Assistant Professor
Lab Director

Dr. Stephanie Grasso completed her master’s and doctoral training in the department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences at UT Austin. She is a bilingual speech-language pathologist by training and her research investigates neurologically-based communication disorders within the context of bilingualism. In addition, her research examines bilingualism as a contributor to cognitive reserve in neurodegenerative disorders affecting language and cognition.

Associate Professor
Lab Co-Director

Dr. Henry is a speech-language pathologist by training. Her clinical and research interests lie in the nature and treatment of aphasia and related neurogenic communication disorders, with a special focus on primary progressive aphasia.

Bilingual Research Speech-Language Pathologist

Camille works as a Bilingual Speech Language Pathology in the MADR Lab. She holds an M.S. in Speech Language and Hearing Sciences from University of Texas Austin, and an M.A. in English Linguistics from the University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras. Her long term goal is to be part of the group of professionals elevating the standard of care for patients with neurogenic communication and swallowing disorders in the culturally and linguistically diverse Caribbean.

Bilingual Research Speech-Language Pathologist

Núria has been a Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain) since 2004. She received her Bachelor's, Postgraduate, and Master's degrees at the Universitat Autonoma and Universitat Ramon Lull in Barcelona. Currently, Núria works in an inpatient setting with patients in the acute phase at the Neurology,  Neurosurgery, and Stroke Unit, as well as  in an outpatient setting where she works with individuals with movement disorders, dementia, and other neurodegenerative diseases. She also collaborates with the Multilingual Aphasia and Dementia Research Lab (MADRlab) focusing on Catalan and Spanish-speaking patients. Her thesis research focused on Speech and Language Therapy in Primary Progressive Aphasia. Núria is passionate about different treatment approaches for improving or maintaining language, speech, and swallowing abilities.

Bilingual Research Speech-Language Pathologist

Júlia is a Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) from the Hospital Santa Creu i Sant Pau (Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain). She completed a master's degree in Oropharyngeal Dysphagia at the Clinical School of Neuropsychology and Language Pathology and in Nutrition and Health at the Open University of Catalonia. Her clinical work initially focused on Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems with individuals with cerebral palsy and neurodegenerative diseases. She continued her clinical practice in the hospital setting, predominantly treating dysphagia and aphasia. Currently, she works as a bilingual SLT in the Multilingual Aphasia and Dementia Research Lab (MADRlab) focusing on the evaluation and treatment of Catalan and Spanish-speaking patients. She is passionate about language, communication and swallowing disorders and her main goal as a therapist is to improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

Bilingual Research Speech-Language Pathologist

Diana works as a Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist in the MADR Lab. She holds an M.A. in Speech Language and Hearing Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin. She has a passion for developing new therapeutic approaches tailored to the needs of bilingual individuals with neurodegenerative disorders and implementing evidence-based practices in clinical settings, with a primary focus on elevating treatment outcomes and enriching the lives of those she serves.

Bilingual Research Speech-Language Pathologist

Speech therapist Estefanía García Hernández graduated from the Faculty of Health Sciences in Manresa (UAB). Afterwards, she completed a master's degree in Neurologopedia at the Clinical School of Neuropsychology and Language Pathology at the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.

Her clinical work initially focused on the rehabilitation of language, speech, and swallowing in patients with aphasia, dysarthria, and dysphagia. She continued her clinical practice, specializing in the treatment of communication disorders in the pediatric population with functional diversity and the use of Alternative and Augmentative Communication Systems.

Currently, she works as a bilingual SLP in the Multilingual Aphasia and Dementia Research Lab (MADRlab) focusing on the evaluation and treatment of Catalan and Spanish-speaking patients. She is passionate about language and neurology. Her main goal as a therapist is to improve the quality of life of patients with Neurodegenerative diseases and their families.

Wenfu is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the MADR Lab. He completed a PhD in Speech-Language Pathology and Neuroscience at the University of Toronto, and a MSc in Linguistics at the University of Alberta. He is broadly interested in the neurobiology of language, with a particular focus on bilingualism and speech, across neurotypical and clinical populations. His current work is focused on establishing associations between bilingualism and the biological/neurocognitive bases of dementia (e.g., Alzheimer's disease) in Hispanic bilinguals. In addition, he is also involved in a project that examines predictors of treatment response in bilinguals with primary progressive aphasia (PPA).

Giselle is a first-year master’s student in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences (SLHS), pursuing the Bilingual Certificate. She earned her Bachelor of Science in SLHS with a minor in Educational Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin in May 2025. Giselle has served as a research assistant in the MADR Lab since January 2022. During her capstone year, she completed an Honors Thesis centered on the development of RESPALDO, a culturally and linguistically tailored psychosocial education program for Latino and/or Hispanic care partners of individuals with language-prominent dementia. She is passionate about supporting communication access for culturally and linguistically diverse families, partnering with care partners, and creating materials that are both evidence-based and culturally responsive.

