People

Dr. Kielar is an Associate Professor in the Department of Speech Language and Hearing Sciences at the University of Arizona and the Director of the LAN Laboratory. She earned her Ph.D. in Cognitive psychology from the University of Western Ontario. She completed postdoctoral fellowship in cognitive neuroscience at the Northwestern University and postdoctoral training in neuroimaging at the Rotman Research Institute of University of Toronto. 

As a cognitive psychologist and neuroscientist Dr. Kielar is interested in the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie language systems and related cognitive functions. Her research examines cognitive and neural factors that affect language functions, and how they change across life-span and are influenced by stroke and neurodegenerative disorders. 

To answer these questions, Dr. Kielar’s research integrates cognitive measures with multimodal neuroimaging techniques (fMRI, EEG/ERPs, and MEG). She is also interested in recovery of function, and treatment approaches involving speech-language therapy in combination with noninvasive brain stimulation techniques.

Most recently, her laboratory is conducting studies that examine the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation on brain function. In these studies, the brain stimulation is combined with language therapy with a goal to enhance recovery in post-stroke and progressive aphasias.

Dr Kielar teaches and supervises undergraduate and graduate student research projects and dissertations. Teaching includes topics in neurobiology of language, graduate seminars and courses for the graduate certificate in neuroimaging methods.  

Areas of Study:

• Effect of stroke on semantic, phonological and syntactic aspects of language
• Impact of Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) on the language system and the brain
• Application of fMRI-guided neuromodulation in the treatment of stroke induced and progressive aphasias
• Changes in cognitive and language processing associated with healthy aging and neurodegenerative disorders
• Electrophysiological and structural indicators of cortical function and relationship to language ability

Katlyn is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at the University of Arizona. Her research interests include the nature and treatment of acquired language disorders in adults, with a specific focus on individuals with the primary progressive aphasia (PPA) syndrome.

Her clinical experience includes the evaluation and treatment of aphasia, dysarthria, and cognitive-communication disorders secondary to traumatic brain injury in adult and pediatric medical populations in the outpatient rehabilitation setting.

Fatima Jebahi is a PhD candidate in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at the University of Arizona, with a PhD minor in Cognitive Science. Throughout her program, she earned a Certificate in Neuroimaging Methods and a Certificate in College Teaching. Her background includes a Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from East Carolina University, where she was a Fulbright scholar, and a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Speech Therapy from the Lebanese University.

Fatima’s research focuses on neurogenic language disorders, specifically primary progressive aphasia and post-stroke aphasia. She is particularly interested in understanding how words’ psycholinguistic properties affect word retrieval in these populations. Ultimately, her goal is to leverage research to inform clinical practice and improve the lives of individuals living with aphasia.

Isabella is a sophomore undergraduate student majoring in Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences at The University of Arizona. She became a part of the Language and Neuroimaging Lab during the summer of 2024. 

She hopes to gain experience in research and clinical work so she can apply to graduate school to become a speech pathologist.

Noah is a senior undergraduate student in Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, and Linguistics at the University of Arizona who has worked with the LAN Lab for three years. He is interested in language processing and acquisition from a neural perspective, as well as the methods from cognitive neuroscience used to study language in the brain. In the LAN Lab, Noah assists with administering transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and electroencephalography (EEG) for participants, archiving and scoring of behavioral assessments, and analysis of MRI data.

His senior thesis in the lab is focused on characterizing tDCS current flow in various types of aphasias using the open-source modeling software SimNIBS.

Navya Balaji is a sophomore majoring in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science and minoring in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences at the University of Arizona. She is interested in understanding the mechanics of degenerative neurological diseases and wants to enter a career field in which she is able to pursue finding a cure for those disorders

Karthik is an undergraduate sophomore studying physiology and medical sciences with the hopes of becoming a physician in the future. He hopes to gain valuable experiences as a research lab assistant.

Kate Maxfield is an undergraduate junior majoring in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences with a minor in American Sign Language. She is interested in studying language disorders, their neurological foundations, and the innovative therapies for those affected. Through the lab, she hopes to gain more skills and knowledge so that she can be ready to apply for grad school and in the future practice as an SLP.