Research Program Updates

Oral Dynamics Lab

Dr. Pascal van Lieshout and Dr. Aravind Namasivayam

Updates

• University of Toronto News: https://temertymedicine.utoronto.ca/news/u-t-researchers-call-new-approach-speech-sound-disorders-children 

• CBC Radio (London Morning, Ontario Morning, Sudbury, Kitchener, Thunder Bay, Windsor) interviews broadcast on 26th Jan - Topic -  Speech sound Disorders in children and challenging long-held beliefs (Aravind)

• Viral Uptake: Two recent papers have gone viral (combined 35K views and downloads in 3 months)  - might not be big news but shows the intensity of uptake of this new research we put out. 

  • • • • https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2025.1635096/full (25K views and downloads in approx. 3 months)

        • https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2025.1700505/full (about 9-10K views and downloads in 1 month) 

• Scope of Practice Expansion for SLPs from SAC Media Post Cites our paper as key evidence: Formal announcement from Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Canada (SAC- National agency) to revise scope of practice for the profession based  on clinical research supporting ultrasound use in speech-language pathology (cites our article as key paper)
  https://www.sac-oac.ca/advocacy/sac-ontario/scope-of-practice/ 

• Invited presentation at SAC national conference April-May 2026 - Halifax - Namasivayam A. K., Li-Han, L. Y., Moore, J., Wong, W., & Van Lieshout, P.H.H.M. (2026). The speech motor basis for so-called phonological error patterns.

• Key note address: Namasivayam A. K. (2026). Title: Neurobiology of Change: Mechanisms and Mode of Action in motor speech treatment

  • • • • 2 Day National conference organized by Ministry of Social Justice and
          Empowerment - Government of India & National institute of empowerment
          of persons with intellectual disabilities

Publications

• Namasivayam A. K., Kent R. D., Preston J. L., Maassen, B.A.M., Hagedorn, C., Nip., I. S. B., McAllister, A., Wang, J., Hustad, K., Ménard, L., Bahar, N., Moore, J.,  Petrosov, J., & Van Lieshout, P. H. H. M. (2025). Reevaluating the Classification of Pediatric Speech Sound Disorders: A Ground Truthing Perspective. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 19:1700505. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2025.1700505/full

• Namasivayam A. K., Li-Han, L. Y., Moore, J., Wong, W., & Van Lieshout, P.H.H.M. (2025). The Articulatory Basis of Phonological Error Patterns in Childhood Speech Sound Disorders. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 19:1635096. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2025.1635096

Presentations

• Moore. J., & Namasivayam, A.K., (2025). Enhancing Speech Accuracy with Ultrasound Visual Biofeedback: Clinical Strategies for Pediatric Speech Sound Errors. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Convention, Washington, USA. (Nov 20-22).

• Moore. J., & Namasivayam, A.K., (2025). Research based strategies to maximize client outcomes in children with motor speech disorders. Nebraska Speech-Language-Hearing Association Fall Convention, Nebraska., USA. (Oct 9-10).

• Namasivayam, A.K., (2025). Can we predict the future? Exploring predictors of functional outcomes and risk factors for persistent speech sound disorders. 1st International Symposium on Speech Sound Disorders, New Jersey, USA (April 26).

• Namasivayam, A.K., (2026, Key Note). Neurobiology of Change: Mechanisms and Mode of Action in motor speech treatment. 2 Day National conference organized by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment - Government of India & National Institute of Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities. "Recent advances in Early intervention: A Disability Perspective - Jan 22-23, 2026" 

• Namasivayam A. K., Li-Han, L. Y., Moore, J., Wong, W., & Van Lieshout, P.H.H.M. (2026). The speech motor basis for so-called phonological error patterns." Invited presentation SAC National Conference - Halifax April- May 2026.

