Current Lab Members

Soo-Eun Chang, Ph.D., CCC-SLP  

Program Director/Principal Investigator

Soo-Eun Chang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the Rosa Casco Solano-Lopez Research Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Michigan. Dr. Chang is also an Adjunct Professor at the Michigan State University in the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders and the Department of Psychology. She received her BA degree in Psychology at Seoul National University, MS degree and clinical training as a Speech-Language Pathologist at Vanderbilt University, received her PhD in Speech and Hearing Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and trained as a postdoctoral research fellow at the National Institutes of Health (NINDS). Dr. Chang’s research program focuses on advancing our understanding of the functional neuroanatomical mechanisms supporting speech motor control and neural bases of developmental stuttering. Dr. Chang is also interested in developing novel treatment options for stuttering, which may include neuromodulatory techniques that augment behavioral therapy and early intervention to prevent chronic life-time stuttering. Dr. Chang may be contacted at sooeunc@med.umich.edu.

View Dr. Chang's Psychiatry faculty page here

Emily O. Garnett, Ph.D., CCC-SLP 

Research Assistant Professor

Emily Garnett is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan, and a certified speech-language pathologist. She received her clinical training degree from West Virginia University in 2009, her PhD from the University of South Carolina in 2015, and completed her postdoctoral training here at UM in 2019. Her current research focuses on: 1) using neuromodulation (HD-tDCS) to augment traditional speech therapy, 2) the neural bases of rhythm and timing deficits in stuttering, and 3) analysis of the lab’s ongoing longitudinal structural and functional pediatric imaging data. Dr. Garnett may be contacted at emilyog@med.umich.edu. 

Yanni Liu, Ph.D.

Associate Research Scientist

Yanni Liu is an Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan. She received her PhD in Psychology from the University of Michigan in 2008, and completed her postdoctoral training at the Carnegie Mellon University and at the University of Michigan. Her research interest focuses on (1) neural oscillations underlying stuttering and other neurodevelopmental disorders; (2) executive function, performance monitoring and brain maturation in typical and atypical development; (3) cognitive training and brain stimulation in enhancing brain functions and reducing symptoms in neurodevelopmental disorders. Dr. Liu may be contacted at yanniliu@med.umich.edu.

Nirmala Rajaram, Ph.D.

Research Laboratory Specialist Senior

Nirmala Rajaram is a Senior Laboratory Research Specialist in the Department of Psychiatry. She received her BS, MS, and PhD (Applied Biology) from University of Mumbai, India and completed her postdoctoral training at North Shore University Hospital, NY. She has extensive experience in basic science and clinical research, with expertise in managing specialized research environments. Her research interests include the neurobiology of mental health and stuttering. Dr. Rajaram may be contacted at nirmala@med.umich.edu

Shanley B. Treleaven, Ph.D., CCC-SLP 

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Shanley Treleaven is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan and a certified speech-language pathologist. She received her MS from the University of Alabama in 2017, and her Ph.D. from Louisiana State University in 2020. Her research interests include neurological aspects of speech motor programming in individuals who stutter and potential relationships between stuttering and executive functioning. Dr. Treleaven may be contacted at streleav@med.umich.edu.

Hasini Weerathunge, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Hasini Weerathunge is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan. Her research interests include understanding neuropathophysiological of motor speech disorders and developing neuro-engineering applications that enhance the quality of life for those with sensorimotor deficits. Hasini received her B.S. in Engineering from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka where she majored in Electronic and Telecommunication Engineering. Her undergraduate research was focused on objective hearing screening of newborns via automated auditory brain stem responses. She completed her M.S. and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at Boston University in 2023, where her research focused on utilizing auditory & somatosensory motor perturbations of voice and speech to develop neurocomputational models of speech motor control for motor speech disorders. Her postdoctoral research aims include the application of non-invasive neurostimulation techniques to improve the effectiveness of current behavioral approaches to stuttering treatment.

Lauren Keith, M.S., CCC-SLP

Doctoral Student

Lauren Keith is a first year doctoral student in the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan and a certified Speech-Language Pathologist. She received her master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of New Hampshire in 2023 and continued her research training at the NINDS Intramural Research Program at the National Institutes of Health while also completing her clinical fellowship year in early intervention. Lauren's research interests include understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of stuttering across developmentally sensitive periods and its relationship to neural plasticity and motor learning in novel treatment design.

