Students & Fellows
Post-Doctoral Fellows
Justine Dallal-York, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, BCS-S is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Laboratory for the Study of Upper Airway Dysfunction at Teachers College, Columbia University. She completed her PhD in Rehabilitation Science with a concentration in Neuromuscular Plasticity at the University of Florida in 2022. She earned her master's degree in Biobehavioral Science at Teachers College, Columbia University with an advanced certificate in bilingual speech-language pathology in 2014. She continued with several years of clinical practice at University of Miami Health System's NCI-designated cancer center, acute care hospital, and ALS center of excellence. Throughout her doctoral studies, she continued to work in acute care medical speech-language pathology at University of Florida Health. Justine's research interests include identifying and understanding how multiple organ systems across the aerodigestive axis impact airway protection in complex surgical and critically ill populations.
James Borders, PhD, CCC-SLP is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Laboratory for the Study of Upper Airway Dysfunction at Teachers College, Columbia University. He completed his PhD in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Teachers College in 2023, having previously earned a master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology with a medical concentration at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. His research focuses on understanding physiologic mechanisms underlying cough and swallowing dysfunction, as well as investigating how principles of motor learning can enhance their rehabilitation.
Jordanna Sevitz, PhD, CCC-SLP is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Laboratory for the Study of Upper Airway Dysfunction at Teachers College, Columbia University. She completed her PhD in Speech Language Pathology at Teachers College in 2023. She previously obtained her Masters degree in Speech-Language Pathology in 2017 from Teachers College and subsequently completed her clinical fellowship in the Upper Airway Dysfunction Laboratory. She has extensive experience in evaluation and treatment of swallowing and cough disorders in neurodegenerative disease. Her primary clinical and research interests are in developing novel evaluation and treatment paradigms for airway protection and motor speech disorders in neurologic populations. Jordanna is particularly interested in enhancing equitable, accessible, and personalized dysphagia treatment to increase treatment utilization and outcomes.
Doctoral Students
Avery Dakin, M.S., CCC-SLP is a doctoral student in the UAD Lab. Avery earned her graduate degree in Speech-Language Pathology from New York Medical College in 2018. She completed her clinical fellowship in the UAD Lab prior to beginning her doctoral studies. Avery's research aims to improve the evaluation and management of swallowing and cough disorders in neurodegenerative populations.
Emilie Lowell, M.S., CCC-SLP earned her master's degree in speech-language pathology from Vanderbilt University in 2016. She completed her clinical fellowship at the Boston VA Medical Center and continued full-time to serve inpatient and outpatient populations for over four years. She joined the Upper Airway Dysfunction Laboratory in the Department of Biobehavioral Sciences at Teachers College, Columbia University as a doctoral student in 2021. Emilie's research interests include translational research, improvements to instrumental evaluations of swallowing, and evidence-based treatments for neurogenic dysphagia.
Katya Villarreal, M.S., CCC-SLP is a doctoral student in the Department of Biobehavioral Sciences at Teachers College, Columbia University. She earned her master's degree in speech-language pathology from Teachers College in 2021 and completed her clinical fellowship at Isabella’s Center for Rehabilitation in Manhattan. Katya joined the Upper Airway Dysfunction Laboratory in Fall 2022 and her research interests include cough and swallowing rehabilitation.
Research SLP
Kelly Veit M.S CCC-SLP is a research speech language pathologist (previously clinical fellow) in the UAD Lab. She grew up in Syracuse, NY and attended New York University for her master’s in speech-language pathology. Kelly has clinical experience interning in both the outpatient and acute care settings and has a special interest in instrumental swallowing exams and cough and swallowing rehabilitation. In her free time she enjoys trying new restaurants and experiencing all that NYC has to offer!
Research Assistants
Dominique is a first-year master’s student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She graduated from Howard University with a B.S. in Human Development and a concentration in Speech-Language Pathology. She has interned at Howard University’s Speech and Hearing Clinic as an undergraduate student. Through her experiences, she has developed an interest in apraxia and dysphagia in populations across the lifespan. Her hobbies include listening to music, watching movies, and spending time with family.
