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Arnold School of Public Health

Communication Sciences & Disorders

The research interests in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (COMD) are quite varied and include all facets of the communication sciences. Our research contributes to the body of knowledge related to communication sciences and disorders, helps educate the future clinical-scientists and researchers, and is used to inform the latest intervention and treatment in school, private practice, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, etc., including our own USC Speech and Hearing Research Center.

Laboratories, Centers and Research Groups 

Aphasia Laboratory (Julius Fridriksson)

Work in the Aphasia Laboratory seeks to clarify the relationships between brain damage resulting from stroke and language impairment. Both advanced neuroimaging and behavioral techniques are employed.

Language Processing Laboratory (Allen Montgomery)

The Language Processing Laboratory seeks to examine the mechanisms involved in the human response to the communication signal (auditory or visual). 

Literacy Development among Diverse Learners Lab (Lisa Fitton)

The Literacy Development among Diverse Learners Lab, directed by Lisa Fitton, is committed to the goal of improving educational outcomes for all children. They collect data and conduct research projects to better inform educational practice, but they also love to collaborate with experts on the ground to pool knowledge and improve education.

Neurolinguistics Laboratory (Dirk den Ouden)

The Neurolinguistics Lab studies the neural correlates of language processing and production. We are interested in the nature of language and linguistic representations, the extent to which language functions interact with other cognitive domains, the nature of language disorders and the role of neural plasticity in recovery from aphasia.

SC Family Experiences Lab (Jessie Klusek)

The Family Experiences Lab conducts research focused on autism, fragile X syndrome, and the fragile X premutation. Our work often adopts a family approach, where we study both children affected by neurodevelopmental disorders, as well as their parents.

SCROLL: SC Research on Language and Literacy Laboratory (Suzanne Adlof)

The South Carolina Research on Language & Literacy Lab (SCROLL) conducts research that improves the early identification of language and reading difficulties in children and aids in the development of effective interventions for language and reading difficulties.

Translational Auditory Neuroscience Lab (Meisam Arjmandi)

The Translational Auditory Neuroscience lab aims to enhance our understanding of human communication and improve the quality of life for patients with hearing loss, with a specific focus on cochlear implants recipients. The knowledge is used to develop better diagnostic tools and personalized interventions and treatments for individuals experiencing hearing loss.

Aging Gracefully Lab (Jean Neils-Strunjas)

The Aging Gracefully lab conducts studies of aging and the prevention of disorders of aging.

Developmental Dynamics Lab (Elizabeth Will)

The Developmental Dynamics Lab uses a biobehavioral approach to investigate facets and outcomes of atypical development in infants and young children with genetic conditions associated with intellectual disability, with emphasis on Down syndrome. We seek to understand the implications of early difficulties in motor and attention development for outcomes related to cognition, communication, and co-occurring psychiatric conditions like autism and ADHD.

Neurosyntax Lab (William Matchin)

The NeuroSyntax Lab works to bridge the gaps between linguistics, neuroscience, and aphasia, particularly with respect to syntax.  


Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.

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