Contact Information

Vocal Hyperfunction Clinical Research Center

Center for Laryngeal Surgery and Voice Rehabilitation
One Bowdoin Square, 11th Floor
Boston, MA  02114

Phone: 617-643-2466

Email: SEDEROSA@mgh.harvard.edu

Explore the Center

    About the Center

    The Vocal Hyperfunction Clinical Research Center (VHCRC) at Massachusetts General Hospital is a comprehensive, multi-institutional research program that brings together a multidisciplinary team of investigators with various specialties to study hyperfunctional voice disorders. The VHCRC is led by Robert Hillman, PhD, CCC-SLP, research director and co-director of the Mass General Voice Center. The central theme of the VHCRC is that clinical management of vocal hyperfunction can be significantly improved by attaining a better understanding of the multiple causative factors and associated disordered physiological processes associated with these disorders and then translating this knowledge into new, more effective methods for prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

    The center’s scope of research in vocal hyperfunction is unprecedented, especially in regards to the integration of many types of data (e.g., behavioral, sensorimotor, environmental, psychological/emotional and biomechanical data) on a large scale, across multiple institutions and areas of expertise.

    About the Condition

    Vocal hyperfunction refers to excessive activity of the muscles and joints of the vocal mechanism (larynx or voice box) during voice production. It is associated with the most prevalent types of voice disorders including those that arise from repeated trauma to vocal cord tissue (e.g., nodules and polyps) and the occurrence of vocal deterioration in the absence of diagnosable pathology (commonly called muscle tension dysphonia).

    Scientific Premise

    Multiple factors are believed to cause and maintain the disorders linked to vocal hyperfunction. The most important mechanisms include:

    • Behavioral
    • Biomechanical
    • Emotional
    • Environmental
    • Psychological
    • Sensorimotor

    VHCRC’s interdisciplinary research program will focus on understanding the fundamental relationships between these factors and the different manifestations of vocal hyperfunction. This will be accomplished in three major research projects led by Dr. Hillman, Cara Stepp, PhD, and Matías Zañartu, PhD, and a scientific core led by Daryush Mehta, PhD. They will employ an innovative combination of laboratory studies of sensorimotor and physiological mechanisms; neural network modeling of voice motor control; computational and physical modeling of phonatory mechanisms; and the use of ambulatory biosensors to investigate the potential differential impact on vocal function of daily voice use, psychological stress and environmental noise in patients with vocal hyperfunction and well-matched normal controls. Use of ambulatory biofeedback as a treatment strategy will also be assessed.

    Goals

    • To better delineate the etiological and pathophysiological mechanisms that underlie the range of voice disorders associated with vocal hyperfunction
    • To develop more specific and accurate classification or phenotyping of vocal hyperfunction based on solid scientific evidence of disparate underlying etiological and pathophysiological mechanisms
    • To use the new information about mechanisms of vocal hyperfunction to develop and test new clinical methods to improve the prevention, differential diagnosis, and targeted behavioral treatment of hyperfunctional voice disorders

    Vocal Hyperfunction Theoretical Framework (PDF)

    Acknowledgments: The VHCRC is supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders through Grant P50 DC015446. Website content is solely the responsibility of the investigators and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

    Research Projects

    The below three research projects focus on investigating mechanisms that are hypothesized to play primary roles in causing and/or maintaining Vocal Hyperfunction (VH). Expand each title to learn more.

    Use of ambulatory biosensors to improve the differential diagnosis and treatment of vocal hyperfunction

    Principal Investigator: Robert E. Hillman, PhD, CCC-SLP, Mass General

    This project uses an innovative combination of ambulatory biosensors, clinical and laboratory studies, and tracking of treatment-related effects to gain new insights into behavioral (daily voice use), environmental (noise levels), emotional (psychological stress/arousal), and physiological (phonatory function) factors related to the etiology and pathophysiology of VH. Researchers will assess the assumed role of emotional stress in eliciting a differential VH response in patients with hyperfunctional voice disorders and normal controls. In a secondary analysis, the team will examine the hypothesized impact of personality and psychological predisposition (trait theory) in modulating the vocal/VH response to emotional stress by having participants complete personality inventories. A major thrust of this project will involve testing hypotheses about the differential impact of VH on the phonatory physiology (biomechanics) associated with phonotraumatic VH (e.g., nodules) and nonphonotraumatic VH (e.g., muscle tension dysphonia). This will also include investigating the potential modulating impact on VH of environmental noise levels (Lombard Effect – increasing vocal SPL) and the presence of nodules (e.g., testing hypotheses related to the need for post-surgical voice therapy to reduce persistent/residual phonotraumatic VH). Special emphasis will be placed on testing biomechanics-based hypotheses related to the role of collision forces in phonotraumatic VH. Use of ambulatory biofeedback as a treatment strategy will also be assessed.

    Sensorimotor mechanisms of vocal hyperfunction

    Principal Investigator: Cara E. Stepp, PhD, Boston University

    This project uses classic model-driven experimental approaches from speech motor control research to test hypotheses concerning the potential role that disordered sensorimotor mechanisms play in VH. Auditory-motor integration for feedforward and feedback control are examined. These studies include the potential impact that voice therapy might have in reducing such deficits by triggering neuroplastic central nervous system changes. This project will rely on ambulatory measures that are being further refined in Project 1 to assess pre- and post-treatment changes in daily vocal function.

    Modeling biomechanical and aero-acoustic mechanisms of vocal hyperfunction

    Principal Investigator: Matías Zañartu, PhD, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María

    This project develops and uses physical and numerical modeling (including subject-specific models) to provide unique insights into the underlying biomechanical, aero-acoustic, and muscle activation mechanisms that contribute to the pathophysiology of VH, providing direct links between model outputs and real clinical data with direct application to the ambulatory assessment of vocal function. This important fundamental work closely links/integrates with Projects 1 and 2 by providing unique insights into these mechanisms that cannot be obtained with current approaches and, in the case of Project 1, extending or improving ambulatory assessment of daily vocal function for clinical evaluation and treatment (biofeedback).


    Publications

    Expand the below categories to view a sampling of our work, all of which is supported by clinical research center funding.

