Name: Emily Goldberg, M.S., CCC-SLP
Program of Study/Year in Program: Doctoral Student
University: University of Pittsburgh
ANCDS Fellow Mentor: Mili Mathew, Ph.D.
Area(s) of research, teaching, and/or clinical interest: Impact of sleep-dependent consolidation and other memory and learning processes on post-stroke aphasia treatment response
Why were you interested in the ANCDS student fellow program?
I have been interested in the ANCDS conference fellow program for several years for multiple reasons! At the top of my list was the opportunity to be paired with a faculty mentor with shared interests. The more faculty mentors that I can interact with, the more I can learn and diversify my research, clinical, and professional training. I also was interested in the program so that I could attend the annual scientific meeting!
What did you enjoy about the ANCDS student fellow program?
Getting the chance to attend the annual scientific meeting was such a positive experience, which I would not have been able to have if not for the program! The presentations throughout the day were engaging, interesting, and fun. It was lovely to be in a room of other people with shared but unique interests, and to network with those people! I also really enjoyed having quality time with other doctoral trainees from various universities who were fellows as well. Getting to meet peers from different institutions helps widen my professional network, and offers the opportunity to make lasting friendships in the field. Now I get to have one year of ANCDS membership and I really look forward to taking advantage of these resources, such as seminars and service roles on committees!
Why would you recommend the ANCDS student fellow program to future students?
It provides multiple opportunities to strengthen your professional network through the mentorship pairing, peer-to-peer encounters, and engaging with other clinicians and scientists who are a part of the academy! Additionally, participating in the program provides you with multiple opportunities to advance your knowledge on topics related to neurologic communication disorders and engage in thoughtful conversations with a sharp-minded community. As students, financial obligations can be a real barrier to participating in excellent training opportunities. However, the program alleviates these concerns by waiving fees, which can come as a huge relief. I also will say that I applied for this fellowship once before without success—so for students who applied and did not receive it the first time I would encourage them to keep trying!
Based on this first introduction to ANCDS, what are the benefits for students, clinicians, and/or researchers?
I may be repeating myself in answering this question, but the immediate benefits that come to mind are: (1) access to a network of diverse professionals who are excited to engage with you and each other; (2) the opportunity to participate in multiple educational and training seminars throughout the year; (3) ability to attend the annual conference ahead of ASHA, which provides a focused day of really exciting talks; and (4) overall advanced training that permits specialization!
Describe your current research and/or clinical work.
I am currently working on my dissertation, which broadly extends principles of an existing neurobiological model of learning (the Complementary Learning Systems framework) and adapts its principles to the context of post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation. The first study of my dissertation project will determine changes in hippocampal and neocortical activity from pre- to post-treatment, and whether those neural changes predict behavioral treatment response. The second study will evaluate the associations between sleep and behavioral and neural aphasia treatment outcomes. The third study will define pre-treatment hippocampal-cortical resting state functional connectivity, and assess the moderating influence of sleep on the relationship between pre-treatment hippocampal-cortical connectivity and behavioral aphasia treatment outcomes. Collectively, these three studies provide a mechanistic account of how sleep, neural plasticity, and learning systems jointly determine treatment outcomes, laying the groundwork for sleep-informed interventions and precision rehabilitation.
Why were you interested in the above clinical or university location to expand your clinical skills?
As a clinical SLP, I quickly found my "home" in working with people with aphasia. Delivering treatment to these individuals brought me endless joy and I met the best people in the process. When I decided to return to academia to pursue my doctoral degree, I knew that I wanted to focus on aphasia rehabilitation, and was particularly interested in the predictive role that residual non-language cognitive abilities (e.g., memory, attention, executive function) have in the treatment process. I also recognized that I wanted to pursue cross-training in neuroscience, as I felt that I needed to understand the brain from new (to me) perspectives. These interests led me to the University of Pittsburgh, where I would have the chance to work with Drs. Michael Walsh Dickey and William Hula on their clinical trial evaluating Semantic Feature Analysis treatment dosage in chronic stroke survivors with aphasia. While engaging in my neuroscience coursework, I was introduced to the role of the hippocampus in driving learning and memory—predominantly through periods of offline replay and communication with the rest of the brain (consolidation). Given the relationship between learning and re-learning in rehabilitation, I started to wonder how the process of memory consolidation might be affected in the lesioned brain. I also reflected on anecdotal experience of patients with aphasia complaining that they felt more tired and experience worse sleep quality after their stroke. Serendipitously, Pitt has an internationally recognized Center for Sleep and Circadian Science. This community welcomed me eagerly and my training in sleep science, neuroscience, and aphasiology has been incredible! I feel beyond fortunate to be where I am, work with who I work with, and study a topic that genuinely excites me!