Language Rehabilitation and Cognition (LaRC) Lab

Dr. Tijana Simic

Updates

• Funding received from Long Covid Web Seed Grants for Developing a multilingual diagnostic tool for cognitive-linguistic deficits in Long-COVID. Co-PI: Fraser, K. Co-Investigators: Torreiter, S., Marcotte, K., Brambati, S.M. & Hamelinck, D. [$50,000 CAD]

• Tijana Simic invited to speak at Canadian Stroke Congress in May 2026. 

• Madeleine Coppolino and Kira Rosenbloom successfully completed their MHSc SLP degrees and obtained part/full-time clinical work.

• Mehvish Jamal was selected to participate in the PolyU International Research Summer School Program in Hong Kong, June 2026.

  • • • • Mehvish was also a 2025 International Conference in Aging, Innovation, and Rehabilitation 3-Minute-Thesis Finalist (opportunity given to top 20 entries)

        • Mehvish received the Rehabilitation Science Research Network for COVID 2025 International Forum on COVID Rehabilitation Research Best Trainee Abstract.

• Candela Castro successfully passed her comprehensive exam to become a PhD Candidate (November 2025).

• The LaRC Lab ran a social media campaign to raise awareness of aphasia among the public (May/June 2025; Instagram: @larclab)

Publications

• Simic, T., Laird, L., Patel, R*., Lavoie, M., Martinez, M., Gosse, P., Santos, A., Tang-Wai, D., Jokel, R., Tartaglia, C. & Rochon, E. (2025). Comprehensive intervention combining group and personalized language therapy in primary progressive aphasia: Quantitative and qualitative findings. Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions, 11:e70132. https://doi.org/10.1002/trc2.70132 IF: 6.8. First author.

• Tessaro, B., Brownsett, S. L. E., Hameau, S., Simic, T., Nickels, L., Gilmore, N., Peñaloza, C., Robson, H. & Salis, C. (2025). Assessment of cognition in aphasia: perspectives from clinicians and researchers. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 1-40. https://doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2025.2506598. IF: 2.7. Co-author.

• Paper Under Review: Muscat, C.C.*, Marshall, S. A., Irvin, A., Hickling, A., Simic, T., Broad, K. & Scratch, S. (2025) Examining educators’ understanding and application of learnings from an online brain injury professional development module – TeachABI. Child: Care, Health and Development. Co-author. (Trainee publication).

Presentations

• Inner speech as a cognitive tool in damaged language systems. Canadian Stroke Congress, Banff, AB, CA, May 24-26th 2026. Presenters: Simic, T., Long, S., Patel, R., Eng, E. & Jang, C.

• Can language features reveal subtle cognitive deficits in long covid? 2026 International Forum on COVID Rehabilitation Research; Accepted. Toronto, ON, CA, April 17th 2026. Presenters: Jamal, M., Fraser, K., Coppolino, M., Torreiter, S., Hamelinck, D-M & Simic, T.

• To cue or not to cue? Preliminary findings from three anomia treatments. Academy of Aphasia 63rd Annual Meeting, San Diego, California, USA, Oct. 26-28, 2025. Presenters: Simic, T., Patel, R.*, Coppolino, M.*, Vincent, A*. Jang, C*., Kim, E*. & Faehndrich, N*

• Castro, C., Alain, C. & Thaut, M. (2025). Memoria de Trabajo Auditiva: Un meta-análisis ALE de estímulos rítmicos y tonales [Auditory Working Memory: An ALE meta-analysis of rhythmic and tonal stimuli]. XVII Congreso Internacional de Investigación y Práctica Profesional en Psicología, XXXII Jornadas de Investigación, XXI encuentro de Investigadores en Psicología del MERCOSUR, VII Encuentro de Musicoterapia. Buenos Aires, Argentina. [poster presentation]

•  Castro, C., Simic, T., Meltzer, J., Thaut, M. (2026). Musical Working Memory and Language: Cognitive Interactions and Transfer Effects. Faculty of Music Research Showcase, University of Toronto, Canada. [abstract accepted, poster presentation]

• Castro, C. (2026) Use of music as a coping mechanism for emotion regulation in music therapists. Music Therapy Association of Ontario Annual Conference. Kingston, Ontario, Canada. [abstract accepted, selected as Keynote Speaker]

• Jamal, M; Fraser, K; Torreiter, S; Hamelinck, DM; Simic, T. (2025). Pre-COVID to Now: Changes in Self-Reported Health Outcomes in Long-COVID. International Conference on Aging, Innovation and Rehabilitation, Toronto, ON, Canada, May 1-2, 2025.

