<description>Julie M. Liss, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is Senior Associate Dean in the College of Health Solutions and Professor of Speech and Hearing Science at Arizona State University. A certified speech-language pathologist, she is internationally recognized for advancing the use of artificial intelligence in speech-language pathology. Her work has focused on transforming clinical speech science into digital tools that can detect and track neurological disease, expand access to care, and support more precise clinical decision-making. As co-founder of Aural Analytics, Dr. Liss has helped pioneer speech-based biomarkers and AI-driven assessment platforms now in use around the world. She is also a thought leader in promoting the ethical and responsible application of AI in healthcare and scientific publishing. Beyond her research and innovation, Dr. Liss has served in key leadership roles with ASHA, including as Editor-in-Chief and now Chair of the ASHA Journals Board, where she is helping shape policy around emerging technologies in scholarly communication. In recognition of her impact on the profession and her leadership at the intersection of speech science and technology, Dr. Liss is receiving Honors of the Association from ASHA in 2025.

Visar Berisha, Ph.D., is a Professor at Arizona State University with a joint appointment in the College of Engineering and the College of Health Solutions and Associate Dean for Research Commercialization in the College of Engineering. His main research interests reside at the intersection of AI and the human voice. He has developed and commercialized new speech AI models for healthcare. This work is primarily funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, and the National Science Foundation. This work has led to many academic publications, several patents, and two companies. Dr. Berisha's work has been featured in the New York Times, on ESPN, National Public Radio, the Wall Street Journal, and a number of other international media outlets. He was the 2023-2024 ISCA Distinguished Lecturer.

References:

Berisha, V., &amp; Liss, J. M. (2024). Responsible development of clinical speech AI: Bridging the
gap between clinical research and technology. npj Digital Medicine, 7, Article 208.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-024-01199-1

Liss, J., &amp; Berisha, V. (2024). Operationalizing clinical speech analytics: Moving from features
to measures for real-world clinical impact. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 67(11), 4226-4232.

Liss, J., &amp; Berisha, V. (2020, August). How will artificial intelligence reshape speech-language
pathology services and practice in the future? ASHA Journals Academy. https://academy.pubs.asha.org/2020/08/how-will-artificial-intelligence-reshape-speech-language-pathology-services-and-practice-in-the-future/

Xu, L., Chen, K., Mueller, K. D., Liss, J., &amp; Berisha, V. (2025). Articulatory precision from
connected speech as a marker of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease risk-enriched cohorts. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 103(2), 476-486.

Yeo, E., Liss, J., Berisha, V., &amp; Mortensen, D. (2025). Applications of Artificial Intelligence for
Cross-language Intelligibility Assessment of Dysarthric Speech. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/pdf/2501.15858
</description>

Julie M. Liss, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is Senior Associat…

Julie M. Liss, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is Senior Associate Dean in the College of Health Solutions and Professor of Speech and Hearing Science at Arizona State University. A certified speech-language pathologist, she is internationally recognized for advancing the use of artificial intelligence in speech-language pathology. Her work has focused on transforming clinical speech science into digital tools that can detect and track neurological disease, expand access to care, and support more precise clinical decision-making. As co-founder of Aural Analytics, Dr. Liss has helped pioneer speech-based biomarkers and AI-driven assessment platforms now in use around the world. She is also a thought leader in promoting the ethical and responsible application of AI in healthcare and scientific publishing. Beyond her research and innovation, Dr. Liss has served in key leadership roles with ASHA, including as Editor-in-Chief and now Chair of the ASHA Journals Board, where she is helping shape policy around emerging technologies in scholarly communication. In recognition of her impact on the profession and her leadership at the intersection of speech science and technology, Dr. Liss is receiving Honors of the Association from ASHA in 2025.

Visar Berisha, Ph.D., is a Professor at Arizona State University with a joint appointment in the College of Engineering and the College of Health Solutions and Associate Dean for Research Commercialization in the College of Engineering. His main research interests reside at the intersection of AI and the human voice. He has developed and commercialized new speech AI models for healthcare. This work is primarily funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, and the National Science Foundation. This work has led to many academic publications, several patents, and two companies. Dr. Berisha's work has been featured in the New York Times, on ESPN, National Public Radio, the Wall Street Journal, and a number of other international media outlets. He was the 2023-2024 ISCA Distinguished Lecturer.

References:

Berisha, V., & Liss, J. M. (2024). Responsible development of clinical speech AI: Bridging the
gap between clinical research and technology. npj Digital Medicine, 7, Article 208.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-024-01199-1

Liss, J., & Berisha, V. (2024). Operationalizing clinical speech analytics: Moving from features
to measures for real-world clinical impact. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 67(11), 4226-4232.

