Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences

Research in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at Mizzou

Teresa Pitts

Teresa Pitts, PhD

Department Chair and Associate Professor and Dalton Cardiovascular Center Investigator

Research interests:

  • Swallowing and airway protection
  • Disordered swallow (dysphagia) and cough (dystussia)
  • Therapies to extend quality of life of persons living with neuromuscular diseases

Learn more about Dr. Pitts


Roxana Botezatu

Roxana Botezatu, PhD

Assistant Professor and Bilingualism and Aphasia Lab

Research interests:

  • Dynamics of spoken and written word recognition
  • The relationship between language production and comprehension
  • Error monitoring in speech production
  • Bidirectional cross-linguistic transfer
  • Desirable difficulties in language learning and rehabilitation

Learn more about Dr. Botezatu


Robin Karlin

Robin Karlin, PhD

Assistant Professor

Research interests:

  • Speech timing, from how it is represented to how it is implemented by the motor control system
  • How the cerebellum contributes to accurate speech timing
  • Neuroscience

Learn more about Dr. Karlin


Elizabeth Kelley

Elizabeth Kelley, PhD, CCC-SLP

Director of Graduate Studies and Associate Professor

Early Childhood Language and Literacy Lab

Research interests:

  • Effective intervention to improve language and literacy skills in children
  • Vocabulary learning in children
  • Effective interventions to improve language and literacy skills in children

Learn more about Dr. Kelley


Stephanie Knollhoff

Stephanie Knollhoff, PhD, CCC-SLP

Assistant Professor and Director of Swallowing and Communication Physiology Exploration Lab (SCoPE)

Research interests:

  • Cancer-related communication, swallowing, and feeding
  • Dysphagia education for current and future professionals

Learn more about Dr. Knollhoff


Carrie Larson

Caroline (Carrie) Larson, PhD, CCC-SLP

Assistant Professor and Director of Larson Language and Cognition Lab

Research interests:

  • Developmental language disorder
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Language
  • Cognition
  • Neural Function

Learn more about Dr. Larson


Laura Morett

Laura Morett, PhD

Assistant Professor and Director of Neuroscience of Education Research on Development Lab

Research interests:

  • Language acquisition and processing
  • Gesture
  • Cognition
  • Neuroscience
  • Sign language
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder

Learn more about Dr. Morett


Nicholas Smith

Nicholas Smith, PhD

Assistant Professor and Director of Perception, Communication and Development Lab

Research interests:

  • Infant and child development
  • Perceptual, cognitive and neural processes underlying the perception of complex auditory patterns
  • Speech production and perception in the context of caregiver-child interaction
  • Music perception

Learn more about Dr. Smith

Extra credit for research participation

Many undergraduate SLHS courses offer students extra credit in exchange for research participation. Opportunities change throughout the year, so check the link below for new experiences.

We value inclusion in all areas, but studies sometimes limit participation to specific groups of participants (e.g. bilingual adults, adults with normal hearing, etc.). If you are interested in research participation for extra credit but do not qualify for any active studies, please contact your instructor for alternatives.