Martina Polath

I earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan as a double major in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience and Spanish, Language, and Literature. My interdisciplinary academic background allowed me to develop a strong foundation in neuroscience research, human behavior, language, and communication, while also strengthening my analytical, scientific, and cross-cultural communication skills.

During my time at the Speech Neurophysiology Lab, I contributed to EEG-based research studies focused on speech production and auditory listening tasks in individuals who stutter and control participants. My responsibilities included assisting with participant recruitment and experimental procedures, supporting EEG data acquisition, and preprocessing neural data using MATLAB and EEGLAB to evaluate data quality and analyze beta-band activity and rhythm tracking strength. Through this work, I gained extensive experience in neuroscience research methodologies, electrophysiological data analysis, and collaborative scientific investigation. In addition, I recently submitted my Honors Thesis to the Department of Psychiatry at Michigan Medicine, which further explored neural mechanisms associated with stuttering. I also had the opportunity to present my research at the Silverman Conference, where I was honored to receive the First Place Poster Award in the undergraduate student category.

Following graduation, I plan to attend medical school with the long-term goal of pursuing a surgical residency. I hope to integrate my background in neuroscience research, patient-centered care, and interdisciplinary collaboration into my future medical career while remaining actively involved in clinical and translational research.

Aidan Vandevusse

I graduated with a degree in cognitive science and linguistics. During my time at the lab, I transcribed videos in CLAN, and after graduation, I will attend George Washington University for a master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology.

Zara Waddell Jordan

I majored in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience during undergrad with a minor in General Philosophy.

I joined the Speech Neurophysiology Lab during the summer of 2024, and my time there quickly became one of the most meaningful parts of my undergraduate experience. During my time in the lab, I primarily assisted with the Oscillation and SSP studies. Through this work, I learned how to guide participants through the experimental process, explain procedures clearly, and tailor my communication to different age groups ranging from young children to adults. I also developed technical skills in setting up EEG experiments, including preparing and fitting electrode caps, placing electrodes, applying gel to establish reliable connections, and helping record neural activity during experiments. 

During training, my lab mentors often explained the different types of brain waves commonly observed throughout experiments, which helped deepen my understanding of concepts I later encountered in my neuroscience coursework and my MCAT studying. I also learned proper protocols for cleaning and maintaining EEG equipment. Overall, my experience in the lab gave me a greater appreciation for the amount of coordination, preparation, and collaboration required to successfully conduct research studies.

I will be taking a gap year after graduation, during which I will submit my first-round medical school applications at the end of May and continue preparing for secondary applications and interviews throughout the 2026–2027 application cycle. Until mid-June, I will continue working as a Behavior Technician at the Judson Center, where I work one-on-one with children and young adults with autism to help build functional life skills and address challenging behaviors. After that, I plan to spend the remainder of my gap year in Spain teaching English to children in Spanish schools. I’m excited for the opportunity to further improve my Spanish and become more immersed in the culture. I'm grateful for the experiences that brought me to this point and excited to begin this new chapter! 

Zilin Xia

I am graduating with a double major in Linguistics & Psychology with Honor. During my time in the lab, I was trained in EEG capping and CLAN transcription, joined A2Star, led the stuttering support group, and volunteered at a wide variety of events. I really appreciate all the opportunities this lab provides me, and I have learn so much throughout semesters. Next, I will be joining University of Wisconsin-Madison Speech-Language Pathology program and will also be working as a Research Assistant in the Kaushanskaya Laboratory.