Our People

Director

Pascal van Lieshout, PhD
Dr. Pascal van Lieshout is professor and chair at the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Toronto. Dr. van Lieshout is also the Director of the Oral Dynamics Lab. His areas of expertise include dynamical systems theory (DST), and the use of DST to study speech and oral motor control in healthy and clinical populations. Click here to access Dr. van Lieshout’s ResearchGate profile.

E-mail: p.vanlieshoutATutoronto.ca
Telephone: +1 416 978 8334

Researchers

Aravind Namasivayam, PhD, Reg. CASLPO, S-LP(C)
Dr. Aravind Namasivayam is a research associate in the Oral Dynamics Lab at the University of Toronto. Dr. Namasivayam’s current clinical and research interests include developmental speech sound disorders, stuttering, sensory-motor integration, and motor skill learning.

Email: a.namasivayamATutoronto.ca

Research Assistants

Bhairavi Prasanna, MSc
Bhairavi Prasanna has worked in Chennai, India as a Speech-Language Pathologist for nearly a decade and has now moved to the research domain of the field. She completed her master’s degree in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology from Sri Ramachandra Medical College, Chennai. She was among the first cohorts of Hanen certified professionals in India.She has primarily worked with the pediatric population while supporting parents and collaborating with school teachers to aid the child’s language development process. She closely follows the developments within the area of evidence-based practices and has shown special interest in networking with and bringing leaders within the field to India both for discussions and seminars to educate students. She enjoys reading and learning about adult learning styles, neurological basis of learning, and the role of gratitude and happiness in enhancing the quality of life. She also hopes to build her cultural storytelling capacity to promote deeper appreciation for her own and other cultures through cuisine and immersive experiences.

Mercedes Eileen Villanueva, HonBA
Mercedes Eileen Villanueva is a recent graduate from University of Toronto’s St. George campus. She completed her Honours Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Linguistics and History of Art. She is currently undergoing training to become a Communication Disorders Assistant (CDA) and has completed two clinical placements with the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. Her primary research interests include aphasiology, psycholinguistics, psychometric test development, communication sciences and disorders, and the integration of evidence-based and experience-based practices. In her spare time she enjoys horticulture, producing 35mm film photography, attending art shows, and travelling. In the future she hopes to continue her studies at the graduate level with a focus on aphasiology.

Email: me.villanuevaATmail.utoronto.ca

Collaborators and ODL Graduates

Rohan Bali (MEng Graduate and collaborator)
Boaz Ben-David, PhD (collaborator and former Post-Doctoral Fellow)
Arpita Bose(PhD Graduate)
Hamilton Candundo, MPH (former collaborator)
Douglas Cheyne, PhD (collaborator)
Laura Colantoni, PhD (collaborator)
Heidi Diepstra, PhD (PhD Graduate)
Nicole Ann-Marie Durham, PhD (PhD Graduate)
Dave Fernandez, PhD (collaborator and former Post-Doctoral Fellow)
Louis Goldstein, PhD (collaborator)
Deborah Hayden (collaborator)
Alexei Kochetov, PhD (collaborator)
Calvin Lau (MHSc Eng Graduate)
Huawei Colin Li (M.A.Sc. Graduate ODL and Dr. Wong’s lab)
Ben Maassen, PhD (collaborator)
Namita Multani (MSc Graduate)
Kevin Munhall, PhD (collaborator)
Aravind Namasivayam, PhD (PhD Graduate and collaborator)
Chris Neufeld (MSc Graduate)
Kathy Pichora-Fuller, PhD (collaborator)
Marianne Pouplier, PhD (collaborator)
Toni Rietveld, PhD (collaborator)
Frank Rudzicz, PhD (collaborator and former Post-Doctoral Fellow)
Glenn Schellenberg, PhD (collaborator)
Sabrina Shin (former collaborator)
Anneke Slis, PhD (PhD Graduate)
Catriona Steele (PhD Graduate)
Jeffrey Steele, PhD (collaborator)
Hayo Terband, PhD (collaborator)
Sandra Trehub, PhD (collaborator)
Douglas Whalen, PhD (collaborator)
Willy Wong, PhD (collaborator)
Claudio Zmarich, PhD (collaborator)