Mel Grasso is a first-year Master’s student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. They graduated from Marymount Manhattan College in 2022 with a major in Communication Sciences and Disorders and a minor in language sciences. Their areas of interest include dysphasia, aphasia, and gender-affirming voice care.
Kate is a first-year master's student in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Teachers College, Columbia University. She graduated in 2023 from Washington University in St. Louis with a B.A. in Psychological and Brain Sciences, with a secondary major in Educational Studies and a minor in Speech and Hearing Sciences. Kate's current primary interests include assessment and treatment of voice, swallowing, and cough disorders, as well as in pediatric feeding and swallowing. Outside the lab, Kate loves to cook, bake, and explore the city.
Anogue is a first-year master's student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She graduated in 2021 from Northeastern University with a degree in Behavioral Neuroscience. After graduation, she worked as a clinical research coordinator at Massachusetts General Hospital on several projects examining acute severe traumatic brain injury. Her interests include hearing loss and traumatic brain injury. In her free time, she likes baking and exploring new restaurants, especially Thai food!
Melanie is a first-year master’s student in the Communication Sciences & Disorders: Bilingual Extension-Dual Certification Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She graduated with a B.S. in Communication Sciences & Disorders and a B.A. in Spanish with a certificate in Translation Studies from Adelphi University in 2022. Prior to starting at Teachers College, she completed a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) grant at University of Madeira in Funchal, Portugal. Her clinical interests include multilingualism, acquired neurogenic communication disorders, craniofacial anomalies, and equitable service delivery. Outside of the lab, Melanie loves traveling, visiting museums, and drinking lots of iced coffee.
Pauline is a master’s student in the Communication Science & Disorders: Bilingual Extension-Dual Certification Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2022 with a BPhil in CSD, a minor in linguistics, and a certificate in Children’s Literature. Her past and present research interests include neurodegenerative disease and treatment, speech, swallowing, and voice disorders. She enjoys working with populations across the lifespan and is motivated by the people she works with and her desire to advocate for marginalized communities. In her spare time, Pauline is on the hunt for the best matcha latte in the city, window shopping with friends in the Kinokuniya store, cooking with her family, or wandering around the streets of NY because of her poor sense of direction.
Allie is a master’s student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program at Teachers College, Columbia University. They earned their bachelor's degree from Illinois State University, majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders and minoring in Cognitive Science with a Linguistics focus. Allie’s primary areas of interest include voice within gender-diverse populations and swallowing disorders. Outside of the lab, Allie enjoys hiking, thrifting, and singing in choirs.
Crystal is a master’s student in the Communication Sciences & Disorders: Bilingual Extension-Dual Certification Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She graduated from Queens College with a B.A. in Communication Sciences Disorders and Psychology with minors in Spanish and Political Science. At the undergraduate level, she was a research assistant in the Developmental Disabilities Lab for Dr. Emily Jones and the Bilingual Biliteracy Lab for Dr. Elizabeth Ijalba. Crystal’s primary areas of interest include neurogenetic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and dysphagia. Outside of the lab, Crystal enjoys going to the beach and visiting museums and art galleries.
Theresa Lee is a Speech-Language Pathology masters student at Teachers College. She grew up in California and attended Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) for her undergraduate degrees in Communication Sciences, Psychology, and Spanish. At CWRU, she worked with Dr. Rachel Mulheren in the Brain in Swallowing & Communication Lab for four years. Theresa is interested in multilingualism, older populations, dysphagia, and medical speech-language pathology as a whole. She aspires to be a multilingual (Spanish, Korean, English) SLP and would like to work abroad.
Sydney is a master’s student in the Communication Sciences & Disorders Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She earned her bachelor's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a minor in Spanish at St. John’s University. During her time at St John’s University, she worked with Dr. Patrick Walden in publishing the article, “Individual Voice Dimensions' Prediction of Overall Dysphonia Severity on Two Auditory-Perceptual Scales.” Sydney is interested in working in the speech-language pathology medical setting with a focus in dysphagia. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading and spending time with her two puppies.