Liss, J., & Berisha, V. (2020, August). How will artificial intelligence reshape speech-language
pathology services and practice in the future? ASHA Journals Academy. https://academy.pubs.asha.org/2020/08/how-will-artificial-intelligence-reshape-speech-language-pathology-services-and-practice-in-the-future/

Xu, L., Chen, K., Mueller, K. D., Liss, J., & Berisha, V. (2025). Articulatory precision from
connected speech as a marker of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease risk-enriched cohorts. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 103(2), 476-486.

Yeo, E., Liss, J., Berisha, V., & Mortensen, D. (2025). Applications of Artificial Intelligence for
Cross-language Intelligibility Assessment of Dysarthric Speech. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/pdf/2501.15858


Ep. 23: A Conversation with Julie Liss and Visar Berisha on How AI is Shaping Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology

<description>Dr. Therese O’Neil-Pirozzi (t.oneil-pirozzi@northeastern.edu) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northeastern University, a research faculty member of the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital/Harvard Medical School Traumatic Brain Injury Model System, and a practicing clinician. She is the author/co-author of numerous peer-reviewed publications, spanning a broad range of topics including brain health, cognitive-communicative function, and neuroplasticity. 

Professor Sohlberg (mckay@uoregon.edu) is known internationally for her pioneering work in the field of cognitive rehabilitation. Her research focuses on the development of treatments that help people with acquired brain injury manage cognitive impairments. Her work includes evaluating treatment protocols for individuals with persistent cognitive effects following concussive injuries, the design and evaluation of assistive technology tools to support adolescents and adults with acquired brain injury function optimally in their communities, and development of processes to facilitate patient centered goal setting. Dr. Sohlberg has contributed to a number of evidence-based practice guidelines supported by the Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders &amp; Sciences and sits on several national committees working on interdisciplinary practice in cognitive rehabilitation. She has authored two seminal textbooks in the field including her new 2023 text titled Transformation of Cognitive Rehabilitation. Professor Sohlberg has been teaching and conducting research at the University of Oregon since 1994. She teaches graduate courses related to cognitive rehabilitation and evidence-based practice and provides clinical supervision in the Brain Injury and Concussion Clinic (BrICC) in the College of Education HEDCO clinic. 

Byom, L., O’Neil-Pirozzi, T. M., Lemoncello, R., MacDonald, S., Meulenbroek, P., Ness, B., &amp; Sohlberg, M. M. (2020). Social Communication following adult traumatic brain injury: A scoping review of theoretical models. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 29(3), 1735–1748. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_ajslp-19-00020

Meulenbroek, P., Ness, B., Lemoncello, R., Byom, L., MacDonald, S., O’Neil-Pirozzi, T. M., &amp; Moore Sohlberg, M. (2019). Social Communication following traumatic brain injury part 2: Identifying effective treatment ingredients. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 21(2), 128–142. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2019.1583281

Meulenbroek, P., O’Neil-Pirozzi, T. M., Sohlberg, M. M., Lemoncello, R., Byom, L., Ness, B., MacDonald, S., &amp; Phillips, B. (2022). Tutorial: The speech-language pathologist’s role in return to work for adults with traumatic brain injury. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 31(1), 188–202. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_ajslp-21-00129

O’Neil-Pirozzi, T. M., Kennedy, M. R. T., &amp; Sohlberg, M. M. (2016). Evidence-based practice for the use of internal strategies as a memory compensation technique after brain injury: A systematic review. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 31(4). https://doi.org/10.1097/htr.0000000000000181

Sohlberg, M. M., MacDonald, S., Byom, L., Iwashita, H., Lemoncello, R., Meulenbroek, P., Ness, B., &amp; O’Neil-Pirozzi, T. M. (2019). Social Communication following traumatic brain injury part I: State-of-the-art review of assessment tools. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 21(2), 115–127. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2019.1583280</description>

Dr. Therese O’Neil-Pirozzi (t.oneil-pirozzi@north…

Dr. Therese O’Neil-Pirozzi (t.oneil-pirozzi@northeastern.edu) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northeastern University, a research faculty member of the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital/Harvard Medical School Traumatic Brain Injury Model System, and a practicing clinician. She is the author/co-author of numerous peer-reviewed publications, spanning a broad range of topics including brain health, cognitive-communicative function, and neuroplasticity. 

Professor Sohlberg (mckay@uoregon.edu) is known internationally for her pioneering work in the field of cognitive rehabilitation. Her research focuses on the development of treatments that help people with acquired brain injury manage cognitive impairments. Her work includes evaluating treatment protocols for individuals with persistent cognitive effects following concussive injuries, the design and evaluation of assistive technology tools to support adolescents and adults with acquired brain injury function optimally in their communities, and development of processes to facilitate patient centered goal setting. Dr. Sohlberg has contributed to a number of evidence-based practice guidelines supported by the Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders & Sciences and sits on several national committees working on interdisciplinary practice in cognitive rehabilitation. She has authored two seminal textbooks in the field including her new 2023 text titled Transformation of Cognitive Rehabilitation. Professor Sohlberg has been teaching and conducting research at the University of Oregon since 1994. She teaches graduate courses related to cognitive rehabilitation and evidence-based practice and provides clinical supervision in the Brain Injury and Concussion Clinic (BrICC) in the College of Education HEDCO clinic. 

