Lab Director
Dr. JoAnn Silkes
Dr. JoAnn Silkes earned her B.A. in Speech and Hearing Sciences from Indiana University and her M.S. in Communicative Disorders from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. After working as a clinical speech-language pathologist with adults in medical settings for 10 years, she earned her Ph.D. in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the University of Washington. Her research focuses on understanding the underlying mechanisms of aphasia and devising ways to improve treatment for the word retrieval problems that are typical of aphasia.
Doctoral Students
Christina Sen
Christina is a third-year Joint Doctoral Program student at SDSU and UCSD. She received her BA in Speech Sciences from the University of British Columbia. Her current research explores the mechanisms of cognitive and linguistic processing in people with aphasia. She uses a combination of eye-tracking, pupillometry, and behavioral methods in her research. She is also in the process of obtaining her clinical certification in speech pathology, in hopes of expanding the research on aphasia treatment.
Master’s Students
Alize Ayton
Khanh Nguyen
Khanh is a first-year graduate student at SDSU studying Speech Language and Hearing Science. She earned her B.A. in Linguistics and B.S. in Psychology at University of California, San Diego. Her career goal is to work with adults or children in a medical setting.
Natalie Nguyen
Kimi Purcell
Ame Tariq
Alison Wong
Alison (she/her) is a second-year graduate student at SDSU studying Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences. She received her B.S. in Family and Human Services from the University of Oregon and her Certificate in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Portland State University. She finds passion in working holistically with underserved populations and is looking forward to serving adults or pediatric populations in her future career as a Speech-Language Pathologist.
Undergraduates
Kathryn Avila
Katie is a third year Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences major. After graduating from San Diego State University, she aims to continue her studies by obtaining a Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology. She finds joy in observing language development in the people she encounters through her volunteer work at Rady Children’s Hospital and as a summer camp counselor. Katie is excited to join CLAL because she is interested in studying adult neurogenic communication disorders, and she is passionate about making resources more accessible to people with aphasia.
Ellie Brownlee
Elizabeth is a fourth-year Speech Language and Hearing Sciences major at San Diego State University. She enjoys collaborating with others on projects within the CLAL looks forward to pursuing a Master’s degree in Speech Pathology. Elizabeth plans to work in a medical setting with children and adults after graduating. Outside of school, she loves practicing yoga, being outside, and traveling.
Lauren Edh
Lauren is a fourth-year Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences major with a minor in Social and Personality Psychology. This is her first year in the CLAL and she is looking forward to learning more about conducting research and working with patients. Lauren is also involved in other organizations on campus such as the SDSU Ambassadors and SDSU Best Buddies. In her free time, Lauren loves to go on backpacking trips and go on runs around San Diego.
Ava Guerra
Ava Guerra is a third-year undergraduate student in the Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences program at San Diego State University! She is interested in working with the adult and geriatric population and hopes to be an SLP in the clinical setting after she graduates. She is also looking forward to expanding her knowledge on Aphasia from research opportunities within CLAL. Outside of her studies, Ava is involved in campus ministry and enjoys spending time outdoors!
Past Lab Members
- Julie Abitbol
- Marlene Chavez Corona
- Jesse Marie Di Carlo-Wagner
- Claire Falkus
- Hanna Hartzler
- Lindsay Hill, M.A., CCC-SLP
- Harper Kim
- Michelle Lew
- Brittany Moreno
- Anna Mucher
- Serena Mueller, M.A., CF-SLP
- Jessica Pablo
- Ashlie Pankonin
- Anna Pero
- Savannah Ricciardulli
- Danielle Rosoff
- Emily Simon, M.A., CCC-SLP
- Jillian Sorenson
- Rana Tabrizi, M.A., CCC-SLP, M.M.T., MT-BC
- Aryanna Talamantes
- Rachel Wagner
- Stephanie Wan, M.A., CF-SLP
- Breanna Williams