We are so proud to announce our new Research Committee and tell you about its role in TAP Unlimited. Dr. Adam Jacks (UNC-CH) and Dr. Jessica Richardson (USC) Co-Chair this important new program at TAP Unlimited. They will be, along with their graduate students, completing testing (initial and annual) for all TAP clients and offering our clients an opportunity to participate in further studies that will advance aphasia programming!
Adam Jacks, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Assistant Professor
UNC Chapel Hill
adam_jacks@med.unc.edu
Dr. Jacks’ training background includes doctoral work in communication sciences and disorders at The University of Texas at Austin, postdoctoral research in behavioral neuroimaging at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and clinical experience in long-term acute care and outpatient rehabilitation settings. His research focuses on understanding the link between neuropathology and behavioral manifestations of neuromotor speech disorders. Experimental methodologies used in this work include neuroimaging techniques (e.g., functional magnetic resonance imaging [fMRI]), acoustic and perceptual analysis of speech, testing of categorical perception abilities, and experimental perturbation of speech production and perception (e.g., bite block speech, pitch and formant shifting). By studying the operational characteristics of motor control in normal and disordered speech, Dr. Jacks hopes to contribute knowledge that enables better prediction of speech abilities in individuals with neurological injury or disease, and development of more effective treatments for persons with motor speech disorders.
J.D. Richardson, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Assistant Professor
University of South Carolina
jdrichardson@unm.edu
Jessica D. Richardson, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is an assistant professor and speech-language pathologist in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of South Carolina. She graduated with a bachelor of science in communication sciences and disorders (the University of Georgia) and a master of science in speech and hearing science (The University of Arizona). She then completed her doctoral study at the University of Georgia in the summer of 2009 and went on to complete a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of South Carolina. Her research interests include treatment outcomes and translational neuroscience, with an emphasis on adults with neurogenic communication disorders.