Katie is a graduate student studying Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences (SLHS) with a Bilingual Certificate (emphasis on Spanish/English populations) at the University of Texas at Austin. She graduated from UT Austin with her Bachelor of Science in SLHS with a Certificate in Spanish for Medical Professions. She volunteered in the MADR Lab as an undergraduate RA during her 4th year. During the summer after graduation, she completed an internship for Women in Neuroscience, where she worked in the MADR Lab, learned from various experts in the field of neuroscience, and collaborated with her cohort. Katie is a bilingual, Mexican-American, first-generation college student and is dedicated to providing culturally informed speech-language pathology services and hopes to continue contributing to diversity focused research as an SLP.

Sant Pau Memory Unit
See Dr. Santos-Santos' profile at Sant Pau

Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
Albalab

Department of Neurology of the Hospital Clinico San Carlos
See Dr. Matias-Guiu's research profile

UCSF Memory and Aging Center
See Dr. Deleon's profile at UCSF

Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía
See Dr. Sosa-Ortiz's research profile

University of Houston
See Dr. Dial's profile at UH

Dementia Research Centre,
University College London

Medical doctor with clinical and research specialization in psychiatry, geriatrics and dementia

Linguistics from the Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro and Masters of Science from University of Texas, at Austin

Assistant Professor at the UAB Department of Medicine

Assistant Professor at the UAB Department of Medicine
See Faixa's research profile at

Speech-Language Pathologist

Ana Paula is from Brownsville, Texas, and is a second-year Moody student. She is studying Speech-language and Hearing Sciences and minoring in Health Communication. She is an undergraduate research assistant for the Multilingual Aphasia and Dementia Research lab and is an active member of the National Student Speech Language and  Hearing Association. She is interested in bilingual communication development and disorders.

Arely is from Eagle Pass, Texas, and is a freshman studying Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at the University of Texas. She currently volunteers at the Multilingual Aphasia and Dementia Research Lab. She is excited about this opportunity and hopes to continue working to improve her skills in the world of healthcare.

Alessandra Alcaraz is from the Northwest Houston area and is currently a second-year student in Moody. She is majoring in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences on the track of Speech-Language Pathology and a minor in Health Communication. She is currently a volunteer undergraduate research assistant in the Multilingual Aphasia and Dementia Research Lab and is excited to start her journey here. She is interested in all aspects of speech pathology and wants to explore more of this profession.

My name is Estrella Palomo, and I’m from McAllen, Texas. I’m a sophomore majoring in neuroscience on the pre-medical track. Growing up in a Hispanic community has inspired my interest in studying bilingualism, and the MADR Lab perfectly aligns with my passions and academic goals. I’m excited for the opportunity to contribute and learn!

Jada Li is an undergraduate research assistant for the Multilingual Aphasia and Dementia Research lab from Katy, Texas. She is a second-year majoring in Linguistics and Plan II Honors. She is currently working towards the Elements of Computing certificate and is interested in the roles of linguistics and CS in the speech pathology field. In her free time, Jada likes to draw, write, and play guzheng.

Aaliyah Segura is from a border city called Eagle Pass, Texas, and is a sophomore undergraduate research assistant majoring in Speech-Language and Hearing Sciences on the Speech Pathology track with a minor in Educational Psychology. She is an active member of the National Student Speech-Language Hearing Association. She is deeply committed to supporting others, with a particular focus on disadvantage communities. In the future, she hopes to move back home and use her education to give back by offering essential resources and support to those who need it most.

My name is Jimena Cardenas. I am from Laredo, Texas. I am a junior and am majoring in Speech Language and Hearing Sciences. I am an undergraduate research assistant at the MADR Lab, and work as a student assistant at the UT Child Development Center.

Daniela is a third-year Longhorn from Houston, TX pursuing dual degrees in Geography and Linguistics. Daniela is interested in language development, literacy, and acquired language disorders and hopes to serve diverse communication needs as a bilingual Speech Language Pathologist. Daniela also contributes to UT’s Speech Learning Lab, where she assists with research on adult language acquisition and language instruction methods. When she is not studying or in the lab, you can find Daniela cozying up with a classic novel, soaking up the sun at Barton Springs, or training for her next half marathon.

Gianna Cisneros

Reagan Price 

Adrianna White

David Carillo-Moran

Ariana Figueroa

Amy Perez

Maylina Hudock

Renata Aldrete

Ximena Zarate

Angela Guerrero

Adrian Martinez

Kaprianna Lopez

Leslie Brown

Kyleigh McAlister

Anna Su

Victoria Gandara

Ana Elisa Quiñonez

Abigail Barrientos

Shayla Fernandez

Ana Camila Gutierrez

Alexa Mierisch

Lucian Juarez

Alejandra Galindo

Georgina Salas

Ricardo Rodriguez

Jimena Paguada

Silvia Garcia

Carmen Bautista

Aaliyah Segura 

Nandhini Pakala

Emilly Sanchez

Brianna Cervantes

Anacecilia Pena Montalvo

Paulina Guijarro

Liz Chinchilla

Alejandra Guzman Buitrago

Jo-Ali Acosta

Andrea Mota

Jan Holst

Gary Robinaugh

Maria Fernanda Quiñones Vieta

Rylee Manning

Sonia Karin Marqués Kiderle

Andrew Collins