• Jamal, M; Fraser, K; Torreiter, S; Hamelinck, DM; Simic, T. (2025) Examining Cognitive Communication Impairments in Long-COVID: Preliminary Findings from Self-Report and Standardized Assessments. RSI Research Day, Toronto, ON, Canada, May 2025.

• Muscat, C., Marshall, S., Irvin, A., Hickling, A., Broad, K., Simic, T., Scratch, S. (Accepted - 2026, May). TeachABI Hospital Implementation Planning: Holland Bloorview Brain Injury Rehabilitation Team. Poster to be presented at the 6th International Conference on Paediatric Brain Injury. Calgary, Alberta.

• Muscat, C., Marshall, S., Irvin, A., Hickling, A., Simic, T., Broad, K., Scratch, S. (Accepted - 2026, May). Educator Reflections on TeachABI: Applying TeachABI Knowledge and Strategies in the Classroom. Poster to be presented at the 6th International Conference on Paediatric Brain Injury. Calgary, Alberta.

Awards

• Madeleine Coppolino: Ontario Graduate Scholarship, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Rehabilitation Sciences Institute Entrance Scholarship, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Candela Castro: Graduate Professional Development Fund Award – Prof. Nasim Niknafs, ADR (January 2026)

• Mehvish Jamal: Rehabilitation Sciences Research Network for COVID Trainee Award ($20,000)

• Melissa Sgambelluri: Temerty Faculty of Medicine Professional Master's Bursary for the Department of Speech-Language Pathology; The Khoury Memorial Fund Award in Medicine (for an outstanding St. Michael's College graduand who wishes to pursue studies at The University of Toronto's Temerty Faculty of Medicine in September 2025); Lucia Colavita Memorial Scholarship (a merit-based award for a student who intends to pursue a career in special education and has demonstrated philanthropic interests or community service).

Speech Production Lab

Dr. Yana Yunusova

Updates

Successful Defense 

• Name: Mohamed Attia

• Degree (MSc/PhD): MSc

• Department (RSI/SLP): RSI/ECE

• Graduated May 2025

Awards

• NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships Doctoral Award

  • • • Name: Mahri Kadyrova

      • Duration: 2025 Sept - 2028 Aug

• Unilever/Lipton OSOFT Graduate Fellowship

  • • • Name: Judy Wang

      • Duration: 2025 Sept - 2026 Aug

Funding

• ALS Canada-Brain Canada Trainee Award Program. Feasibility RCT of a digital tool for management of bulbar disease in ALS. 2025 Trainee: Soriano, J. [2026 Jan - 2028 Dec]

• CIHR Institute of Aging in partnership with Operating Grant: Joint Programme on Neurodegenerative Disease Research. Quality of life correlates of bulbar and pseudobulbar dysfunction in late stage MND: Clinical determinants, screening tools, opportunities for evidence-based QoL-focused interventions. [2025 Nov - 2028 Dec]

• National Institutes of Health. AI-assisted multimodal digital remote screening for bulbar ALS to support timely referral to SLP care. [2025 Aug - 2030 Jul]

• Muscular Dystrophy Canada Translational Grant. Multimodal remote screening for bulbar dysfunction in myasthenia gravis. [2025 Apr - 2027 Mar]

Speech Fluency Lab

Dr. Luc De Nil

Postdoc: Dr. Narges Moein

Updates

• Dr. Luc De Nil became the co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Fluency Disorders as of January 1, 2026.

• Started an MEG research project on stuttering in collaboration with Baycrest.

Publications

• Moein, N., Nguyen, C., Cheyne, D., & De Nil, L. (2026). The Effect of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Reading Adaptation in Adults Who Stutter. Journal of Fluency Disorders, 106195.

