Education
- PhD, Speech and Hearing Science & Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ
Research Interests
Dr. Ciucci’s research interests focus on the neurobiological and behavioral underpinnings of cranial sensorimotor control. She is currently exploring the effects of degenerative neurologic disease-induced deficits on voice, speech, and swallowing (oromotor function) using both clinical and basic science methods. Her clinical studies on swallowing focus on the fine motor skills required to generate subtle changes in pressure generation during the pharyngeal stage of swallowing, considering the influence of disease state, therapy, and medications on these processes. She also advances the study and clinical care of swallowing dysfunction with a new tool: high-resolution manometry. The overarching goal of this work is to improve the diagnosis and treatment of swallowing disorders with objective physiologic measures. Ciucci also studies Parkinson’s disease to examine the impact of early sensorimotor training approaches on functional improvement of vocalization and swallow behaviors, as well as the underlying neural substrates of exercise-induced brain changes. She explores how anti-Parkinson’s medications influence complex sensorimotor enrichment outcomes. Ciucci believes understanding these processes will lead to better treatments and functional outcomes for patients with Parkinson’s disease and other neurologic disorders.
Ciucci and Dr. Nadine Connor were awarded a five-year, $3.8 million federal research grant to study swallowing problems that can occur in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Publications