LAB MEMBERS

Dr. Castro is an Associate Professor in the Communicative Disorders and Sciences Department at the University at Buffalo. She received a Dual-Title Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology and Gerontology from the University of Kansas. She completed two postdoctoral fellowships: one at the Georgia Institute of Technology (NIH/NIA T32 in Cognitive Aging) and one at the University of Washington (NIH/NIDCD F32 in Aphasia). 

Nichol is from Southern California, but through her studies has lived in four time zones (California, Colorado, Kansas, Georgia, Washington, and New York). In her free time, she loves being outdoors and enjoys camping, hiking, trail running, and rock climbing.  

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Allison (Alli) is a second-year graduate student in the Speech-Language Pathology program at the University at Buffalo. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences with a minor in Education from UB. She is passionate about advocacy and community engagement, with a strong focus on improving communication access for individuals of all ages. Outside of the clinic, she enjoys traveling, shopping, and watching the Buffalo Bills 

Hailey is a second-year graduate student in the Speech-Language Pathology program at the University at Buffalo. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences with a minor in Health and Human Services from UB. Her research interests include bilingual/multilingual service delivery and diversity in the field of communicative disorders and sciences. After completing her Master's, she hopes to work in an acute care setting specializing in dysphagia or voice disorders. She also hopes to serve Spanish-speaking communities. In her free time, she enjoys painting, baking, hiking, and spending time with friends and family. 

Lauren is a first-year graduate student in the Speech-Language Pathology program at the University at Buffalo. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences with minors in Education and Counseling from UB. She is passionate about advocating for mental health and creating opportunities for individuals of all abilities to participate and thrive. In her free time, Lauren loves to spend time with her family and friends, go to coffee shops, and travel. 

Ryka is a second-year graduate student in the Speech-Language Pathology program at the University at Buffalo. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science with minors in Psychology and Human Development & Family Sciences from the University of Delaware. She is interested in medical speech-language pathology with a particular interest in dysphagia and HNC. Outside of the clinic, Ryka enjoys traveling, finding hidden-gem restaurants, cooking, and karaoke with friends.

Yuchen Wang is a second-year graduate student in the Speech-Language Pathology program at the University at Buffalo. She studied Cognitive Science with a focus on language at Vassar College, where she developed a strong interest in the multilingual speakers' language experience. She is excited to explore topics such as language acquisition and word retrieval, and is passionate about working with multilingual communities in the future. In her free time, Yuchen enjoys painting, making desserts, and building Legos.

Regan is a second-year M.A. student in the Speech-Language Pathology program at the University at Buffalo. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a minor in Audiology from Nazareth University. She is passionate about promoting communication access and empowering individuals of all ages to actively participate in their communities and decisions about their own lives. She believes everyone deserves the opportunity to communicate, connect with others, and have their voice heard. Outside of the clinic, Regan enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, baking, and spending time with her dog. 

Kennedy is a junior at the University at Buffalo majoring in Speech and Hearing Sciences and Health and Human Services with a concentration in Social Gerontology. She is still exploring her interests, but she feels a strong pull towards becoming an SLP working with adults impacted by neurogenic diseases, traumatic brain injuries, as well as stroke patient recovery. Within research she is interested in using her second degree to look at how these populations navigate systems and how said systems could be improved. In her free time Kennedy enjoys yoga, cooking, going to concerts, watching movies, and spending time with friends and family. 

Becca is a senior at the University at Buffalo studying Speech and Hearing Sciences with goals of becoming a certified Speech Language Pathologist. Through trying different experiences, I hope to find the specific area of speech I want to pursue! In my free time I enjoy cooking, weight lifting and spending time with friends and family. 

Mia is a junior majoring in Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University at Buffalo. She is interested in working with adults affected by neurogenic disorders and is excited to learn more about the field. Later on, she hopes to pursue a career in speech-language pathology and get more involved with research. In her free time, Mia enjoys reading, baking, and spending time with friends and family.