• Moein, N., Nguyen, C., Cheyne, D., & De Nil, L. (2025). The effects of tDCS on speech fluency in people who stutter: A Narrative Review. European Journal of Neuroscience, 62(7), e70267.

Presentations

• Dr. Luc De Nil was the keynote speaker at the annual meeting of the Canadian Stuttering Association in Kingston (Nov 7-9) providing an overview of recent developments in neural and genetic research in stuttering. 

• Dr. Narges Moein presented Post-movement beta rebound following speech: A magnetoencephalography investigation MEG Users Group, Rotman Research Centre, Baycrest Hospital, Toronto, Canada, July 9, 2025

Bilingual & Multilingual (BAM!) Development Lab

Dr. Monika Molnar

Updates

• No Updates

Paediatric Language Learning and Speech (PedLLS) Outcomes Lab

Dr. Karla Washington

Lab Members and Updates

• Nicole Bazzocchi

  • • • Updates: In her second year, Nicole successfully completed her transfer exam, transferring from MSc student to PhD candidate. She published two first author and three co-authored journal articles and delivered 11 presentations, sharing her research at local and international conferences in Canada, the United States, Australia, and Greece. She also delivered invited talks in Canada, Jamaica, and Iceland.  She received two awards, the RSI Conference Participation Award and Drs. Walter Colston (Pete) Howell & Helene J. Polatajko-Howell Student Conference Presentation Fund award to support her conference participation. Her first-authored paper, Beyond Test Scores: Using Drawings and Language Samples to Characterize Multilingual Children’s Language Profiles, was awarded the journals Media Campaign Feature. She is also co-hosting a research-to-practice podcast entitled “Pedalling Through Practice” with her PedLLS lab mates, Jessica Cellucci and Adhirai Garibaldi, which can be found on the lab website (www.pedllslab.com) or Spotify.

• Fatemeh Karimian

  • • • Degree (MSc/PhD):  PhD

      • Department (RSI/SLP): RSI 

• Katarina Miletic: 2025 Graduate (still involved) 

  • • • Update: Graduated the SLP program from UofT with her MHSc and is currently working as an SLP in Ontario. She is also the first-author on a paper from the PedLLS lab that is currently in revisions.

• Julia Preston: 2025 Graduate (still involved)

  • • • Updates: Graduated the SLP program from UofT with her MHSc and is currently working as an SLP in Ontario. She is also a co-author on a paper from the PedLLS lab that is currently in revisions.

• Lauren Choi: 2025 Graduate (still involved)

  • • • Updates: Graduated the SLP program from UofT with her MHSc and is currently working as an SLP in Ontario. She is also a co-author on a paper from the PedLLS lab that is currently in revisions.

• Havane Emik: Y2

  • • • Updates: In March 2025, Havane completed an international placement in Kingston, Jamaica. She was also a Panelist for a Graduate Panel hosted by Psychology and Neuroscience Departmental Students’ Association

• Samantha Sergi: Y2

  • • • Updates: In March 2025, Samantha completed an international placement in Kingston, Jamaica! Truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!  She was also a recipient of the American Women's Club Of Toronto Scholarship In Speech Pathology. Awarded in May 2025. The American Women’s Club of Toronto Scholarship is awarded annually to a year 1 MHSc student admitted to the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Toronto. The American Women’s Club of Toronto is a long-standing supporter of UofT SLP students. They have been committed to helping to train people who will in turn be able to help others. 

• Renee Boney: Y2

  • • • Updates: In March 2025, Renee completed an international placement in Kingston, Jamaica. Renee was featured on the UofT Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s website for black history month: https://temertymedicine.utoronto.ca/news/30-years-black-history-month-reflections-temerty-medicine

• Lorena Buttazzoni: 2024 Graduate (still involved)

  • • • Updates: Lorena graduated from UofT with her MHSc in 2024 and is now working as an SLP! She also works with the PedLLS lab supporting recruitment project management activities. 