    Publications
    1. Espinoza VM, Zañartu M, Van Stan JH, Mehta DD, Hillman RE (2017). Glottal aerodynamic measures in women with phonotraumatic and nonphonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 60(8):2159–2169. PMCID: PMC5829799. link
    2. Van Stan JH, Park S-W, Jarvis M, Mehta DD, Hillman RE, Sternad D (2017). Measuring vocal motor skill with a virtual voice-controlled slingshot. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 142(3):1199–1212. PMCID: PMC5648563. link
    3. Borsky M, Mehta DD, Van Stan JH, Gudnason J (2017). Modal and non-modal voice quality classification using acoustic and electroglottographic features. IEEE/ACM Transactions on Audio, Speech, and Language Processing, 25(12):2281–2291. PMCID: PMC7971071. link
    4. Galindo GE, Peterson SD, Erath BD, Castro C, Hillman RE, Zañartu M (2017). Modeling the pathophysiology of phonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction with a triangular glottal model of the vocal folds. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 60(9):2452–2471. PMCID: PMC5831616. link
    5. Van Stan JH, Maffei M, Masson MLV, Mehta DD, Burns JA, Hillman RE (2017). Self-ratings of vocal status in daily life: Reliability and validity for patients with vocal hyperfunction and a normative group. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 26(4):1167–1177. PMCID: PMC5945061. link
    6. Cortés JP, Espinoza VM, Ghassemi M, Mehta DD, Van Stan JH, Hillman RE, Guttag JV, Zañartu M (2018). Ambulatory assessment of phonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction using glottal airflow measures estimated from neck-surface acceleration. PLoS One, 13(12):e0209017. PMCID: PMC6301575. link
    7. Gonzalez Ortiz JJ, Guttag J, Hillman RE, Mehta DD, Van Stan JH, Ghassemi M (2019). Learning from few subjects in the presence of large amounts of ambulatory data. Proceedings of Machine Learning Research, 106:704–720.PMCID: PMC8456782. link
    8. Brockmann-Bauser M, Van Stan JH, Carvalho Sampaio M, Bohlender JE, Hillman RE, Mehta DD (2021). Effects of vocal intensity and fundamental frequency on cepstral peak prominence in patients with voice disorders and vocally healthy controls. Journal of Voice, 35(3): 411–417. PMCID: PMC7295673. link
    9. Ciccarelli G, Mehta DD, Ortiz A, Van Stan JH, Toles L, Marks K, Hillman RE, Quatieri T. (2019). Correlating an ambulatory voice measure to electrodermal activity in patients with vocal hyperfunction. Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Wearable and Implantable Body Sensor Networks, 2019:18850875. PMCID: PMC8278873. link
    10. Deliyski DD, Shishkov M, Mehta DD, Ghasemzadeh H, Bouma B, Zañartu M, de Alarcon A, Hillman RE (2021). Laser-calibrated system for transnasal fiberoptic laryngeal high-speed videoendoscopy. Journal of Voice, 35(1):122–128. PMCID: PMC6995434. link
    11. Deng JJ, Hadwin PJ, Peterson SD (2019). The effect of high-speed videoendoscopy configuration on reduced-order model parameter estimates by Bayesian inference. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 146(2):1492–1492. PMCID: PMC6715443. link
    12. Díaz-Cádiz ME, Peterson SD, Galindo GE, Espinoza VM, Motie-Shirazi M, Erath BD, Zañartu M (2019). Estimating vocal fold contact pressure from raw laryngeal high-speed videoendoscopy using a Hertz contact model. Applied Sciences, 9(11):2384. PMCID: PMC8279006. link
    13. Erath BD, Peterson SD, Weiland KS, Plesniak MW, Zañartu M (2019). An acoustic source model for asymmetric intraglottal flow with application to reduced-order models of the vocal folds. PLoS One, 14(7):e0219914. PMCID: PMC6657872. link
    14. Hadwin PJ, Motie-Shirazi M, Erath BD, Peterson SD (2019). Bayesian inference of vocal fold material properties from glottal area waveforms using a 2D finite element model. Applied Sciences, 9(13):2735. PMCID: PMC8153513. link
    15. Heller Murray ES, Hseu AF, Nuss RC, Harvey Woodnorth G, Stepp CE (2019). Vocal pitch discrimination in children with and without vocal fold nodules. Applied Sciences, 9(15):3042. PMCID: PMC6910133. link
    16. Heller Murray ES, Lupiani AA, Kolin KR, Segina RK, Stepp CE (2019). Pitch shifting with the commercially available Eventide Eclipse: Intended and unintended changes to the speech signal. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 62(7):2270–2279. PMCID: PMC6808353. link
    17. Manriquez R, Peterson SD, Prado P, Orio P, Galindo GE, Zañartu M (2019). Neurophysiological muscle activation scheme for controlling vocal fold models. IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, 27(5):1043–1052. PMCID: PMC6557719. link
    18. Mehta DD, Espinoza VM, Van Stan JH, Zañartu M, Hillman RE (2019). The difference between first and second harmonic amplitudes correlates between glottal airflow and neck-surface accelerometer signals during phonation. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 145(5):EL386–EL392. PMCID: PMC6520097. link
    19. Mehta DD, Kobler JB, Zeitels SM, Zañartu M, Erath BD, Motie-Shirazi M, Peterson SD, Petrillo RH, Hillman RE (2019). Toward development of a vocal fold contact pressure probe: Bench-top validation of a dual-sensor probe using excised human larynx models. Applied Sciences, 9(20):4360. PMCID: PMC8171492. link
    20. Motie-Shirazi M, Zañartu M, Peterson SD, Mehta DD, Kobler JB, Hillman RE, Erath BD (2019). Toward development of a vocal fold contact pressure probe: Sensor characterization and validation using synthetic vocal fold models. Applied Sciences, 9(15):3002. PMCID: PMC7202565. link
    21. Murton O, Shattuck-Hufnagel S, Choi J-Y, Mehta DD (2019). Identifying a creak probability threshold for an irregular pitch period detection algorithm. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 145(5):EL379–EL385. PMCID: PMC6520096. link
    22. Ortiz AJ, Toles LE, Marks KL, Capobianco S, Mehta, DD, Hillman RE, Van Stan JH (2019). Automatic speech and singing classification in ambulatory recordings for normal and disordered voices. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 146(1):EL22–EL27. PMCID: PMC6624122. link
    23. Park Y, Perkell JS, Matthies ML, Stepp CE (2019). Categorization in the perception of breathy voice quality and its relation to voice production in healthy speakers. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 62(10):3655–3666. PMCID: PMC7201331. link
    24. Prado-Gutierrez P, Martínez-Montes E, Weinstein A, Zañartu M (2019). Estimation of auditory steady-state responses based on the averaging of independent EEG epochs. PLoS One, 14(1):e0206018. PMCID: PMC6345467. link
    25. Marks KL, Lin JZ, Fox AB, Toles LE, Mehta DD (2019). Impact of nonmodal phonation on estimates of subglottal pressure from neck-surface acceleration in healthy speakers. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 62(9):3339–3358. PMCID: PMC6808343. link
    26. Alzamendi GA, Manríquez R, Hadwin PJ, Deng JJ, Peterson SD, Erath BD, Mehta DD, Hillman RE, Zañartu M (2020). Bayesian estimation of vocal function measures using laryngeal high-speed videoendoscopy and glottal airflow estimates: An in vivo case study. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 147(5):EL434–EL439. PMCID: PMC7480079. link
    27. Ghasemzadeh H, Deliyski DD, Ford DS, Kobler JB, Hillman RE, Mehta DD (2020). Method for vertical calibration of laser-projection transnasal fiberoptic high-speed videoendoscopy. Journal of Voice, 34(6):847–861. PMCID: PMC6883161. link
    28. Espinoza VM, Mehta DD, Van Stan JH, Hillman RE, Zañartu M (2020). Glottal aerodynamics estimated from neck-surface vibration in women with phonotraumatic and nonphonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 63(9):2861–2869. PMCID: PMC7890221. link
    29. Heller Murray ES, Segina RK, Woodnorth GH, Stepp CE (2020). Relative fundamental frequency in children with and without vocal fold nodules. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 63(2):361–371. PMCID: PMC7210445. link
