51ÂÒÂ×»»ÆÞ

Our core remit is the study of clinical communication disorders, yet our research strategy crucially draws on and contributes to a far wider range of topics.

Our research is multidisciplinary in order to explore all aspects of communication and ranges from applied to blue-skies.

We disseminate outcomes and findings from our research in high-quality publications and through public engagement.

We regularly attract substantial support from public funding bodies and charities in order to conduct world-leading innovative research.

Our methodological research focuses on the development of new and enhanced instrumentation, analytic techniques and experimental methods for the collection, measurement and analysis of speech and swallowing.

Our applied research focuses on the diagnosis, treatment and modelling of speech, language, hearing and swallowing disorders. We are particularly interested in the effective use of visual biofeedback in therapy and the role of genetic, social and educational factors in linguistic deficits.

Our theoretical research covers work on speech production processes, speech disorders, child language acquisition, sociolinguistics, intra- and inter-individual variation, psycholinguistics, and phonology.

Current Research and KE Groups:

• Ìý
• Advancing Audiology in Research and Clinical Practice
• Dysfluency
• Meeting Unmet Speech, Language and Communication Needs
• Ultrasound Tongue Imaging for Speech Research
• Visual Feedback for Speech and Language TherapyÌý
• Working with Sign Language Users and Interpreters

Ìý

Completed projects:

• (ESRC)
• (ESRC)
• Child co-articulation and Preadolescent co-articulation (ESRC)
• EPG Downs Syndrome (Nuffield)
• FitVoice (QMU Innovation Fellowship)
• Phonetic and Phonological Systems Analysis (PPSA)Ìý
• (ESRC)
• Ultraphonix (EPSRC and CSO)

Our research is intended to be useful and relevant to those who can benefit from it.

For example:

• people with a variety of clinical communication disorders and needs
• people with a variety of related physiological and neurological disorders and needsÌý
• speech and language therapists and audiologists
• policymakers concerned with the role of communication for wellbeing, participation and education
• academics and students across the world
• members of the public interested in speech and language variation

In order for our research to have a positive impact on these groups, we pursue collaborations, training and joint projects in partnership with NHS, third-sector and industry colleagues.

To help educate the next generation of therapists, we have taken a key role in developing teaching websites featuring extensive collections of instrumental and acoustic recordings of speech ( and ). Clinical data from our research projects on articulation and swallowing provide a unique resource for student and clinician training.

Our CASL PhD students make a vital contribution to the Centre's work and research culture.

Regular group mentoring sessions with the CASL directors and other QMU researchers (the PhD CASL Culture Club) reflect our desire to nourish a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to research at all levels.

More recently, CASL PhD students working on speech-related topics have taken peer-mentoring to the next level and founded PhDnetics, aÌýScottish-wide network of doctoral and early career researchers in phonetics.

Current PhD students:

• Danah Alqattan
• Irina Brodskaya
• Gemma Cartney
• Janet Coulson
• Hala El Kachtoul
• Ciera Haggar
• Taz Hockaday
• Stephen Jannetts
• Victoria Johnstone-Cooke
• AnneMarie MacRae
• Gaby Quezada

Former PhD students:

• Dr Wael Al-Dakroury (Alfaisal, Saudi Arabia)
• Dr Lianne Carroll
• (Strathclyde)
• (Strathclyde)
• Dr Louise Cotton
• (Strathclyde)
• Dr Esther DeLeeuw (Lausanne, France)
• Dr Christine DePlacido (QMU)
• Dr Lucy Ellis
• Dr Olga Gordeeva (Industry)
• Dr Cornelia Heyde (Industry)
• Dr Ian Finlayson (industry)
• (Clinician / Strathclyde)
• (ZAS Berlin, Germany)
• Dr Ioulia Grichkovtsova (Caen, France)
• Dr Ann Hodson (QMU)
• Dr Christine Johnson (QMU)
• (Cork)
• (Charles University Prague, Czech Republic)
• Dr Leila Mackie (Clinician)
• Dr Catherine Mayo (Industry)
• Dr Ben Matthews (L-Università ta' Malta)
• Dr Amy Meikle (Clinician)
• Dr Erin Miley (Industry)
• (Strathclyde)
• Dr Pertti Palo (Indiana University, USA)
• Dr Siobhan Mack (QMU)
• Dr Robert Mullally (Industry)
• Dr Lizanne Steenkamp (QMU)
• (Strathclyde)
• Dr Rebecca RodgerÌý
• Dr Zoe Roxburgh (Clinician)
• Dr Robert Rush (QMU)
• Dr Jocelynne Watson (QMU)
• Dr Ann Walton (Clinician)
• Dr Daphne Waters (QMU)
• Dr Anna Womack (Clinician)
• Dr Sara Wood (QMU)
• Dr Natasha Zharkova (Industry)

Useful Links:

Graduate School for doctoral research

eTHESES for recentÌýÌýand dissertations

Postgraduate taught study & clinical qualifications

eTHESES for recent MSc dissertations in and .

Collaborative projects:

• Seeing Speech (with Glasgow University and Strathclyde University)
• (with Glasgow University and Strathclyde University)
• (with Edinburgh University)

Ìý

Current research visitors:

CASL has a positive commercial impact, both within the UK and internationally, through its partnership with .

The company, led by Professor Alan Wrench, supports CASL’s research vision by inventing speech instruments, and developing and supporting software for speech analysis and visual biofeedback therapy. Their world-leading products are used in over 150 phonetics laboratories for research.Ìý

Other notable commercialisation activities have focussed on the analysis and treatment of the voice, another longstanding area of research excellence at CASL.

offers a technology-enabled, smartphone-assisted voice care service for occupational voice users who rely on their voice for their work, e.g. teachers, lecturers, actors or fitness instructors.

provides services for voiceover artists and the industries who commission their work.Ìý

is a clinically informed web app dedicated to improving voice health.Ìý