• Elaina van Abbema: Yr 2

  • • • Updates: Elaina received the Chris Gandy International Outreach Award (scholarship for international placement opportunity, due to logistical reasons will be a remote location in Canada instead) in September 2024. 

Publications

• Bazzocchi, N. B. M., Kokotek, L. E., Crowe, K., & Washington, K. N. (2025). Beyond Test Scores: Using Drawings and Language Samples to Characterize Multilingual Children's Language Profiles. Seminars in speech and language, 46(2), 87–106. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0044-1801814 (media feature to Nicole)

• Washington, K. N., Crowe, K., McLeod, S., Margetson, K., Bazzocchi, N. B. M., Kokotek, L. E., van der Straten Waillet, P., Másdóttir, T., & Volhardt, M. D. S. (2025). Methods of Diagnosing Speech Sound Disorders in Multilingual Children. Language, speech, and hearing services in schools, 56(3), 469–487. https://doi.org/10.1044/2025_LSHSS-24-00099 (open access)

Funding

• Washington (Co-PI), LITTLE LEARNERS, Spencer Foundation Vision Grant, 2026-2027, USD $75K

• Washington (PI), Characterizing accuracy and variability in speech sound productions across bidialectal and bilingual preschoolers, National Institutes of Health, 2025-2030, USD $2.3M

Swallowing Lab

Dr. Rosemary Martino

Publications

• Manduchi B,  Jefferson TC, Moreno AC, Barbon CEA, Whisenant M, Martino R, Fuller CD, Hutcheson KA, On behalf of OPC-SURVIVOR Research Program. Individual patient-reported symptom items discriminate imaging-graded dysphagia in head and neck cancer patients treated with radiotherapy: Secondary analysis of pooled prospective studies. Radiotherapy and Oncology, In Press.

• Xie, M, de Almeida, J, Goldstein, D, Martino, R, Liu, YF, Allen, B, Xu, W, Hueniken, K, Yao, CM. Buccal fat applied to trans oral robotic lateral oropharyngectomy defects to lessen radical tonsillectomy pain (BOLT): A single-centre, phase II, parallel, randomised control trial study protocol. BMJ Open. 2025 ;15(12):e106125. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-106125.

• Forner, D, Taylor, V, Corsten, M, Rac, VE, Meerai, S, Shuman, AG, Tzelnick, S, Martino, R, de Almeida, J Goldstein, DP. Needs assessment for a decision aid in oral cancer requiring major resection and reconstruction. Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery. 2025. Epub ahead of print. doi: 10.1002/ohn.70071.

• Hutcheson, KA, Martino, R, PRO-ACTIVE Trial Working Group, PRO-ACTIVE Trial Speech-Language Pathologist Working Group. Therapy Manuals for Clinically Implementing Proactive and Reactive Swallowing Therapies During Head and Neck Radiotherapy: Using the TIDieR Framework to Disseminate PRO-ACTIVE Trial Interventions. Perspectives of the ASHA Special interest Groups. 2025. 1-17. doi:  10.1044/2025_PERSP-25-00093.

• Bossi, P, Kiyota, N, Mesía, R, Rosenberg, AJ, Martino, R, Fazer-Posorske, C, Salmio, S, Schroeder, A, Yom, SS. Adverse event profiles and management of cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review. Oral Oncology. 2025. 169: 107596. doi: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2025.107596.

• Levy, BB, Goodman, J, Gomes, A, Martino, R, Noel, CW, Kamalraj, P, Wright, FC, Irish, J, Conn, LG, Eskander, A. Challenges and Opportunities for Speech-Language Pathology Services in Comprehensive Head and Neck Cancer Care: Insights from a Mixed Methods Study. Head & Neck. 2025. 47 (11): 3131-3140. doi: 10.1002/hed.28234. 

• Pommée, T, Bouvier, L, Barnett-Tapia, C, Maffei, MF, Gutz, SE, Tilton-Bolowsky, VE, Martino, R, Berry, JD, Abrahao, A, Zinman, L, Green, JR, Yunusova, Y. Construct Validity of the Amyotrophic LateralSclerosis Bulbar Dysfunction Index–Remote. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. 2025 Jun: 1-23. doi: 10.1044/2025_AJSLP-24-00489.