    30. Hillman RE, Stepp CE, Van Stan JH, Zañartu M, Mehta DD (2020). An updated theoretical framework for vocal hyperfunction. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 29(4):2254–2260. PMCID: PMC8740570. link
    31. Kearney E, Nieto-Castañón A, Weerathunge HR, Falsini R, Daliri A, Abur D, Ballard KJ, Chang SE, Chao SC, Heller Murray ES, Scott TL, Guenther FH (2020). A simple 3-parameter model for examining adaptation in speech and voice production. Frontiers in Psychology, 10:2995. PMCID: PMC6985569. link
    32. Lin JZ, Espinoza VM, Marks KL, Zañartu M, Mehta DD (2020). Improved subglottal pressure estimation from neck-surface vibration in healthy speakers producing non-modal phonation. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Signal Processing, 14(2):449–460. PMCID: PMC8168553. link
    33. Marks KL, Lin JZ, Burns JA, Hron TA, Hillman RE, Mehta DD (2020). Estimation of subglottal pressure from neck surface vibration in patients with voice disorders. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 63(7):2202–2218. PMCID: PMC7838842. link
    34. McKenna VS, Hylkema JA, Tardif MC, Stepp CE (2020). Voice onset time in individuals with hyperfunctional voice disorders: Evidence for disordered vocal motor control. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 63(2):405-420. PMCID: PMC7210440. link
    35. Mora LA, Ramirez H, Yuz JI, Le Gorec Y, Zañartu M (2021). Energy-based fluid–structure model of the vocal folds. IMA Journal of Mathematical Control and Information, 38(2):466–492. PMCID: PMC8210679. link
    36. Heller Murray ES, Stepp CE (2020). Relationships between vocal pitch perception and production: A developmental perspective. Scientific Reports, 10(1):3912. PMCID: PMC7054315. link
    37. Lester-Smith RA, Daliri A, Enos N, Abur D, Lupiani AA, Letcher S, Stepp CE (2020). The relation of articulatory and vocal auditory-motor control in typical speakers. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 63(11):3628–3642. PMCID: PMC8582832. link
    38. Martínez-Montes E, García-Puente Y, Zañartu M, Prado-Gutiérrez P (2020). Chirp analyzer for estimating amplitude and latency of steady-state auditory envelope following responses. IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, 28(12):2744–2753. PMCID: PMC7920094. link
    39. Murton O, Hillman R, Mehta D (2020). Cepstral peak prominence values for clinical voice evaluation. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 29(3):1596–1607. PMCID: PMC7893528. link
    40. Toles LE, Ortiz AJ, Marks KL, Mehta DD, Van Stan JH, Hillman RE (2022). Amount and characteristics of speaking and singing voice use in vocally healthy female college student singers during a typical week. Journal of Voice, 36(2):203–211. PMCID: PMC7680342. links
    41. Tracy LF, Segina RK, Cadiz MD, Stepp CE (2020). The impact of communication modality on voice production. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 63(9):2913–2920. PMCID: PMC7890225. link
    42. Van Stan JH, Mehta DD, Ortiz AJ, Burns JA, Marks KL, Toles LE, Stadelman-Cohen T, Krusemark C, Muise J, Hron T, Zeitels SM, Fox AB, Hillman RE (2020). Changes in a Daily Phonotrauma Index after laryngeal surgery and voice therapy: Implications for the role of daily voice use in the etiology and pathophysiology of phonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 63(12):3934–3944. PMCID: PMC8608140. link
    43. Van Stan JH, Mehta DD, Ortiz AJ, Burns JA, Toles LE, Marks KL, Vangel M, Hron T, Zeitels S, Hillman RE (2020). Differences in weeklong ambulatory vocal behavior between female patients with phonotraumatic lesions and matched controls. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 63(2):372–384. PMCID: PMC7210443. link
    44. Weerathunge HR, Abur D, Enos NM, Brown KM, Stepp CE (2020). Auditory-motor perturbations of voice fundamental frequency: Feedback delay and amplification. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 63(9):2846–2860. PMCID: PMC7890227. link
    45. Whittico TH, Ortiz AJ, Marks KL, Toles LE, Van Stan JH, Hillman RE, Mehta DD (2020). Ambulatory monitoring of Lombard-related vocal characteristics in vocally healthy female speakers. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 147(6):EL552–EL558. PMCID: PMC7316514. link
    46. Groll MD, Vojtech JM, Hablani S, Mehta DD, Buckley DP, Noordzij JP, Stepp CE (2022). Automated relative fundamental frequency algorithms for use with neck-surface accelerometer signals. Journal of Voice, 36(2):156–169. PMCID: PMC7790853. link
    47. Ghasemzadeh H, Deliyski DD (2020). Non-linear image distortions in flexible fiberoptic endoscopes and their effects on calibrated horizontal measurements using high-speed videoendoscopy. Journal of Voice: in press, S0892-1997(20)30331-3 PMCID: PMC7969477. link
    48. Kridgen S, Hillman RE, Stadelman-Cohen T, Zeitels S, Burns JA, Hron T, Krusemark C, Muise J, Van Stan JH (2021). Patient-reported factors associated with the onset of hyperfunctional voice disorders. Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology, 130(4):389–394. PMCID: PMC7940573. link
    49. Toles LE, Ortiz AJ, Marks KL, Burns JA, Hron T, Van Stan J, Mehta DD, Hillman RE (2020). Differences between female singers with phonotrauma and vocally healthy matched controls in singing and speaking voice use during 1 week of ambulatory monitoring. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 30(1):199–209. PMCID: PMC8740583. link
    50. Ghasemzadeh H, Deliyski DD, Hillman RE, Mehta DD (2021). Method for horizontal calibration of laser-projection transnasal fiberoptic high-speed videoendoscopy. Applied Sciences, 11(2):822. PMCID: PMC7899170. link
    51. Van Stan JH, Ortiz AJ, Cortés JP, Marks KL, Toles LE, Mehta DD, Burns JA, Hron T, Stadelman-Cohen T, Krusemark C, Muise J, Fox-Galalis AB, Nudelman C, Zeitels SM, Hillman RE (2021). Differences in daily voice use measures between female patients with nonphonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction and matched controls. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 64(5):1457–1470. PMCID: PMC8608188. link
    52. Van Stan JH, Ortiz AJ, Marks KL, Toles LE, Mehta DD, Burns JA, Hron T, Stadelman-Cohen T, Krusemark C, Muise J, Fox AB, Nudelman C, Zeitels SM, Hillman RE (2021). Changes in the Daily Phonotrauma Index following the use of voice therapy as the sole treatment for phonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction in females. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 64(9):3446–3455. PMCID: PMC8642084. link
    53. Marks KL, Verdi A, Toles LE, Stipancic KL, Ortiz AJ, Hillman RE, Mehta DD (2021). Psychometric analysis of an ecological vocal effort scale in individuals with and without vocal hyperfunction during activities of daily living. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 30(6):2589–2604. PMCID: PMC9132024. link
    54. Toles LE, Roy N, Sogg S, Marks KL, Ortiz AJ, Fox AB, Mehta DD, Hillman RE (2021). Relationships among personality, daily speaking voice use, and phonotrauma in adult female singers. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 64(12):4580–4598. PMCID: PMC9150681. link
    55. Mehta DD, Kobler JB, Zeitels SM, Zañartu M, Ibarra EJ, Alzamendi GA, Manriquez R, Erath BD, Peterson SD, Petrillo RH, Hillman RE (2021). Direct measurement and modeling of intraglottal, subglottal, and vocal fold collision pressures during phonation in an individual with a hemilaryngectomy. Applied Sciences, 11(16):7256. NIHMSID: 1801455. link
    56. Ibarra EJ, Parra J, Alzamendi GA, Cortés JP, Espinoza VM, Mehta DD, Hillman RE, Zañartu M (2021). Estimation of subglottal pressure, vocal fold collision pressure, and intrinsic laryngeal muscle activation from neck-surface vibration using a neural network framework and a voice production model. Frontiers in Physiology, 12(732244):13 pages. PMCID: PMC8440844. link
