Sarah Blumhardt

Mentor: Ashwini Joshi

Sarah Blumhardt, MS, CCC-SLP is a speech language pathologist specializing in voice disorders. She is a doctoral student in the lab of Ashwini Joshi. She currently works at the Texas Voice Performance Institute within the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. Her background includes training in classical singing, which she studied as an undergraduate at The University of Texas at Austin. She received both a Bachelor of Arts in music with a certificate in vocal performance and a Bachelor of Science in communication sciences and disorders from UT Austin in 2013. She went on to earn her Master of Science in speech pathology in 2016 from the University of North Texas and completed her fellowship training in 2017 with Baylor Scott & White Medical Center. Past research projects have focused on transitional care for patients with chronic aerodigestive diseases, changes in vocal resonance following sinus surgery, and on a current medical device trial for vocal cord paralysis. Outside of work, she enjoys singing locally in various groups, such as the Houston Symphony Chorus, as well as traveling and spending time with family.

Urvi Mahajani
Mentor: Ashwini Joshi

Urvi Mahajani earned her Bachelors in Audiology and Speech Language Pathology and subsequently completed her graduate studies in Speech Language Pathology in India. Additionally, she completed her clinical fellowship in Voice and Swallowing at a leading comprehensive cancer centre in India, where she worked extensively with individuals with head and neck cancer. Later, she worked at Voice and Swallowing centre providing clinical care to individuals with post-cordectomy voice disorders, benign vocal fold lesions, neurogenic dysphagia, and oncology-related dysphagia. Her research interests include voice rehabilitation, understanding the effects of hormones on voice and exploring various laryngeal imaging techniques. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking, playing badminton, and pursuing her passion for wildlife photography.

 

 

Eun Ok Lee

Mentor: Heather Dial

Eun Ok Lee has been a licensed speech-language pathologist in South Korea since 2014. She holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Speech Pathology from Hallym University. After graduating, she gained clinical experience in diverse settings, including a hospital, child development clinics, and private practice. Her research interests center on language network changes in neurogenic disorders and aging, with a particular focus on developing interventions and technologies grounded in lexical-semantic processing. Outside of work, she enjoys playing board games, visiting new cafés, and spending time with her friends and family.

Mohammad Al Rjoob
Mentor: Margaret Blake

Mohammad is a PhD student in Communication Sciences and Disorders. His research interests focus on cognitive-communication disorders resulting from acquired brain injuries. He completed his undergraduate degree in Hearing and Speech Sciences at the University of Jordan and his master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Southern Illinois University, where he also worked as a research assistant. Outside of academics, Mohammad enjoys playing soccer, pickleball, and hiking.

Brandi BeCoats
Mentor: Heather Dial and Lynn Maher

Brandi BeCoats is a licensed speech-language pathologist from Nashville, Tennessee. She holds a bachelors and masters degree in communication sciences and disorders from a Historically Black College or University, Tennessee State University. Her personal experience with a family member's difficult rehabilitation journey after multiple strokes led Brandi to her research interests in aphasia, aging, stroke rehabilitation and neurogenic disorders. Brandi works primarily with adults in skilled nursing facilities and rehabilitation hospitals across the spectrum of disorders and severities. She is also a passionate community educator, presenting need-to-know content on topics such as dementia and aging. Brandi enjoys trying new foods, running, and making vlogs.

Kathleen Bradbury
Mentor: Heather Dial

Kathleen Bradbury graduated in 2019 from Rice University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cognitive Sciences, minoring in Neuroscience, with a Distinction in Research and Creative Work. After graduating, she worked as a research assistant at the Nantz National Alzheimer Center at Houston Methodist Hospital, focusing on neuropsychological testing and neuroimaging in patients with primary progressive aphasia. Kathleen’s research interests include determining neurological, linguistic, and cognitive measures that predict aphasia recovery, with the goal of improving patients' functional outcomes. Outside of work, she enjoys board games, sports, and spending time with friends and family. 

Ruiqing “Stephanie” Fan
Mentor: Ashwini Joshi

Ruiqing 'Stephanie' Fan is a clinical fellow and a Ph.D. student at the University of Houston. Her research interests include the post-surgical rehabilitation of phonomicrosurgery and integrating machine learning to improve the care of patients with voice disorders.

Sofia Hein Machado

Sofia Hein Machado comes from Brazil and has clinical experience working in both speech-language pathology and audiology settings, specifically with Deaf and hard of hearing children. She obtained her degree in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences and has been participating in academic projects related to language and people with disabilities since then. Her first language is Portuguese, and she is a multilingual bimodal speaker with a mixture of spoken and signed languages. Sofia is passionate for education and volunteer in a non-profit association that helps Brazilian young people to study abroad. Her research interests center on language outcomes for bilingual Deaf and hard of hearing children who use cochlear implants.

Janelle Flores
Mentor: Monique Mills and Anny Castilla-Earls

Janelle Beth Flores, MS, CCC-SLP, holds a master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders from Texas Woman’s University, a bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders from the University of Texas at Austin, and a bachelor’s degree in Biology with a concentration in Neuroscience from the University of Texas at San Antonio. As an SLP, she has practiced in home health, school, and university clinic settings. Janelle’s research interests include cognition, appropriate assessment, and advocacy of best practices for culturally and linguistically diverse populations with typical and atypical language development. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her dog, reading, and playing musical instruments.

Abigail Dueppen
Mentor: Ashwini Joshi

Abigail Dueppen is a coloratura soprano who has performed in national and international houses to critical acclaim. She holds her Bachelor of Music degree with academic distinction in vocal performance and music education from the Eastman School of Music and her Master of Music degree in vocal performance from the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music. Additionally, Dueppen is a licensed and certified speech language pathologist specializing in voice disorders. She obtained her Master of Science degree in speech language pathology from Lamar University. Dueppen completed her externship at the world-renowned Texas Voice Center at Houston Methodist Hospital, where she now serves as a speech-language pathologist/clinical singing voice specialist working with patients with voice disorders. Her research interests include voice science, rehabilitation for the performing voice, vocal pedagogy and vocology.  

Michelle Hernandez
Mentor: Monique Mills and Anny Castilla-Earls

Originally from the Bronx, Michelle Hernandez is a second-generation immigrant from the Dominican Republic. She moved to Houston to complete her clinical fellowship and pursue a Ph.D. In her spare time, Hernandez enjoys cooking, crocheting and hiking. She comes from a Spanish-speaking home and is committed to identifying appropriate practices for bilingual school-aged children with language impairments. She is looking forward to working with the UH COMD department and her cohort as she enters this new and exciting chapter.