa from the University of Alabama. The ADC is a collaboration of academicians, clinical investigators, clinicians, students, and related stakeholders dedicated to advancing feeding and swallowing science, clinical care, education and public advocacy. They offer free CEU events throughout the year, so make sure to like/follow the page for the latest news!

https://www.facebook.com/AlabamaDysphagiaCollective/?ref=page_internal

March 12, 2021

The SDI lab was proud to participate in 3 scientific poster presentations at this year's virtual DRS Annual Meeting. We want to specifically recognize the first authors, including Mrs. Allie Zimmerman, who presented her master's thesis (2020 graduate), Dr. Cara Donohue (recent 2021 doctoral graduate from the University of Pittsburgh), and Dr. Emma Wallace (current post-doctoral fellow in Australia). These collaborations spanned 5 universities! We have so enjoyed our collaborations and look forward to more in the future. Thank you Dysphagia Research Society for hosting this fantastic event that brought together clinicians and researchers from almost 30 countries from around the world. See you next year in Puerto Rico! #drs2021

March 5, 2021

Another work week down, and what better way to celebrate our own doctoral student, Ankita Bhutada, on her successful defense of her predissertation project, "Predictors of Dysphagia in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS)". A big thanks also to her committee members, Drs. Garand (Chair), Beverly, Choi, and Broughton. We can't wait to see where this research will take you next Ankita! Congrats!

February 23, 2021

Ms. Mary Mason Corbett successfully defended her master's thesis project titled, Pharyngeal residue in healthy, non-dysphagia middle-aged adults. Her Committee members also included Drs. Sonja Molfenter (NYU) and Dahye Choi (South). This work is part of a larger collaborative effort between the SDI Lab and the NYU Swallowing Research Lab directed by Dr. Molfenter.

February 23, 2021

Ms. Addison Grisset successfully defended her master's thesis project titled, Quantifying pharyngeal residue in healthy older adults. Her Committee members also included Drs. Sonja Molfenter (NYU) and Dahye Choi (South). This work is part of a larger collaborative effort between the SDI Lab and the NYU Swallowing Research Lab directed by Dr. Molfenter.

February 11, 2021

Dr. Garand will serving as Vice Chairperson on the Executive Board for the 2021 American Board of Swallowing & Swallowing Disorders, responsible for designating Board Certified Specialists in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders (BCS-S)! To learn more about this organization and the BCS-S designation, check out their website: https://www.swallowingdisorders.org

February 4, 2021

The SDI lab announced a 3-part series resulting from a Care Grant received from Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. in collaboration with the AL Chapter of the ALS Association (@ALSAlabama). Dr. Garand served as Co-Chairperson of the Advisory Board, an interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals from across the nation, which developed the following 3 modules: ALS 101; Introduction to the Assessment and Management of Dysphagia in ALS; and Speech and Augmentative/Alternative Commuication (AAC) in ALS. Drs. Emily Plowman and Debra Suiter assisted with development to the swallowing module. Grant funds will be used to pay for clinician access to the course (and all courses offered by Medbridge), with profits sustaining future clinician access.

https://www.medbridgeeducation.com/.../introduction-to...

February 4, 2021

Dr. Garand was highlighted in Purdue University Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences Alumni Spotlight. Dr. G received her master's from Purdue in 2007, which ignited her interest in research and clinical interests in medical speech-language pathology.

January 28, 2021

Dr. Garand was selected for Editor for Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, SIG 13: Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders (Dysphagia) Journal. She will serve as Editor of this scholarly publication from 2021 - 2023 under EIC, Dr. Mary Sandage (Auburn University).

https://academy.pubs.asha.org/.../perspectives.../...

January 13, 2021

Dr. Garand featured as part of Slp RandR's Interview with a Researcher Series. Check out the full (written) interview here: https://slprandr.com/.../interview-with-a-researcher.../

December 2, 2020

SDI doctoral student, Ankita Bhutada, was selected as a winner for the 2021 Dysphagia Research Society Sponsor-A-Student Program. She will receive free registration for the 2021 DRS annual meeting, as well as a free student membership for one year.

November 19, 2020

Dr. Garand presented to the medical SLP rounds sponsored by Dr. Hegland's Upper Airway Dysfunction lab at the University of Florida. She was able to share some preliminary data from a collaborative project with Dr. Wallace from Flinders University (Australia) and SDI doctoral student, Ankita Bhutada.

November 11, 2020

Dr. Garand was honored to be a part of the Fall 2020 Research Round Table Series hosted by the University of Pittsburgh Communication Science and Disorders, of which she is a 2010 alumna. She was able to present ongoing collaborative work in healthy aging, as well as initial results from a recent study examining respiratory-swallow incoordination in patients with ALS.

October 19, 2020

Dr. Garand was featured as a guest for the Down the Hatch Podcast by Drs. Ianessa Humbert and Alicia Vose, for a thought-provoking (and fun!) discussion related to the Cranial Nerve Examination as part of their Neurophysiology Series. Listen on iTunes or here:

https://soundcloud.com/down-the-hatch

October 12, 2020

Dr. Garand filmed a course related to dysphagia in ALS. This work is sponsored by a grant from Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma by the AL chapter of the ALS Association to create ASL educational materials for SLPs. Grant funds will be able to pay for annual memberships for SLPs and allows for sustainability for additional memberships year after year.

October 1, 2020

Doctoral student, Ankita Bhutada, presented her poster at the 10th Annual European Society for Swallowing Disorders Online Virtual Congress. Her work involved collaboration with Audiology faculty, Dr. Tara Davis, investigating use of ERP measures to study swallowing behaviors.