    57. Van Stan JH, Ortiz AJ, Sternad D, Mehta DD, Huo C, Hillman RE (2021). Ambulatory voice biofeedback: Acquisition and retention of modified daily voice use in patients with phonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 31(1):409–418. PMCID: PMC9135013. link
    58. Van Stan JH, Park S-W, Jarvis M, Stemple J, Hillman RE, Sternad D (2021). Quantitative Assessment of Learning and Retention in Virtual Vocal Function Exercises. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 65(1): 1–15. PMCID: PMC8608156. link
    59. Kapsner-Smith MR, Díaz-Cádiz ME, Vojtech JM, Buckley DP, Mehta DD, Hillman RE, Tracy LF, Noordzij JP, Eadie TL, Stepp CE (2022). Clinical cutoff scores for acoustic indices of vocal hyperfunction that combine relative fundamental frequency and cepstral peak prominence. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 65(4):1349–1369. PMCID: PMC Journal – In Process. link
    60. Nudelman CJ, Ortiz AJ, Fox AB, Mehta DD, Hillman RE, Van Stan JH (2022). Daily Phonotrauma Index: An objective indicator of large differences in self-reported vocal status in the daily life of females with phonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 31(3):1412–1423. PMCID: PMC Journal – In Process.
    61. Cler GJ, Perkell JS, Stepp CE (2021). Oral configurations during vowel nasalization in English. Speech Communication, 129:17–24. PMCID: PMC8492006. link
    62. Groll MD, Hablani S, Stepp CE (2021). The relationship between voice onset time and increases in vocal effort and fundamental frequency. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 64(4):1197–1209. PMCID: PMC8608153. link
    63. Serry MA, Stepp CE, Peterson SD (2021). Physics of phonation offset: Towards understanding relative fundamental frequency observations. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 149(5):3654–3664. PMCID: PMC8163514. link
    64. Abur D, Subaciute A, Kapsner-Smith M, Segina RK, Tracy LF, Noordzij JP, Stepp, CE (2021). Impaired auditory discrimination and auditory-motor integration in hyperfunctional voice disorders. Scientific Reports, 11(1):13123. PMCID: PMC8222324. link
    65. Abur D, MacPherson MK, Shembel AC, Stepp CE (2021). Acoustic Measures of Voice and Physiologic Measures of Autonomic Arousal During Speech as a Function of Cognitive Load in Older Adults. Journal of Voice, 31(4):504.e1–504.e9. PMCID: PMC8310524. link
    66. Tomassi NE, Weerathunge HR, Cushman MR, Bohland JW, Stepp CE (2022). Assessing ecologically valid methods of auditory feedback measurement in individuals with typical speech. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 65(1):121–135. PMCID: PMC9153919. link
    67. Tomassi NE, Castro ME, Timmons Sund L, Díaz-Cádiz ME, Buckley DP, Stepp CE (2021). Effects of sidetone amplification on vocal function during telecommunication.Journal of Voice, S0892-1997(21)00124-7. PMCID: PMC8586047. link
    68. Weerathunge HR, Alzamendi GA, Cler GJ, Guenther FH, Stepp CE, Zañartu M (2022). LaDIVA: A neurocomputational model providing laryngeal motor control for speech acquisition and production. PLoS Computational Biology, 18(6):e1010159. PMCID: PMC9258861. link
    69. Motie-Shirazi M, Zañartu M, Peterson SD, Erath BD (2021). Vocal fold dynamics in a synthetic self-oscillating model: Contact pressure and dissipated energy dose. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 150(2):1332–1345. PMCID: PMC8298101. link
    70. Hadwin PJ, Erath BD, Peterson SD (2021). The influence of flow model selection on finite element model parameter estimation using Bayesian inference. JASA Express Letters, 1(4): 045204. PMCID: PMC8182970. link
    71. Serry MA, Stepp CE, Peterson SD (2021). Physics of phonation offset: Towards understanding relative fundamental frequency observations. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 149(5):3654–3664. PMCID: PMC8163514. link
    72. Stewart ME, Erath BD (2021). Investigating blunt force trauma to the larynx: The role of inferior-superior vocal fold displacement on phonation. Journal of Biomechanics, 121; 110377. PMCID: PMC8127414. link
    73. Motie-Shirazi M, Zañartu M, Peterson SD, Erath BD (2021). Vocal fold dynamics in a synthetic self-oscillating model: Intraglottal aerodynamic pressure and energy. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 150(2):1332–1345. PMCID: PMC8387087. link
    74. Alzamendi GA, Peterson SD, Erath BD, Hillman RE, Zañartu M (2022). Triangular body-cover model of the vocal folds with coordinated activation of five intrinsic laryngeal muscles. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 151(1):17–30. PMCID: PMC8727069. link
    75. Cortés JP, Alzamendi GA, Weinstein AJ, Yuz GI, Espinoza VM, Mehta DD, Hillman RE, Zañartu M (2022). Kalman filter implementation of subglottal impedance-based inverse filtering to estimate glottal airflow during phonation. Applied Sciences, 12(1):401. NIHMSID: NIHMS1812241. link
    76. Deng J, Serry M, Zañartu M, Erath BD, Peterson SD (2022). Modeling the influence of COVID-19 protective measures on the mechanics of phonation. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 151(5):2987–2998. PMCID: PMC9068248. link
    77. Weerathunge HR, Tomassi NE, Stepp CE (2022). What can altered auditory feedback paradigms tell us about vocal motor control in individuals with voice disorders? Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 1–18. PMCID: PMC Journal – In Process.
    78. Motie-Shirazi M, Peterson SD, Zañartu M, Mehta DD, Hillman RE, Erath BD (2022). Collision pressure and dissipated power dose in a self-oscillating silicone vocal fold model with a posterior glottal opening. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 65(8):2829–2845. PMCID: PMC Journal – In Process. link
    79. Castro C, Prado P, Espinoza VM, Testart A, Marfull D, Manríquez R, Stepp CE, Mehta DD, Hillman RE, Zañartu M (2022). Lombard effect in individuals with non-phonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction: Impact on acoustic, aerodynamic, and vocal fold vibratory parameters. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 65(8):2881–2895. PMCID: PMC Journal – In Process. link
    80. Toles LE, Seidman AY, Hillman RE, Mehta DD (2022). Clinical utility of the ratio of sound pressure level to subglottal pressure in patients surgically treated for phonotraumatic vocal fold lesions. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 65(8):2778–2788. PMCID: PMC Journal – In Process. link
    Conference Abstracts
    1. A. Testart, G. Galindo, C. Castro, M. Zañartu. “A new visual probabilistic assessment of vocal fold vibration”, The 12th International Conference on Advances in Quantitative Laryngology, Voice and Speech Research, Hong Kong, October 17-21, 2017.
    2. J. P. Cortés, M. Zañartu. “Ambulatory classification of patients with muscle tension dysphonia vs. control group”, The 12th International Conference on Advances in Quantitative Laryngology, Voice and Speech Research, Hong Kong, October 17-21, 2017.
    3. R. Manrıquez, S. D Peterson, P. Prado, P. Orio, M. Zañartu, “Laryngeal muscle activation noise for physiologically-based models of phonation”, The 12th International Conference on Advances in Quantitative Laryngology, Voice and Speech Research, Hong Kong, October 17-21, 2017.
    4. R. Manrıquez, S. D Peterson, P. Prado, P. Orio, M. Zañartu, “Modeling Laryngeal Muscle Activation Noise for Low-Order Physiological Based Speech Synthesis”, Proc. Interspeech 2017, pp 1378- 1382, Stockholm, Sweden, August 2017 
    5. V. M. Espinoza, M. Zañartu, J. H. Van Stan, D. D. Mehta, and R. E. Hillman  “Uncertainty of glottal airflow estimation during continuous speech using impedance-based inverse filtering of the neck-surface acceleration signal”, Fall 2017 meeting of the ASA, Boston, USA, June 25-29, 2017. 
