Yana Yunusova, PhD, CCC-SLP

Background:
I received a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 2000. I gained my clinical SLP experiences at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics and the William S. Middleton Veterans Hospital in Madison, primarily in the area of neurogenic speech and swallowing disorders.  My clinical work with patients with neurologic conditions ignited a life-long interest in how the human brain controls speech. I completed a PhD in Speech Science at the Department of Communicative Disorders at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, under the direction of Drs. Gary Weismer and John Westbury, in 2005. During my graduate studies, I was a research assistant in the X-Ray Microbeam Laboratory studying articulatory kinematics, speech acoustics and intelligibility in speakers with motor speech disorders. I continued my research training as a research fellow in the Speech Production Laboratory at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, where I used a 3D electromagnetic articulography, Motion Capture system, and aerodynamic techniques to study speech production in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).  I accepted an Assistant Professor position at the University of Toronto in 2007 and was promoted to the rank of an Associate Professor in 2012. I was promoted to the rank of Full Professor in 2019.

Professional interests:

My research is focused on understanding the effects of neurologic disease on speech production. At present, my research program is composed of three independent but related themes. The first theme is focused on issues of early diagnosis and subtyping of the bulbar form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The second theme is devoted to the study of neuroanatomical underpinnings of motor control and cognitive deterioration in ALS. The third is concentrated on the development of new treatment methods, specifically a visual feedback paradigm, for treating motor speech disorders.  In addition to conducting research, I teach in the area of motor speech disorders and augmentative alternative communication.

Affiliations

Associate Scientist: Sunnybrook Research Institute (SRI)
Senior Scientist: The KITE Research Institute at University Health Network
Associate Member: Institute of Medical Science (IMS), University of Toronto
Associate Member: Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Science (GDRS), University of Toronto
Member: Collaborative Program in Neuroscience (CPIN), University of Toronto