Scholars in the field of Communication Sciences and Disorders Garner Grants and National Recognition
In the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Syracuse University, researchers Yalian Pei, Beth Prieve, and Megan Leece are making significant strides in improving the quality of life for individuals with speech and language disorders. Their recent achievements and ongoing research are setting new standards in speech-language research and community impact.
Yalian Pei, an assistant professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, is spearheading research focused on the relationship between health communication discrimination, cognitive communication disorders, and healthcare use among individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Findings from her research could advance our understanding of healthcare access barriers faced by individuals with TBI and potentially provide evidence that modifying health communication affects health quality [1].
Pei's research is supported by the University's Lerner Center Faculty Fellows Grant Program, which aims to advance science, policy, or practice in public health communications or population health.
Meanwhile, Beth Prieve, the founder and director of the Pediatric Audiology Laboratory at Syracuse University, is dedicated to identifying hearing loss in infants and children (birth to five years). The laboratory, established in 1990, has a particular emphasis on linking underlying auditory physiological processes to hearing impairment. Prieve's research focuses on the basic physiological and behavioral processes of the auditory system to improve the diagnosis of hearing loss [1].
Prieve's contributions to the field have been recognised with the Wayne J. Staab Award, an honour given to individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the American Auditory Society through service.
Megan Leece, a research speech language pathologist, received the Distinguished Achievement Award from the New York State Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The award recognises her clinical, research, and academic achievements in the field of communication sciences and disorders. Leece's contributions include student training, clinical presentations, publications, clinical research design, and execution of high-quality therapy in clinical trials [1].
The department's research efforts extend beyond individual projects. A study on brain stimulation reducing fatigue in post-stroke patients, involving department researchers, shows promise in improving patient outcomes [1]. The department is also recognised for setting new standards in speech-language research, with faculty members receiving NIH grants to explore biofeedback technologies for speech therapy, focusing on visual targets to help adjust speech [1].
Community-building efforts such as augmentative communication conversation clubs at the Gebbie Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic also highlight the department's engagement in enhancing well-being for individuals with speech and language disorders [1].
As of mid-2025, Yalian Pei, Beth Prieve, and Megan Leece are highlighted collectively as prominent contributors in these areas of research and community impact in communication sciences and disorders at Syracuse University [1]. Their work is undoubtedly making a significant difference in the lives of those dealing with speech and language disorders.
[1] Source: Syracuse University News, various articles from 2020-2025.
- Yalian Pei's research, focusing on health communication discrimination and its impact on individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), could potentially lead to evidence that modifying health communication affects health quality, contributing to the field of health-and-wellness.
- The research conducted by Megan Leece, a recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award, encompasses student training, clinical presentations, publications, and clinical research design, thereby contributing significantly to education-and-self-development in the field of communication sciences and disorders.
- The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Syracuse University is actively involved in exploring therapies-and-treatments, like brain stimulation, to improve patient outcomes in conditions such as fatigue post-stroke.
- Faculty members in the department are also recipients of NIH grants to investigate biofeedback technologies for speech therapy, focusing on visual targets to aid in speech adjustment, demonstrating their commitment to advancing fitness-and-exercise, and mental-health through scientific research.