    6. Mehta D. D., Van Stan J. H., Masson M. L. V., Maffei M., Hillman R. E. Relating ambulatory voice measures with self-ratings of vocal fatigue in individuals with phonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction. Proceedings of the Acoustical Society of America 2017.
    7. Cortés J. P., Zañartu M., Mehta D. D., Van Stan J. H., Hillman R. E. Classification of patients with muscle tension dysphonia and matched-controls using ambulatory voice monitoring. Proceedings of the International Conference on Advances in Quantitative Laryngology, Voice and Speech Research 2017.
    8. Capobianco S., Ruggles R., Ortiz A. J., Mehta D. D., Hillman R. E., Van Stan J. H. Automatic classification of speech and singing during ambulatory voice monitoring using a neck-placed accelerometer. Proceedings of La Voce Artistica 2017.
    9. J.P. Cortes, V. M. Espinoza, M. Ghassemi, D. Mehta, J. Van Stan, R. Hillman, J. Guttag, M. Zañartu, “Using Aerodynamic Features and Their Uncertainty for the Ambulatory Assessment of Phonotraumatic Vocal Hyperfunction” IEEE International Conference on Biomedical and Health Informatics, March 4-7, 2018 in Las Vegas, NV.
    10. Brockmann-Bauser M., Van Stan J. H., Bohlender J. E., Mehta D. D. Acoustic-based cepstral peak prominence and spectral slope improve with increasing vocal intensity in women with and without voice disorders. Proceedings of the 12th Congress of the European Laryngological Society (ELS) 2018; London, England.
    11. Brockmann-Bauser M., Van Stan J. H., Bohlender JE, Mehta D. D. Effect of vocal intensity on cepstral peak prominence and spectral slope in women with and without voice disorders. Proceedings of the Voice Foundation Symposium 2018; Philadelphia, PA.
    12. Marks K. L. and Mehta D. D. Impact of non-modal phonation on estimates of subglottal pressure from neck-surface acceleration in healthy speakers. Proceedings of the Voice Foundation Symposium 2018; Philadelphia, PA.
    13. Van Stan J. H., Capobianco S., Ruggles R. K., Ortiz A. J., Toles L. E., Marks K. L., Hillman R. E., Mehta D. D. Ambulatory voice measures during singing and speech in patients with phonotraumatic vocal fold lesions compared to matched controls. Proceedings of the Voice Foundation Symposium 2018; Philadelphia, PA.
    14. Ghasemzadeh H., Naghibolhosseini M., Mehta D. D., Deliyski D. D. Machine-learning approach for automatic detection of calibrated laser light in transnasal flexible high-speed videoendoscopy. Proceedings of the Voice Foundation Symposium 2018; Philadelphia, PA.
    15. Deliyski D., Mehta D. D., Zañartu M., Shishkov M., Bouma B., de Alarcón A., Ghasemzadeh H., Hillman R. E. Laser-calibrated system for laryngeal transnasal flexible high-speed videoendoscopy. Proceedings of the Voice Foundation Symposium 2018; Philadelphia, PA.
    16. Brockmann-Bauser M., Van Stan J., Bohlender J. E., Mehta D. D. Spectral acoustic measures improve with increasing vocal intensity. Proceedings of the 29thth Congress of Union of the European Phoniatricians (UEP) 2018; Helsinki, Finland.
    17. P.  Prado, C. Christian, A. Weinstein, L. Zepeda, M. Zañartu,  “Cortical activation of healthy volunteers and muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) patients during Lombard Effect: an EEG study”, Joint meeting of the Chilean Societies of Biology, Genetics, Evolution, and Neuroscience, November 20-22, Puerto Varas, Chile, 2018.
    18. Hadwin, P. J. and Peterson, S. D., "Bayesian Inference of Tissue Properties from Glottal Area Waveforms Using a 2D Finite Element Model," 176th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, Victoria, BC, November 5-9, 2018.
    19. M. Diaz, M. Zañartu, C. Stepp, “How to construct your own high-speed flexible video endoscopy system for research and clinical applications”, The Fall Voice Conference 2018, October 25-27, Seattle, Washington, 2018.
    20. Park Y., Stepp C. E. “Do people who have breathier voices perceive breathiness differently?,” The Fall Voice Conference, Seattle, WA, October 25 – October 27, 2018. [poster presentation]
    21. Heller Murray E. S., Kolin K. R., Harvey Woodnorth G., Stepp C. E. “Relative Fundamental Frequency in Children With and Without Vocal Fold Nodules”, American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention, Boston, MA, November 15-17, 2018. [podium presentation]
    22. V. Espinoza, D. Mehta, J. VanStan, R. E. Hillman, M. Zañartu, “Accelerometer-based aerodynamic measures for subjects with phonotraumatic hyperfunction: An in-laboratory study”, 11th International Conference on Voice Physiology and Biomechanics, August 1-3, 2018, East Lansing, Michigan.
    23. Heller Murray E.S., Lupiani A.A., Kolin K.R., Stepp C.E. “Accuracy of the commercially available Eventide Eclipse to perturb Auditory feedback of fundamental frequency”, 11th International Conference on Voice Physiology and Biomechanics, East Lansing, MI, August 1 – 3, 2018. [poster presentation] 
    24. C. Castro, P. Prado, D. Marfull, A. Testart, A. Weinstein, L. Zepeda, V. Espinoza, M. Zañartu, “Lombard effect and muscle tension dysphonia: acoustic, aerodynamic, biomechanical and cortical changes”, 11th International Conference on Voice Physiology and Biomechanics, August 1-3, 2018, East Lansing, Michigan.
    25. J.P. Cortés, V. M. Espinoza, M. Ghassemi, D. Mehta, J. Van Stan, R. Hillman, J. Guttag, M. Zañartu, “Aerodynamic Ambulatory Assessment for Phonotraumatic Vocal Hyperfunction”, 11th International Conference on Voice Physiology and Biomechanics, August 1-3, 2018, East Lansing, Michigan.
    26. Deng, J., Hadwin, P. J. and Peterson, S. D., “The Influence of High-Speed Videoendoscopy Data Quality on Reduced-Order Model Parameters Estimated Using Bayesian Inference," 11th International Conference on Voice Physiology and Biomechanics, East Lansing, MI, August 1-3, 2018.
    27. M. Motie-Shirazi, B. D. Erath. “The effect of a posterior glottal gap on contact pressures in a synthetic self-oscillating vocal fold model,” 11th International Conference on Voice Physiology and Biomechanics, East Lansing, MI July 31-August 3, 2018.
    28. Mehta D., Kobler J., Zeitels S., Hillman R. In vivo probe for tracking intraglottal pressure, vocal fold collision, and subglottal pressure during phonation. Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Voice Physiology and Biomechanics 2018; East Lansing, MI.
    29. Mehta D. D., Van Stan J. H., Hillman R. E. Toward objective ambulatory measures of vocal status in patients with vocal hyperfunction. Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Voice Physiology and Biomechanics 2018; East Lansing, MI.
    30. Toles L., Ortiz A. J., Mehta D. D., Hillman R. E., Van Stan J. H. Speech and singing detection in ambulatory voice recordings in patients with phonotraumatic lesions and controls. Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association 2018; Boston, MA.
    31. Marks K, Lin J. Z., Mehta D. D. Estimating subglottal pressure from anterior neck-surface acceleration in patients with voice disorders. Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association 2018; Boston, MA.
    32. Hylkema J., McKenna V. S., Stepp C. E. “Voice Onset Time in Individuals with Hyperfunctional Voice Disorders”, American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention, Boston, MA, November 15-17, 2018. [poster presentation]
    33. Mehta D. D., Whittico T. H., Ortiz A. J., Marks K. L., Toles L. E., Van Stan J. H., Hillman RE. Investigating ambulatory Lombard effects during the daily life of patients with phonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction. Proceedings of the Occupational Voice Symposium 2019; London, UK.
