Principal Investigator

Ayoub Daliri, Ph.D., is the director of the Speech and Brain Research Lab. Dr. Daliri is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Science at Arizona State University. Dr. Daliri holds an undergraduate and a master’s degree in biomedical engineering. He received his PhD from the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University of Washington. He completed a postdoctoral training in Computational Neuroscience and Neuroimaging at Boston University. Dr. Daliri's research lies at the intersection of Speech Science, Neuroscience, and Engineering. His work aims at understanding the neural mechanisms underlying speech production and its disorders, such as stuttering.



Staff

Damaris Ochoa
My name is Damaris Ochoa and I am a sophomore majoring in Biomedical Sciences. I am interested in neuroscience and hope to become a neurosurgeon. In my free time I like swimming, reading and volunteering.










Sara Chao
My name is Saraching Chao, or Sara for short. Currently, I am a non-degree graduate student at ASU. I earned my B.S. in Cognitive Science at the University of California, Merced. My research interests include the study of the neural bases of speech production in typical and atypical speakers. In the future, I hope to apply the scientific approaches used in the SBR lab to study speech production and disfluency to the study of selective mutism for I believe it would be a fruitful direction, both scientifically and clinically. In my free time, I enjoy going backpacking, camping, hiking, and doing karaoke with my family. 





Students - Research Assistants

We are always looking for exceptional students to join our lab. If you are interested, please contact Dr. Daliri.

Lacee Fitzgerald (Barrett, the honors college)
My name is Lacee Fitzgerald and I am a senior majoring in Speech and Hearing.  My research interests include studying the relationship between an individual’s variability of speech and the amount of compensation during auditory perturbation.  In the future, I hope to attend graduate school in the hopes of becoming a Speech Pathologist.  In my free time, I enjoy reading, playing piano, and spending time with my friends and family.





Karina Navarrete (Barrett, the honors college)
My name is Karina Navarrete, I am a junior majoring in Speech and Hearing Science. I enjoy learning about the functions of the brain in relevance to communications. In the future, I hope to attend graduate school and fulfill my dream of being a speech language pathologist. In my free time, I enjoy taking photographs and working at the autism center. 









Brianna McGuffin (Barrett, the honors college)
My name is Brianna McGuffin and I am a senior in Barrett, the honors college, majoring in Biological Sciences (with a focus in neurobiology and physiology) and minoring in Psychology. I am interested in neuroscience and psychology and was drawn to this lab because of the neuroscience research aspect. I am currently researching the neural mechanisms underlying speech planning and production. I hope to continue on to Physician Assistant graduate school and work in medically underserved areas.





Allison Daugherty (Barrett, the honors college)
My name is Allison Daugherty and I am a Speech and Hearing Science major at the Barrett Honors College. I am currently researching the relationship between speech production and perception. In the Spring I will be applying to dental school. My interests include knitting, weaving chainmaille, rock climbing, krav maga, and big game hunting.”








Hunter McCollum
My name is Hunter McCollum and I am currently majoring in Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Psychology. My interests in research are using electroencephalography (EEG) data to further our understanding of the neural electrophysiology of people with speech deficiencies, particularly stuttering. Following my undergraduate degree I hope to go to medical school and eventually be a physician for the Air Force. In my free time I enjoy watching football, reading, and relaxing with friends and family.  







Will Mabrey
My name is Will Mabrey, and I'm majoring in Neuroscience and Biotechnology. I am primarily interested in understanding the neural mechanisms that give rise to sensation and perception, and also applying brain-machine interface technology. Outside of academics I enjoy reading, listening to music, camping, and playing/developing video games.






Ariana Lukowiak
My name is Ariana Lukowiak and I am a junior majoring in Speech and Hearing Science and minoring in Family and Human Development. My research interests revolve around the effects of abnormal speech production and perception on recovery progression. In the future, I plan on attending graduate school to become a speech-language pathologist. In my free time, I volunteer in the Pediatrics Oncology and Hematology Unit at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center and enjoy spending time with friends. 





Melissa Laughlin
My name is Melissa Laughlin and I am currently a junior majoring in Speech and Hearing Sciences. I am interested in researching speech production and how the speech planning process influences the articulation in people who stutter. Following my undergraduate degree, I plan to continue my education and obtain a master's degree in Communication Disorders. This will allow me to achieve my goal of becoming a Speech Language Pathologist. In my free time I enjoy drawing, playing board games, and reading.





Megan Taylor
My name is Megan Taylor and I am a junior majoring in Biological Sciences (Genetics, Cell & Developmental) and Spanish Linguistics. I enjoy learning about the brain and am interested in the neurological mechanisms being studied in this lab. My goals for the future include becoming a doctor and working in the field of psychiatry. In my free time, I enjoy traveling to new places and running marathons and half marathons. 





Mikhaela Weeldreyer
My name is Mikhaela Weeldreyer and I am a junior majoring in Speech and Hearing Science. After completing my undergrad degree, I plan on going to graduate school to pursue my goal of becoming a Speech-Language Pathologist. I am interested in researching speech and how it relates to the brain. When I am not focusing on school, my hobbies include working out, hiking, and spending time with my friends and family.









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