Byom, L., O’Neil-Pirozzi, T. M., Lemoncello, R., MacDonald, S., Meulenbroek, P., Ness, B., & Sohlberg, M. M. (2020). Social Communication following adult traumatic brain injury: A scoping review of theoretical models. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 29(3), 1735–1748. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_ajslp-19-00020

Meulenbroek, P., Ness, B., Lemoncello, R., Byom, L., MacDonald, S., O’Neil-Pirozzi, T. M., & Moore Sohlberg, M. (2019). Social Communication following traumatic brain injury part 2: Identifying effective treatment ingredients. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 21(2), 128–142. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2019.1583281

Meulenbroek, P., O’Neil-Pirozzi, T. M., Sohlberg, M. M., Lemoncello, R., Byom, L., Ness, B., MacDonald, S., & Phillips, B. (2022). Tutorial: The speech-language pathologist’s role in return to work for adults with traumatic brain injury. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 31(1), 188–202. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_ajslp-21-00129

O’Neil-Pirozzi, T. M., Kennedy, M. R. T., & Sohlberg, M. M. (2016). Evidence-based practice for the use of internal strategies as a memory compensation technique after brain injury: A systematic review. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 31(4). https://doi.org/10.1097/htr.0000000000000181

Sohlberg, M. M., MacDonald, S., Byom, L., Iwashita, H., Lemoncello, R., Meulenbroek, P., Ness, B., & O’Neil-Pirozzi, T. M. (2019). Social Communication following traumatic brain injury part I: State-of-the-art review of assessment tools. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 21(2), 115–127. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2019.1583280

Ep. 22: A Conversation with Therese O'Neil-Pirozzi & McKay Sohlberg of the ANCDS TBI Writing Group

<description>Alaina S. Davis, Ph.D, CCC-SLP/L, CBIST (committee chair) is an associate professor at Howard University and a Certified Brain Injury Specialist Trainer. She has expertise in cognitive-communicative disorders associated with TBI. Her research lab is the Center for Cognitive-Communicative Skills, which focuses on adolescents and adults with sport-related concussion and return-to-learn/play/activity. Dr. Davis’ work utilizes the cognitive and communication styles of adolescents and adults from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds to implement cultural responsiveness in assessment and treatment.

Sucheta Kamath (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sucheta-kamath/) is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a two-time TEDx (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYtXqO_Uy9c) speaker, and a tech-entrepreneur who has created ExQ® (https://exqinfiniteknowhow.com/); a cloud-based digital Executive Function curriculum for the middle and high school students that teaches Learning How to Learn. Sucheta holds six patents, and her AI-based technology solution creates personalized learning based on the benchmark assessment of the nine areas of Executive Function. Sucheta is a Professor of Practice at the Amrita University, one of the top five universities in India and also is the host of the podcast Full PreFrontal®: Exposing the Mysteries of Executive Function, where her invited guests range from neuroscientists, psychologists, educators, learning specialists, journalists, and leaders. In recent past, over a five-year period, Sucheta founded and (along with her Georgia Speech-Language Hearing Association colleagues) ran GSHA Gives! (https://gsa.memberclicks.net/gsha-gives), a free communication and Executive Function job-readiness training program for previously homeless, incarcerated, and disenfranchised men in inner-city Atlanta. Finally, Sucheta serves on many non-profit boards and is deeply committed to racial healing and interfaith community dialogue. 

Referenced Article: Shifting the Mindset of Racism Through Cognitive Learning Styles in Communication Sciences and Disorders (https://nbaslh.memberclicks.net/shifting-the-mindset-of-racism-through-cognitive-learning-styles-in-communication-sciences-and-disorders)</description>

Alaina S. Davis, Ph.D, CCC-SLP/L, CBIST (committe…

Alaina S. Davis, Ph.D, CCC-SLP/L, CBIST (committee chair) is an associate professor at Howard University and a Certified Brain Injury Specialist Trainer. She has expertise in cognitive-communicative disorders associated with TBI. Her research lab is the Center for Cognitive-Communicative Skills, which focuses on adolescents and adults with sport-related concussion and return-to-learn/play/activity. Dr. Davis’ work utilizes the cognitive and communication styles of adolescents and adults from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds to implement cultural responsiveness in assessment and treatment.