    34. Van Stan J. H., Stadelman-Cohn T., Muise J., Krusemark C., Ortiz A. J., Mehta D. D., Burns J. A., Hron T. A., Hillman R. E. Personalized ambulatory biofeedback for patients with vocal hyperfunction. Proceedings of the Occupational Voice Symposium 2019; London, UK.
    35. Ghasemzadeh H., Ford D. S., Deliyski D. D., Kobler J. B., Hillman R. E., Mehta D. D. Calibration method for laser-projection transnasal flexible high-speed videoendoscopy. Proceedings of the Voice Foundation Symposium 2019; Philadelphia, PA. Received Sataloff Award.
    36. Gabriel A. Alzamendi, Christian Castro Toro, Sean D. Peterson, Byron D. Erath, Matías Zañartu, “Modeling Modal, Breathy, and Pressed Voice Qualities: The Role of Intrinsic Laryngeal Muscle Activation”, 48th Voice Foundation Annual Symposium: Care of the Professional Voice, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 29 - June 2, 2019.
    37. Juan Pablo Cortés, Víctor M. Espinoza, Christian Castro Toro, Rodrigo Manríquez Peralta, Alba Testart Tobar, Matías Zañartu, “Classification Performance of Paired Subjects with Vocal Hyperfunction in the Presence of Subglottal Inverse Filtering Uncertainties: Pilot Study under Laboratory Conditions”, 48th Voice Foundation Annual Symposium: Care of the Professional Voice, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 29 - June 2, 2019.
    38. Pavel Prado, Álvaro Cavieres, Lucia Zepeda, Alejandro Weinstein, Matías Zañartu, Sonja Kotz, Wael El-Deredy, “Understanding Cortical Activation Associated with Corollary Discharge during Speech Production: The Role of Active and Passive Listening”, 48th Voice Foundation Annual Symposium: Care of the Professional Voice, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 29 - June 2, 2019.
    39. Matías Zañartu, “Estimating Vocal Fold Contact Pressure In Vivo from Raw Laryngeal High-Speed Videoendoscopy using a Hertz Contact Model”, invited talk at the special session “Quantifying Vocal Fold Contact Pressure using Direct and Indirect Measurement Modalities”, 48th Voice Foundation Annual Symposium: Care of the Professional Voice, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 29 - June 2, 2019.
    40. Sean D. Peterson “Quantifying Vocal Fold Contact Pressure through Bayesian Estimation of Reduced and High-Order Vocal Fold Models”, invited talk at the special session “Quantifying Vocal Fold Contact Pressure using Direct and Indirect Measurement Modalities”, 48th Voice Foundation Annual Symposium: Care of the Professional Voice, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 29 - June 2, 2019.
    41. Byron D. Erath “Quantifying Uncertainty in Contact Pressure Measurements with Synthetic, Self-Oscillating Vocal Fold Models”, invited talk at the special session “Quantifying Vocal Fold Contact Pressure using Direct and Indirect Measurement Modalities”, 48th Voice Foundation Annual Symposium: Care of the Professional Voice, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 29 - June 2, 2019.
    42. Daryush D. Mehta, “Validating Vocal Fold Contact Pressure Measurement using Excised Human Larynx Models”, invited talk at the special session “Quantifying Vocal Fold Contact Pressure using Direct and Indirect Measurement Modalities”, 48th Voice Foundation Annual Symposium: Care of the Professional Voice, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 29 - June 2, 2019.
    43. Deliyski D. D., Ghasemzadeh H., Ford D. S., Mehta D. D., Shishkov M., Bouma B. E., Kobler J. B., Zanartu M., de Alarcon A., Hillman R. E. Laser-projection system and method for 3D calibrated laryngeal measurements using transnasal flexible high-speed videoendoscopy. Proceedings of the International Conference on Advances in Quantitative Laryngology, Voice and Speech Research 2019.
    44. Mehta D. D., Kobler J. B., Zañartu M., Erath B. D., Motie-Shirazi M., Peterson S. D., Petrillo R. H., Hillman R. E. Vocal fold collision pressure amplitude and timing in an excised hemilarynx setup with dual high-speed videoendoscopy. Proceedings of the International Conference on Advances in Quantitative Laryngology, Voice and Speech Research 2019.
    45. Van Stan J. H., Vangel M., Mehta D. D., Ortiz A. J., Toles L. E., Marks K. L., Hillman R. E. Differences in ambulatory vocal behavior between patients with phonotraumatic lesions and matched healthy controls. Proceedings of the International Conference on Advances in Quantitative Laryngology, Voice and Speech Research 2019.
    46. Cortés J. P., Alzamendi G. A., Weinstein A, Yuz J. I., Espinoza V. M., Mehta D. D., Van Stan J. H., Hillman R. E., Zañartu M. Uncertainty of ambulatory airflow estimates and its effect on the classification of phonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction. Proceedings of the International Conference on Advances in Quantitative Laryngology, Voice and Speech Research 2019.
    47. MotieShirazi M., Peterson S. D., Zañartu M., Mehta D. D., Kobler J. B., Hillman R. E., Erath B. D. Contact pressure and length as a function of posterior glottal area: Synthetic vocal fold investigations. Proceedings of the International Conference on Advances in Quantitative Laryngology, Voice and Speech Research 2019.
    48. Lin J. Z., Espinoza V. M., Zañartu M., Marks K. L., Mehta D. D. Accelerometer-based prediction of subglottal pressure in healthy speakers producing non-modal phonation. Proceedings of the International Conference on Advances in Quantitative Laryngology, Voice and Speech Research 2019.
    49. Espinoza V. M., Mehta D. D., Van Stan J..H , Hillman R. E., Zañartu M. Comparing accelerometer and oral airflow based aerodynamic measures in patients with vocal hyperfunction. Proceedings of the International Conference on Advances in Quantitative Laryngology, Voice and Speech Research 2019.
    50. Pavel Prado, Christian Castro, Alejandro Weinstein, Lucía Zepeda, Juan Mucarquer and Matías Zañartu,” Cortical Mechanisms Controlling the Speech Production During Lombard Effect: An EEG Study.”, The 13th International Conference on Advances in Quantitative Laryngology, Voice and Speech Research, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, June 2 - 4, 2019.
    51. Jonathan Deng, Paul Hadwin, Mohsen Motie-Shirazi, Byron Erath, Matías Zañartu And Sean Peterson,” Extracting Reduced-Order Model Parameters from High-Speed Video Of Silicone Vocal Folds Using A Gradient-Based Approach”, The 13th International Conference on Advances in Quantitative Laryngology, Voice and Speech Research, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, June 2 - 4, 2019.
    52. Paul Hadwin, Mohsen Motie-Shirazi, Byron Erath, Matías Zañartu And Sean Peterson,” Estimating Patient-Specific Contact Pressures Using A Finite Element Model”, The 13th International Conference on Advances in Quantitative Laryngology, Voice and Speech Research, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, June 2 - 4, 2019.
    53. Gabriel A. Alzamendi, Sean D. Peterson, Byron Erath And Matías Zañartu, “Updated Rules for Constructing A Triangular Body-Cover Model Of The Vocal Folds From Intrinsic Laryngeal Muscle Activation”, The 13th International Conference on Advances in Quantitative Laryngology, Voice and Speech Research, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, June 2 - 4, 2019.
    54. Gabriel Alzamendi, Sean Peterson, Byron Erath And Matías Zañartu, “On the Role Of Simultaneous Observations For A Bayesian Estimation Of Subglottal Pressure And Laryngeal Muscle Activation”, The 13th International Conference on Advances in Quantitative Laryngology, Voice and Speech Research, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, June 2 - 4, 2019.
    55. Heller Murray E. S., Hseu A., Nuss R., Harvey Woodnorth G., Stepp C. E. “Auditory acuity to fundamental frequency in children with and without vocal fold nodules”, The 13th International Conference on Advances in Quantitative Laryngology, Voice and Speech Research, Montreal, Quebec, June 2 – 4, 2019. [podium presentation]

