All Posts

Dr. Laura Ranum, Ph.D.

Dr. Laura Ranum is currently the Founding Director of the Center for NeuroGenetics and Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at the University of Florida. Over the past 25 years, her laboratory has identified the mutations for a number of neurological disorders including spinocerebellar ataxia types 5 and 8 (SCA5,…

Dr. Eric Jeng, M.D., MBA

Dr. Eric Jeng is an associate professor in the division of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery at the University of Florida College of Medicine. As a scientist and cardiovascular surgeon, Dr. Jeng’s research interests include translational research in cardiopulmonary mechanical support and heart and lung transplantation, and economics in medicine. He…

Dr. James Wymer, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. James Wymer is the Chief of the Neuromuscular Division and Professor of Neurology at the University of Florida where he specializes in the diagnosis and management of neuromuscular diseases along with how the brain interacts with muscles in neuromuscular disease. Dr. Wymer serves as the Associate Director of Clinical…

Dr. Lauren Tabor Gray, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Dr. Lauren Tabor Gray is an Assistant Professor and the Co-Director of the NSU Health ALS Clinic at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL.  The mission of her current research is to develop efficacious treatment regimens to improve cough function and airway protection in individuals with ALS,…

Dr. Yana Yunusova, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Reg.CASLPO

Dr. Yunusova is a Professor of Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Toronto. She is also a senior scientist at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and a scientist at the Sunnybrook Research Institute. Her research is focused on the development of novel assessments and treatments for motor speech disorders due to…

Dr. Catriona M. Steele, PhD, S-LP(C), CCC-SLP, ASHA Fellow

Dr. Catriona M. Steele is the Director of the Swallowing Rehabilitation Research Laboratory at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute – University Health Network. She also teaches in the Graduate Department of Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Toronto. Prior to completing her Ph.D., Dr. Steele worked as a medical speech-language…

Dr. Kate Hutcheson, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Dr. Kate Hutcheson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She serves as the Associate Director of Research in the Section of Speech Pathology and Audiology and is a lecturer at the University of Houston.

Kelly Leonard

Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Kelly is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Kelly works as a research assistant for Aerodigestive Research Core, while also completing her undergraduate thesis about dysphagia in the cardiac ICU under Dr. Plowman’s mentorship. After graduating in May 2020, Kelly plans to…

Amy Ashley

Amy is from Lake Panasoffkee, Fl and is an upcoming senior pursuing a degree in Communications Sciences and Disorders at UF. Amy works as an undergraduate research assistant under Dr.Plowman, and is also completing a senior honors thesis under Dr.Plowman’s mentorship. After Amy graduates, she plans to obtain a Masters…

Kasey McElheny

Kasey is a Senior in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program at the University of Florida. She has worked in the lab since her sophomore year and has experience working across each research program in the lab. Currently she works as a research assistant on the cardiac ICU study and…