• Ferrari, M, Mularoni, F, Smussi, D, Gaudioso, P, Bonomo, P, Friborg, J, Ghi, MG, Gregoire, V, Harrington, K, Hunter, K, Maroldi, R, Martino, R, Mesia, R, Peretti, G, Psyrri, A, Schindler, A, Succo, G, Szturz, P, Vilaseca, I, Nicolai, P, Bossi, P, and the other members of the Consensus Group for Laryngeal Preservation. International consensus on laryngeal preservation strategies in laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer. Lancet Oncology. 2025. 26 (5): e264-e281. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(25)00020-8. 

• Bengisu, S, Öge- Daşdöğen, Ö, Martino, R. Translation and Validation of the TOR-BSST© into Turkish for Stroke Patients. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders. 2025 May-Jun; 60(3): e70042. doi: 10.1111/1460-6984.70042.

• Dietrich, N, Watson, E, Tadic, T, Martino, R, Bratman, S, Cho, J, de Almeida, J, Eng, L, Goldstein, D, Hahn, E, Hope, A, Hosni, A, Kim, J,Malik, N, O'Sullivan, B, Sanz Garcia, E, Siu, L, Spreafico, A, Su, S, Tsai, J,Waldron, J, Yao, CM, Huang, SH,McPartlin, AJ. Development of a prediction model for tube feeding dependence in HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy. Oral Oncology. 2025 Feb:161:107132. doi: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2024.107132.

• Theurer, JA, Martino, R, Jovanovic, N, de Almeida, JR, Goldstein, DP, Fung, K, Yoo, J, MacNeil, SD, Winquist, E, Hammond, JA, Venkatesan, V, Read, N, Kuruvilla, S, Warner, A, Doyle, PC, Ross, I, Dreyer, C, Hawkins, S, Thouless, K, McCallum, C, Palma, DA, Nichols, AC. Impact of transoral robotic surgery vs radiation on swallowing function in oropharyngeal cancer patients: A sub-study from a randomized trial. Head and Neck. 2025. 47: 906–916. doi: 10.1002/hed.27986.

Presentations

• 2025 Sep: PRO-ACTIVE Trial: The lived experience. MD Anderson Virtual Clinical Rounds, Houston, Texas, USA.

• 2025 Feb: Scientific implementation of the Toronto Bedside Swallow Screening Test (TOR-BSST©). International Stroke Congress (ISC), Los Angeles, CA, USA.

• 2025 Nov: PRO-ACTIVE Trial: Towards Clinically Implementing Trial Results into Clinical Practice. American Speech-Language Hearing Association Annual Conference. Washington, DC, USA. Hutcheson KA, Martino R.

• 2025 Oct: PRO-ACTIVE: Intention-to-treat and per-protocol results of a pragmatic phase IV randomized trial comparing the effectiveness of PROphylACTic swallow InterVEntion for patients receiving radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. European Society for Swallowing Disorders (ESSD) Annual Congress, Athens, Greece. Martino R, Fuller C, Pytynia K, Hope A, Ringash J, Thorpe K, Palma D, Theurer J, Sultanem K, Mills G, Cracchiolo J, Cunningham L, Landera M, Demane A, McCulloch T, Pulia N, Manon R, May A, Stachowiak L, Ku J, Woody N, Smeltzer M, Chang S, Langmore S, Krekeler B, Fitch M, MacDonald C, Hutcheson K.

• 2025 Oct: The Penetration Aspiration Scale (PAS): Does the First Swallow of a Bolus Tell the Whole Story? European Society for Swallowing Disorders (ESSD) Annual Congress, Athens, Greece.  Sabry A, Rodriguez V, Hutcheson K , Martino R.