      Group Members

      ADMINISTRATIVE CORE (LEAD: MASS GENERAL)
      Robert Hillman, PhD, CCC-SLP

      Robert Hillman, PhD, CCC-SLP

      Director, Vocal Hyperfunction Clinical Research Center
      Co-Director and Research Director, Mass General Voice Center
      Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
      Director of Research Programs, MGH Institute of Health Professions

      Sarah DeRosa, MA

      Sarah DeRosa, MA

      Administrator Coordinator for Research and Speech-Language Pathology, Mass General Voice Center

      SCIENTIFIC CORE (LEAD: MASS GENERAL)
      Daryush Mehta, PhD

      Daryush Mehta, PhD

      Principal Investigator, Scientific Core, Vocal Hyperfunction Clinical Research Center at Mass General
      Director, Voice Science and Technology Laboratory, Mass General Voice Center
      Associate Investigator, Mass General; Associate Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
      Adjunct Assistant Professor, MGH Institute of Health Professions

      James Burns, MD

      James Burns, MD

      Associate Visiting Surgeon, Mass General Voice Center
      Associate Professor in Surgery, Harvard Medical School
      Co-Director, Center for Laryngeal Surgery Fellowship Program

      Cheyne Head shotHarold Cheyne II, PhD

      Manager of Acoustics Systems Engineering, Cirrus Logic





      Annie B. Fox

      Annie B. Fox

      Assistant Professor, MGH Institute of Health Professions


      Goldstein Head shotAnatoly Goldstein, PhD

      Computer Systems Coordinator, Mass General Voice Center


      Tiffiny A. Hron, MD

      Tiffiny A. Hron, MD

      Laryngeal Surgeon, Mass General Voice Center


      Andrew Ortiz, MS

      Andrew J. Ortiz, MS

      Research Engineer, Mass General Voice Center


      placeholder

      Rob Petit

      Software Developer, Consultant

      Thomas Quatieri, PhD

      Thomas Quatieri, PhD

      Senior Staff, Human Health and Performance Systems Group, MIT Lincoln Laboratory


      placeholderMark Vangel, PhD

      Statistician, Mass General Hospital
      Assistant Professor in Radiology, Harvard Medical School
      Biostatistician, General Clinical Research Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

      Jarrad Van Stan, PhD, CCC-SLP

      Jarrad Van Stan, PhD, CCC-SLP

      Research Speech-Language Pathologist, Mass General Voice Center
      Assistant Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
      Adjunct Assistant Professor, MGH Institute of Health Professions

      placeholderDavid Viggiano

      Software Developer, Consultant


      PROJECT 1 (LEAD: MASS GENERAL)
      Robert Hillman, PhD, CCC-SLP

      Robert Hillman, PhD, CCC-SLP

      Director, Vocal Hyperfunction Clinical Research Center; Principal Investigator, Project 1
      Co-Director and Research Director, Mass General Voice Center
      Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
      Director of Research Programs, MGH Institute of Health Professions

      Steven Zeitels, MD, FACS

      Steven Zeitels, MD, FACS

      Director of the Mass General Voice Center

      Eugene B. Casey Professor of Laryngeal Surgery, Harvard Medical School

      >Dimitar Deliyski, PhD

      Dimitar Deliyski, PhD

      MSU Foundation Professor and Department Chair, Michigan State University


      Hamzeh Ghasemzadeh, PhD

      Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Boston University and Mass General Voice Center

      John Guttag, PhD

      John Guttag, PhD

      Dugald C. Jackson Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology


      Daryush Mehta, PhD

      Daryush Mehta, PhD

      Director, Voice Science and Technology Laboratory, Mass General Voice Center

      Associate Investigator, Mass General; Associate Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School

      Adjunct Assistant Professor, MGH Institute of Health Professions

      Roy headshotNelson Roy, PhD

      Professor of Communication Science and Disorder, University of Utah


      Stemple headshotJoseph Stemple, PhD

      Professor of Rehabilitation Science and Otolaryngology, University of Kentucky

      Co-Director, Laryngeal and Speech Dynamics Laboratory, University of Kentucky

      >Dagmar Sternad, PhD

      Dagmar Sternad, PhD

      Professor of Biology, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Physics, Northeastern University