August 28, 2020

Mary Mason Corbett, a graduate student in speech-language pathology, successfully defended her thesis proposal defense. Her project will be, Pharyngeal residue in healthy, non-dysphagia, middle-aged adults. Her committee members include Dr. Garand (Chair), Dr. Choi, and Dr. Molfenter (NYU). She will be employing image-based measures (NRRS, ASPEKT pharyngeal measure) to determine pharyngeal residue in healthy adults ages 40-59 years.

August 19, 2020

Ankita Bhutada successfully defended her pre-dissertation proposal, Predictors of dysphagia in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Her committee members include Dr. Garand (Chair), Dr. Choi, Dr. Beverly, and Dr. Broughton.

August 7, 2020

Doctoral student, Ankita Bhutada, published an article in the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, which examined factors related to pharyngeal swallow onset in healthy adults.

https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-20-00027

August 5, 2020

Addison Grissett successfully defended her thesis proposal defense, Quantifying pharyngeal residue in healthy older adults. Her committee members include Dr. Garand (Chair), Dr. Choi, and Dr. Molfenter (NYU). She will be employing image-based measures (NRRS, ASPEKT pharyngeal measure) to determine pharyngeal residue in healthy adults aged 60 years and older.

July 27, 2020

The ALS Association Alabama Chapter sponsored an EmpowerED Webseries. Dr. Garand was honored to present "Communication and Swallowing Considerations in ALS," and the recording is now available. Check out the following helpful links below, which includes registration for the upcoming webinars in the monthly series and a helpful ebook that can be provided to patients and caregivers:

Main website: https://www.empoweredwebseries.org/home

Recording: https://www.gomeet.com/065-464-269/EA52DF81874D3A

Ebook: https://www.flipsnack.com/86F8FF5BDC9/new-flipbook.html

June 22, 2020

Dr. Garand was awarded the 2020 Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health Professions Excellence in Research.

June 8, 2020

The SDI lab was featured in the ANNALS of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology #ImageOfTheWeek.

May 9, 2020

Mary Catherine Cazalas was featured in South's publication which highlighted her academic successes, including her work in the SDI lab: https://www.southalabama.edu/departments/publicrelations/pressreleases/050920cazalas.html.

May 9, 2020

The SDI lab sends the 2020 graduates congratulatory wishes. Four SDI members graduated, including Mary Catherine Cazalas (graduate assistant and thesis completion), Allie Zimmerman (thesis completion), Bailey Williams (research assistant), and Emilee Cunningham (thesis in progress). Please check out our virtual recognition ceremony here: https://youtu.be/kRz304_0Qfw.

March 11, 2020

Allie Zimmerman successfully defended of master's thesis, Comparison of patient-reported and caregiver-reported swallowing-related quality-of-life in Parkinson's disease. We also want to recognize her committee members, Drs. Estis, Smith and Shune.

.January 13, 2020

Two student SURF (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow) projects were accepted for scholarly publication! We want to recognize Ms. Lindsey Culp, 2018 SURF, and Ms. Taylor Thomas, 2019 SURF. Full citations are provided below:

1. Garand (Focht) KL, Thomas T, Dey R. Factors influencing presence or absence of laterality during pharyngeal bolus clearance. Accepted for publication in Persp ASHA Spec Interest Groups.

2. Garand (Focht) KL, Culp LS, Wang B, Davidson (Humphries) K, Martin-Harris B. Aging effects on esophageal transit time in the upright position during videofluoroscopy. Accepted for publication in Ann Otol Rhino Laryngol.

January 10, 2020

Mary Catherine Cazalas, who is Graduate Assistant for the SDI Lab, successfully defended her master's thesis, Factors Influencing Oral Bolus Hold Type - Tipper or Dipper. We also want to recognize her committee members, Drs. Estis, Dey, Choi and Mrs. Hill. This work will also be showcased as a scientific poster presentation in March at the Dysphagia Research Society, meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

January 8, 2020

The SDI lab was featured as a digital report for WKRG 5 with Caroline Carithers. The story focuses on the current work in understanding respiratory-swallow coordination in patients with ALS. Check out the full video here: https://www.wkrg.com/mobile-county/researchers-at-university-of-south-alabama-are-working-to-help-als-patients/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_WKRG&fbclid=IwAR0mjS7hcwCi1viTnHH_P6ysObFjw_draG5KYOdZJjoQXoI0LA10_pSOvt0

December 11, 2019

The SDI lab was featured as a top story in the publication discovered@south - a publication focused on research at the University of South Alabama. Check out the full story here: https://www.southalabama.edu/departments/publicrelations/pressreleases/120919dysphagia.html

December 5, 2019

Dr. Garand was awarded a Faculty Development Council Fellows Program Grant. This internal mechanism will allow her funding to assist her in writing a competitive NIH grant proposal for submission in 2020.

November 21-23, 2019

The SDI lab was proud to present 3 times at American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention in Orlando, FL. Dr. Garand presented, SLP Neurology Talk! Your Questions Answered, using an audience response system for live interaction. She also presented, Aging Effects on Oropharyngeal Swallowing in a Large Sample of Healthy Adults: A Prospective Videofluoroscopic Study. SDI doctoral student, Ankita Bhutada, presented her first oral session, Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) and Dysphagia: A Systematic Review.

October 31, 2019

Taylor Thomas, 2019 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow and SDI Lab Volunteer, presented her SURF project, Factors Influencing Presence or Absence of Laterality during Pharyngeal Bolus Clearance, at the 2019 SURF Symposium on November 1, 2019.