Sucheta Kamath (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sucheta-kamath/) is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a two-time TEDx (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYtXqO_Uy9c) speaker, and a tech-entrepreneur who has created ExQ® (https://exqinfiniteknowhow.com/); a cloud-based digital Executive Function curriculum for the middle and high school students that teaches Learning How to Learn. Sucheta holds six patents, and her AI-based technology solution creates personalized learning based on the benchmark assessment of the nine areas of Executive Function. Sucheta is a Professor of Practice at the Amrita University, one of the top five universities in India and also is the host of the podcast Full PreFrontal®: Exposing the Mysteries of Executive Function, where her invited guests range from neuroscientists, psychologists, educators, learning specialists, journalists, and leaders. In recent past, over a five-year period, Sucheta founded and (along with her Georgia Speech-Language Hearing Association colleagues) ran GSHA Gives! (https://gsa.memberclicks.net/gsha-gives), a free communication and Executive Function job-readiness training program for previously homeless, incarcerated, and disenfranchised men in inner-city Atlanta. Finally, Sucheta serves on many non-profit boards and is deeply committed to racial healing and interfaith community dialogue. 

Referenced Article: Shifting the Mindset of Racism Through Cognitive Learning Styles in Communication Sciences and Disorders (https://nbaslh.memberclicks.net/shifting-the-mindset-of-racism-through-cognitive-learning-styles-in-communication-sciences-and-disorders)

Ep. 21: A Conversation with Alaina Davis and Sucheta Kamath of the ANCDS REDI Committee

<description>Tim Schut was raised on a farm near Chester, South Dakota. After graduating from Chester High School, Tim pursued a degree in Marketing at Northern State University.  After college, Tim has worked as a collector, a business development analyst, an inbound call center manager, a Financial Advisor, and a Private Banking Manager. Tim currently serves as a commercial real estate agent with NAI Sioux Falls and as a residential real estate agent with Signature Realty out of Madison, South Dakota. In June of 2021, Tim was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Apraxia of Speech (PPAOS). Family relationships and support have been important to Tim to keep living his fullest life as his condition progresses.</description>

Tim Schut was raised on a farm near Chester, Sout…

Tim Schut was raised on a farm near Chester, South Dakota. After graduating from Chester High School, Tim pursued a degree in Marketing at Northern State University.  After college, Tim has worked as a collector, a business development analyst, an inbound call center manager, a Financial Advisor, and a Private Banking Manager. Tim currently serves as a commercial real estate agent with NAI Sioux Falls and as a residential real estate agent with Signature Realty out of Madison, South Dakota. In June of 2021, Tim was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Apraxia of Speech (PPAOS). Family relationships and support have been important to Tim to keep living his fullest life as his condition progresses.

Ep. 20 - A Conversation with Tim Schut: An Inside Perspective on Living with Primary Progressive…

<description>Margaret Lehman Blake is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Houston.  Her research focuses on cognitive-communication disorders associated with right hemisphere brain damage to understand the underlying deficits and to develop treatments.  She is the author of The Right Hemisphere and Disorders of Cognition and Communication and the co-creator of RightHemisphere.org, a website designed to provide education and resources to patients, families, and clinicians.

Shannon M. Sheppard is an Assistant Professor of Communication Sciences &amp; Disorders at Chapman University and Director of the Cognition Rehabilitation And Neuroscience In Atypical Language Lab, the CRANIAL Lab. Her research focuses on investigating linguistic and prosodic deficits following left-hemisphere and right-hemisphere stroke using brain imaging including EEG and MRI. She is a founding member of the International Right Hemisphere Collaborative, which was founded to improve knowledge of and research for individuals with right hemisphere brain damage.</description>

Margaret Lehman Blake is a Professor and Chair of…

Margaret Lehman Blake is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Houston.  Her research focuses on cognitive-communication disorders associated with right hemisphere brain damage to understand the underlying deficits and to develop treatments.  She is the author of The Right Hemisphere and Disorders of Cognition and Communication and the co-creator of RightHemisphere.org, a website designed to provide education and resources to patients, families, and clinicians.

Shannon M. Sheppard is an Assistant Professor of Communication Sciences & Disorders at Chapman University and Director of the Cognition Rehabilitation And Neuroscience In Atypical Language Lab, the CRANIAL Lab. Her research focuses on investigating linguistic and prosodic deficits following left-hemisphere and right-hemisphere stroke using brain imaging including EEG and MRI. She is a founding member of the International Right Hemisphere Collaborative, which was founded to improve knowledge of and research for individuals with right hemisphere brain damage.

Ep. 19 - A Conversation with Margaret Lehman Blake and Shannon M. Sheppard: Right Hemisphere Damage

The purposes of the Academy are professional, clinical, educational, scientific and charitable and are ultimately to encourage the highest quality of life for those with communication disorders. 

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