Voice disorders affect approximately 7.5 million Americans. The Voice Research Training Program helps predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows develop translational research skills to advance understanding and treatment options for this population.
Our program offers robust training opportunities, including comprehensive laboratory and clinical research experiences as well as exposure to clinical trials, hypothesis-based research design, management, ethics and data analysis. Fellows develop a deep, bench-to-bedside understanding of voice science. Otolaryngologists, speech pathologists and scientists from various engineering, oncology, medicine, and surgical disciplines all work closely with trainees to advance their expertise. This multidisciplinary focus is critical to training the next generation of scientists to create new knowledge in the field.
VOICE RESEARCH TRAINING PROGRAM
Voice-Related Research Areas
Vocal fold engineering, stem cells and biomaterials
Vocal fold genetics and proteomics
Vocal fold physiology and neurophysiology
- Age-related effect of cell death on fiber morphology
- Effects of cigarette smoke and rflux on human laryngeal microbiome
Vocal fold biomechanics and modeling
Vocal tract imaging
Improving health outcomes through clinical and health services research
Contact Us
Susan Thibeault, PhD
Program Director
slthibeaul@surgery.wisc.edu
(608) 262-0744
Program Highlights
96
Publications
14
Federal Grants
75%
F Grants Funded*
*Since 2012
“The Voice T32 was an invaluable experience for me. I feel so fortunate to have been selected for a position and have highly recommended it to others considering a career in voice-related research.”
– Elizabeth DiRenzo, PhD, CCC-SLP, Stanford University
Medical Student Research Opportunity
To encourage future clinicians to become physician-scientists in the field of voice research, the summer training program offers medical students a short-term summer research opportunity. Our program’s medical students have participated in projects related to various areas of voice science and some have presented nationally on topics including:
- Vocal communication deficits in Parkinson’s disease
- Influence of arm supports on phonomicrosurgery and outcomes using video-based phonomicrosurgery instrument tracking system
- Characterization of toll-like receptor expression in the larynx: implications for inflammation
- Magnetic resonance micro-imaging for the detection of vocal fold injury
- Quantification of lingual muscle plasticity
This training program is supported by NIH, NIDCD T32 DC009401.