Phyllis M. Palmer received her Master’s degree from Emerson College in Boston. She worked as a clinician in various medical settings for 10 years before returning to school for her Ph.D. at the University of Iowa. Her teaching has focused on the evaluation and treatment of swallowing and voice disorders. Dr. Palmer’s research has focused primarily on oral, pharyngeal and laryngeal motor function as it relates to swallowing in  healthy individuals and individuals with various disorders, particularly OPMD. She has a particular interest in identifying the correct dosing parameters for oro-pharyngeal strengthening to improve swallow function. 

Ashley was born in Spokane, Washington where she lived for most of her life. She pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Eastern Washington University. During her time in undergrad, she worked as a teacher's assistant and tutor for anatomy, speech acoustics, and various audiology courses. To pursue a graduate degree, Ashley moved to UNM for the speech and hearing sciences program where she works in the dysphagia lab and works as a grader for various undergraduate and graduate courses. She hopes to with patients with voice and swallowing disorders and differences. During time off, Ashley loves to go on hikes, garden, paint, travel, and do photography. 

Mahshid Rashidi was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. She earned her bachelor's degree in Iran and moved to Albuquerque in 2022 to pursue a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology. As an undergrad, she was interested in research and worked on a research project about swallowing disorders. As she started her rotations during undergrad, she started getting more interested in medical SLP. After her bachelor's degree, she started looking for graduate programs in the United States and was fascinated by the multicultural aspect of UNM's program. She has been working in Dr. Palmer’s lab ever since she started at UNM. She has continued gaining research and clinical experience in swallowing disorders and hopes to work with patients with dysphagia. When not in school, Mahshid enjoys watching movies, swimming, photography, traveling, and exploring foods from different cultures.   

Sarah Kelley was born and raised in Springfield, Missouri but spent a year in Santiago, Chile and left her heart there. She attended undergrad at the University of Missouri with an interest in bilingualism, linguistics, and language development which led her to the field. Moving to Albuquerque to pursue her masters in Speech-Language Pathology, Sarah was enlisted as a teaching assistant for Dr. Palmer's classes. Since her time in the lab, her interest has shifted to swallowing disorders and medical speech pathology but still has a love for language. When not busy with grad school, she loves to hike, run, read, and try new coffee shops.

Samantha Morowski was born in Southbridge, Massachusetts and was raised in Putnam, Connecticut. She moved to Albuquerque in January 2020 after retrieving her associate degree to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences at UNM. During her undergraduate career, she was a pharmacy technician and assisted with immunizations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Samantha started volunteering her time in Dr. Phyllis Palmer’s Swallow Disorders Research Lab and has since continued to work for her. Samantha has a passion for the field, with a primary interest in swallow disorders and motor speech disorders. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, hiking, spending time with family, going to the gym, being outside, and playing video games.