• 2025 Oct: Eating during head and neck radiotherapy: Towards data-driven goal setting for oral intake throughout RT as a function preservation strategy.  European Society for Swallowing Disorders (ESSD) Annual Congress, Athens, Greece. Barbon CEA, Peterson CB, Reddy J, Moreno AC, Johnson FM, Martino R, Fuller CD, Lai SY, Hutcheson KA.

• 2025 June: PRO-ACTIVE: Results of a pragmatic phase IV randomized trial comparing the effectiveness of PROphylACTic swallow InterVEntion for patients receiving radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, USA. Hutcheson KA, Fuller CD, Pytynia KB, Hope AJ, Ringash J, Thorpe K, Palma DA, Theurer J, Mills G, Cracchiolo JR, Landera MA, McCulloch TM, Manon RR, May A, Ku J, Woody NM, Chang SS, Langmore S, Krekeler BN, Martino R, PRO-ACTIVE Trial Working Group.

• 2025 Oct: “Triggered patients don’t catch up: Subset analysis of the REACTIVE arm of the pragmatic phase IV randomized PRO-ACTIVE trial for patients receiving radiotherapy for head and neck cancer.” European Society for Swallowing Disorders (ESSD) Annual Congress, Athens, Greece.  Hutcheson K, Fitch M, MacDonald C, Fuller C, Pytynia K, Hope A, Ringash J, Thorpe K, Palma D, Theurer J, Sultanem K, Mills G, Cracchiolo J, Cunningham L, Landera M, Demane A, McCulloch T, Pulia N, Manon R, May A, Stachowiak L, Ku J, Woody N, Smeltzer M, Chang S, Langmore S, Krekeler B, Martino R.

• 2025 Jun: Stakeholder Feedback on an Innovative Engagement Model in a Head and Neck Cancer Pragmatic Trial. MASCC/ISOO Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA, USA. Presenters: Fitch MI, Macdonald C, Hutcheson KA, McCulloch TM, Martino R.

• 2025 Mar: Evaluation of the pragmatic PRO-ACTIVE Trigger point: a theory-driven thresholding. Dysphagia Research Society (DRS) Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Manduchi B, Jefferson T, Fuller CD, Barbon C, Moreno A, Martino R, Hutcheson KH.

• 2025 Apr: “Scoping review protocol: Inventory of tested quality of life measurements for caregivers of solid-tumour patients” Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology Conference. Ala Refai, Aliaa Sabry, Margaret Fitch, Jill I Cameron, Andrew McPartlin, Rosemary Martino 

• 2025 Apr: Qualitative study protocol: Exploring quality of life in caregivers of head and neck cancer patients with dysphagia . Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology Conference. Ala Refai, Margaret Fitch, Jill I Cameron, Andrew McPartlin, Rosemary Martino.

• Recently Accepted Abstracts for Oral Presentations

  • • • 2026 “Caregiver Quality of Life in HNC Survivorship and Dysphagia: A Scoping Review of Standardized Tools.  American Head and Neck Society 12th International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer. Ala Refai, Aliaa Sabry, Margaret Fitch, Jill I Cameron, Andrew McPartlin, Rosemary Martino

      • 2026 “Pre-Surgical Dysphagia in Oral Cavity Cancer: Insights from videofluoroscopic assessment.” American Head and Neck Society 12th International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer. Aliaa Sabry, Elizabeth Cross, Veronica Rodriguez, Sharon Tzelnick, Rosemary Martino.

Funding

• 2025 – 2027: Primary Supervisor. Medical Outcomes of Dysphagia. University Health Network, Canada Leads 100 Challenge for Early-Career Scientists (Dr. Elizabeth Cross, Post-Doctoral Researcher). $248,767 CAD.

Awards

• 2026: DRS Best Oral Presentation, Dysphagia Research Society

• 2025: ESSD Merit Award for Best Poster, European Society of Swallowing Disorders (ESSD)

• 2025: Ala Refai, UHN ORT Conference Participation Award

Connect Lab

Dr. Deryk Beal

Updates

• Nilou Hashemi (PhD student - BME) successfully defended their thesis