Megan Sheppard, M.A., CCC-SLP

Research Area Specialist Senior, Speech-Language Pathologist

Megan is a licensed speech-language pathologist with many years experience working with children and adults in both medical and educational settings. At the Speech Neurophysiology Lab, Megan assists in recruiting participants, completing speech-language evaluations, obtaining case history information, gathering data, and working directly with clients and families participating in the study. Megan has a Master of Arts Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Western Michigan University. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Communicative Sciences and Disorders from Michigan State University. 

Lucas Campbell, B.S.

Research Area Specialist Associate

Lucas is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan where he studied Psychology. Lucas joined the lab in the spring of 2023 and has previously worked in Dr. Takakuni Suzuki's lab collecting EEG data on patients with psychosis during his undergraduate studies. He now assists the lab in running and collecting data for EEG studies. Lucas plans to pursue medical school for psychiatry in the future.

Kassie Smiggs, B.S.

Research Technician Intermediate

Kassie Smiggs is a recent graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara where she attained a Bachelor's of Science in Psychology and Brain Sciences as well as a Minor in Applied Psychology. Prior to joining the lab in the Spring of 2024, Kassie worked as a research assistant under Dr. Miguel Eckstein where she contributed to research on information processing in brains and machines, as well as the neural activity associated with perception, attention, and learning. Kassie is interested in how recent advancements in computational neuroscience can inform our understanding of the mind/brain and potentially inform novel treatment paradigms in the field of psychiatry. Her present work involves collecting MRI data to contribute to neuroanatomical models of developmental stuttering. Kassie is also interested in the philosophical foundations informing psychological science, and how these constructs influence the modes of data analysis and experimental methods practiced by researchers, and ultimately the conclusions they draw from their work. She plans to pursue her PhD in clinical psychology and contribute to novel research aimed at improving the well being of those suffering from neurocognitive disorders.

Yuan (Marrian) Tan, B.A.

Research Technician Intermediate

Marrian is a recent graduate of Bryn Mawr College where she earned her degree in Neuroscience with a minor in Psychology and a concentration in Data Science. During her undergraduate years, she collaborated extensively with Dr. Anjali Thapar, employing EEG to investigate cognitive processes related to memory and attention. Since joining the lab in the summer of 2024, Marrian has been primarily focused on data collection with EEG and on applying non-invasive brain stimulation techniques to assist individuals who stutter. Her research interests focus on the complex interactions between environmental and neurobiological factors that shape early brain development. In the future, Marrian is eager to pursue her PhD with the goal of advancing research in early identification and intervention for neurodevelopmental disorders, striving to improve developmental outcomes for affected individuals.

Stephany Daniel, M.F.A.

Communications Specialist

Stephany Daniel is a Communications Specialist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College in 2015 and has over a decade of experience in marketing communications. Stephany joined the Speech Neurophysiology Lab in 2023 and leads marketing efforts with the goal of increasing awareness of research studies and educating the public about stuttering. She may be contacted at stephdan@med.umich.edu.

Sophia Hogan

Research Assistant

Sophie is an undergraduate student planning to double major in Linguistics and Cognitive Science at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. She joined the lab in the summer of 2022 and is now assisting with CLAN transcriptions for the child study as well as EEG capping of research participants for the oscillations study. After graduating, she plans to attend graduate school to earn a Masters Degree in Speech Language Pathology.

Courtney Jones

Courtney is an undergraduate student planning to double major in Cognitive Science and Linguistics at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She joined the lab at the beginning of 2022, and helps with CLAN transcriptions for both the child and adult studies. After graduating with her bachelors, Courtney plans on attending graduate school to receive her masters in Speech Language Pathology.

Ryann Lowe

Ryann is an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan planning to major in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. She joined the lab at the beginning of summer 2023, and currently assists on the oscillations study where she EEG caps research participants. After graduation, Ryann plans on pursuing medical school with possible interests in the psychiatry and immunology specialties.

Martina Polath

Martina Polath is a third year undergraduate student at the University of Michigan majoring in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience and Spanish. Her research interests include investigating beta oscillatory activity in adults who stutter and how that relates to difficulty in perceiving and tracking rhythm. She currently helps out in the lab with capping participants, guiding participants with listening and speaking tasks in the sound booth, and going to outreach events. After writing a literature review, she hopes to continue working on data analysis and eventually producing a thesis in her senior year. Martina hopes to attend medical school after undergrad.

Anthony Sun

Anthony is an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan planning to pursue degrees in Computer Science, Linguistics, and Complex Systems. He joined the lab in the fall of 2023, and assists with capping EEG research participants for the oscillations and tACS studies. After graduating, Anthony plans to work in tech with a focus on improving the lives of people who stutter.