News
July 2024
- Dr. Allison Hilger, Amanda Sebestyen, and Holly Kleiber published a case report titled "Benefits of LSVT LOUD in a multilingual patient with hypokinetic-hyperkinetic dysarthria and suspected progressive supranuclear palsy." To access the article, follow this link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/rehabilitation-sciences/articles/10.3389/fresc.2024.1421730/full.
April 2024
- Dr. Allison Hilger received a 2024 National Ataxia Foundation (NAF) research grant for $50,000 to study Respiratory Incoordination as a Driving Mechanism in Ataxic Dysarthria.
- Ramey Yost was awarded a grant from the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) for the 2024-2025 school year to study breath control in ataxia.
- Karis Lowe was awarded a grant from the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) for the 2024-2025 school year to study speech characteristics of spinocerebellar ataxia subtype 3 and subtype 6.
April 2023
- Dr. Allison Hilger was an invited speaker at the Annual Ataxia Conference in Las Vegas, NV. She presented on speech and swallowing impairments in ataxia. Watch the talk here!
- Dr. Hilger received the University of Colorado's Research and Innovation Office research grant with CU Boulder linguists Dr. Bhuvana Narasimhan and Dr. Rebecca Scarborough for $50,000 to study how mothers talk with their children with autism.
February 2023
- Jacqueline McCurdy successfully defended her Master's Thesis on aerosol generation from speech production. Congrats Jacqueline!
December 2022
- Melanie Esver successfully defended her Master's Thesis on syntax in ataxic dysarthria. Congrats Melanie!
November 2022
- Kylie Dunne-Platero and Caitlin Cloud presented at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association conference on using the Colorado Motor Speech Framework to assess dysarthria and apraxia of speech.
- Melanie Esver and Caitlin Cloud presented on syntax in ataxic dysarthria at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association conference.
May 2022
- Mandy Sebestyen won the Outstanding Graduate Student award in the MA-SLP program.
March 2022
- Allison Hilger received the University of Colorado's Research and Innovation Seed Grant for $50,000 to study aerosol generation from speech production. This project is in collaboration with Drs. Shelly Miller and Sarah Clark. Follow project updates here: Acoustic Speech Characteristics of Aerosol Generation.
February 2022
- Kylie Dunne-Platero presented "Impact of speech naturalness, intelligibility, and referral to speech therapy on quality of life in cerebellar ataxia" (co-authors: Taylor Fahey, Melanie Esver, and Allison Hilger) at the Conference for Motor Speech in Charleson, SC.
- Taylor Fahey and Allison Hilger presented "Impact of manual American Sign Language parameters on intelligibility" at the Conference for Motor Speech in Charleson, SC.
November 2021
- Dr. Hilger and Caitlin Cloud presented "Cerebellar Injury, Speech, and Quality of Life: Considerations for Comprehensive Care" at the Brain Injury Symposium in Colorado Springs, CO.
- FIVE presentations by CO Motor Speech Lab at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Conference in Washington D.C.!
- Mandy Sebestyan, Holly Kleiber, and Dr. Hilger presented a virtual talk, "Efficacy of LSVT in Multilingual Patients with Hypokinetic Dysarthria and Comorbid Unspecified Dementia."
- Kylie Dunne-Platero and Dr. Hilger presented a virtual talk, "Living with Ataxic Dysarthria: Quality of Life Implications for Clinical Evaluation and Intervention."
- Caitlin Cloud and Dr. Hilger presented, "Pure & Mixed Dysarthria Subtypes in Cerebellar Ataxia."
- Melanie Esver and Dr. Hilger presented, "Receptive Prosody in Cerebellar Ataxia."
- Dr. Hilger and Caroline Spencer presented, "Characteristics of Speech in Ataxia and Implications for Speech Therapy."
October 2021
- Dr. Hilger and Caitlin Cloud presented, "Determining When Speech Therapy is Appropriate for Clients with Ataxia" at the Colorado Speech Hearing Association Conference in Denver, CO.
- Kylie Dunne-Platero was awarded the ASHA Distinguished Early Career Professional (ECP) Certificate.
September 2021
- Dr. Hilger and Tehya Stockman were invited to present at the National Federation of State High School Associations Performing Arts Conference on aerosol research in performing arts.
July 2021
The CO Motor Speech Lab finished data collection for a survey study on speech therapy in ataxia.
June 2021
Our lab speech-language pathologist, Kylie Dunne-Platero, received her certificate of clinical competency from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Caitlin Cloud presented her poster titled “The Contribution of Pitch and Loudness Control to Speech Naturalness in Ataxia” at the Boston Speech Motor Control Symposium.
Dr. Hilger led a round table discussion with Dr. Kristen Allison at the Boston Speech Motor Control Symposium on assessment and treatment for dysarthria.
Dr. Hilger presented “Experiential Learning of Categorical Perception” at the Acoustics in Focus Conference through the Acoustical Society of America.
May 2021
Dr. Hilger was interviewed with Dr. Timo Roettger for the podcast Learning Bayesian Statistics.
Taylor Fahey received the Jacob Van Ek Scholarship for her academic achievement and contribution to the community.
Caitlin Cloud received the MA-SLP Student of the Year Award for her outstanding work academically and clinically, as the president of the CO NSSHLA branch, as a leader in the department’s cultural competency book club, and in her research.
March 2021
The CO Motor Speech Lab was one of the highest fundraising teams for the rideAtaxia fundraiser.
January 2021
Dr. Hilger published a paper with Rosemary Lester-Smith, Jason Kim, Chun-Liang Chan, and Charles Larson titled “Auditory-Motor Control of Fundamental Frequency in Vocal Vibrato”
December 2020
Dr. Hilger was interviewed for Lifewire Magazine on a new Google app for AAC (augmentative and alternative communication).