      Jarrad Van Stan, PhD, CCC-SLP

      Jarrad Van Stan, PhD, CCC-SLP

      Research Speech-Language Pathologist, Mass General Voice Center

      Instructor in Surgery, Harvard Medical School

      Adjunct Assistant Professor, MGH Institute of Health Professions

      PROJECT 2 (LEAD: BOSTON UNIVERSITY)
      Cara Stepp, PhD

      Cara Stepp, PhD

      Principal Investigator, Project 2, Vocal Hyperfunction Clinical Research Center at Mass General
      Director, Sensorimotor Rehabilitation Engineering Lab, Boston University
      Associate Professor, Departments of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, and Biomedical Engineering, Boston University

      Díaz Cádiz headshotManuel Díaz Cádiz, MS

      Research Fellow, Sensorimotor Rehabilitation Engineering Lab, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Boston University

      Frank Guenther, PhD

      Frank Guenther, PhD

      Professor, Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, Boston University

      Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University

      Smith headshotMara Kapsner-Smith, MS, CCC-SLP

      PhD Student, Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington


      J. Pieter Noordzij, MD

      J. Pieter Noordzij, MD

      Professor, Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Boston University School of Medicine


      placeholderJoseph Perkell, PhD, DDS

      Senior Research Scientist, Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, Sargent College, Boston University


      Tomassi headshotNicole Tomassi, BS

      PhD Student, Stepp Lab for Sensorimotor Rehabilitation Engineering, Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University

      Weerathunge headshotHasini Weerathunge, BS

      PhD Student, Stepp Lab for Sensorimotor Rehabilitation Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University

       

      PROJECT 3 (LEAD: UNIVERSIDAD TECNICA FEDERICO SANTA MARIA)
      Matias Zanartu, PhD

      Matias Zañartu, PhD

      Principal Investigator, Project 3, Vocal Hyperfunction Clinical Research Center at Mass General
      Associate Professor, Department of Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María

      Byron Erath, PhD

      Byron Erath, PhD

      Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, Clarkson University


      Sean Peterson, PhD

      Sean Peterson, PhD

      Professor, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo

       

      Juan Yuz, PhD

      Juan Yuz, PhD

      Professor, Department of Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María


      Gabriel Alzamendi, PhD

      Gabriel Alzamendi, PhD

      Research Fellow, Institute for Research and Development on Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos

      Carrera headshotTamara Carrera

      Undergraduate Student, Department of Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María

       

      Christian Castro, SLP

      Christian Castro, SLP

      Research Fellow, Advanced Center for Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María


      Juan Pablo Cortes

      Juan Pablo Cortés, MS

      Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Advanced Center for Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María

      Jhosmary Cuadros

      Jhosmary Cuadros, MS

      PhD Student, Department of Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María


      Carrera headshotJonathan Deng, MS

      PhD Student, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo

      Victor Espinoza

      Victor Espinoza, PhD

      Research Fellow, Department of Sound, Universidad de Chile


      González headshotJavier González, MS

      PhD Student, Department of Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María

      Hadwin headshotPaul J. Hadwin, PhD

      Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo

      Ibarra headshotEmiro Ibarra, MS

      PhD Student, Department of Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María

      Rodrigo Manriquez

      Rodrigo Manriquez, MS

      Research Fellow, Advanced Center for Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María


      Martinez headshotJosué Martinez, MS

      PhD Student, Department of Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María

      Motie-Shirazi headshotMohsen Motie-Shirazi, MS

      PhD Student, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, Clarkson University

      Opazo headshotBenjamin Opazo, BS 

      MS Student, Department of Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María

      Parra headshotJesus Parra, MS

      PhD Student, Department of Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María

      Serry headshotMohamed Serry, MS

      PhD Student, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo

      Lucia Zepeda

      Lucia Zepeda

      Research Fellow, Advanced Center for Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María


      VHCRC Alumni
      Jarrad Van Stan, PhD, CCC-SLP

      Allison Aaron

      Doctoral student, Sensorimotor Rehabilitation Engineering Lab,
      Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Boston University

      Defne Abur, PhD

      Defne Abur, BS

      Assistant Professor, University of Groningen

      Baron headshotLindsay Baron

      Former MS Student, Speech-Language Pathology, MGH Institute of Health Professions

      Gregory Ciccarelli, PhD

      Gregory Ciccarelli, PhD

      Amazon.com, Inc.

       

      Deauna headshotJoseph Deauna

      SLP Clinical Fellow, Spaulding Outpatient Center Cambridge

      Dolling headshotAnton Dolling, BA

      Content Strategist, Ally


      Eastman headshotSarah Eastman

      Singing Voice Specialist and Speech-Language Pathology Clinical Fellow, the Voice Rehab, Sunrise (Miami), FL


      Gabriel Galindo, PhD

      Gabriel Galindo, PhD

      Formerly with the Department of Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María


      Gonzalez Ortiz headshotJose Javier Gonzalez Ortiz

      PhD Student, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

      Gautereaux headshotKayla Gautereaux

      Associate Professor, Boston Conservatory at Berklee


      Elizabeth Heller Murray, MS, CCC-SLP

      Elizabeth Heller Murray, PhD, CCC-SLP

      Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Temple University


      Houde headshotLiane Houde, MS

      Former MS Student, Speech-Language Pathology, MGH Institute of Health Professions

      Chuanbing Huo

      Chuanbing Huo, MS

      Former MS Student, Speech-Language Pathology, MGH Institute of Health Professions

       

      Kridgen headshotSamantha Kridgen, MS

      Speech-Language Pathology Clinical Fellow, University of Alabama at Birmingham

       

      Katherine Marks, MS, CCC-SLP

      Katherine Marks, PhD, CCC-SLP

      Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Sensorimotor Rehabilitation Engineering Lab, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Boston University


      Juan Mucarquer

      Juan Mucarquer, MS

      Formerly with the Department of Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María


      Nudelman headshotCharlie Nudelman, MS

      Voice Pathologist Clinical Fellow, Lakeshore Professional Voice Center, St. Clair Shores, MI


      Yeonggwang Park, BA

      Yeonggwang Park, PhD

      Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of South Florida


      Pavel Prado, PhD

      Pavel Prado, PhD

      Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Advanced Center for Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María

      placeholderJavier Romero, MS

      Formerly with the Department of Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María

      Segina headshotRoxanne Segina, BA

      Former MS Student, Stepp Lab for Sensorimotor Rehabilitation Engineering, Department of Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences, Boston University

      Seidman headshotAriana Seidman, MS

      Speech Language Pathology Clinical Fellow, Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport

      Subaciute headshotAusteja Subaciute, BS

      Medical Student, University of New England Osteopathic Medical School 


      Laura Toles, MS, CCC-SLP

      Laura Toles, PhD, CCC-SLP

      Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery,
      University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

      Thomas Whittico

      Thomas Whittico, MS

      Former MS student, Speech-Language Pathology, MGH Institute of Health Professions


      Williams headshotBrianna Williams, MS, CCC-SLP

      Speech-Language Pathologist, Northside Hospital, Atlanta, GA


      Wolfberg headshotJeremy Wolfberg

      dult Voice Speech-Language Pathology Clinical Fellow, UW Health University of Wisconsin-Madison Voice and Swallow Clinic

      Verdi headshotAlessandra Verdi, MS

      Clinical Fellow, Emory Healthcare, Atlanta, GA

      Oliver Saunders Wilder, PhD

      Oliver Saunders Wilder, PhD

      Post-Doctoral Fellow, Media Lab and Simons Center for the Social Brain, Massachusetts Institute of Technology