Rebecca Affoo is a clinically certified speech-language pathologist, an assistant professor at Dalhousie University in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Faculty of Health, and cross-appointed in the School of Dental Hygiene, Faculty of Dentistry. She is the Director of the Oral Health and Swallowing Research Laboratory, and the goal of her program of research is to improve the oral health, and speech and swallowing function of older adults through novel, interprofessional assessment and management practices.

Dr Aiken is an Associate Professor in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders and in the Departments of Surgery, Psychology, and Neuroscience at Dalhousie University. He has a PhD in Medical Science from the University of Toronto and an MSc in Audiology from Western University. He has practiced as a clinical audiologist and a consulting audiologist in the hearing industry. His research is primarily in human auditory electrophysiological responses. Dr Aiken has presented over 40 invited lectures and keynotes. He is a past president of the Canadian Academy of Audiology, an associate editor of Canadian Audiologist, and a member of the Canadian Infant Hearing Task Force, the Hearing Health Alliance of Canada, and the Knowledge and Implementation in Pediatric Audiology translational research group.

Dr. Archibald worked as a clinical Speech-Language Pathologist (S-LP) for over 15 years, providing services to children and adults in schools, hospitals, and other facilities. Currently Professor and Director in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Western Ontario, Lisa studies links between memory and language processes in individuals with communication disorders. Her work has also focused on S-LP-educator school-based collaborations. She was part of an international team of researchers and stakeholders considering terminology and profile for children with an unexplained, persistent language disorder now known as developmental language disorder (DLD). As a former member of the international committee of RADLD.org and a founding and current member of DLDandMe, she has been active in DLD advocacy campaigns. Recently, Lisa developed the DLD Toolbox, an online resource for S-LPs to support diagnostic decisions regarding DLD.

Emily completed her MHSc in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Toronto and has a Certificate in Francophone Practice for Speech-Language Pathologists from the University of Alberta. Emily also received Speech-Language and Audiology Canada’s (SAC) Student Excellence Award. Emily currently works as both a speech-language pathologist in acute care and as a clinical research coordinator at the Swallowing Rehabilitation Research Lab (SRRL) led by Professor Catriona Steele. Emily’s current interest is in the area of research translation into evidence-based practice for frontline clinicians.

Jana is a PhD candidate in the combined audiology and PhD program in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Western University. Her research interests include integration of audiologists into primary care to facilitate timely, accessible hearing care across the life course; improving health outcomes by centering patient voice to facilitate health system improvement; and implementing health system transformation.

Jana was a part of the Team Primary Care project, which brought together clinicians, researchers, and students to identify pathways to supporting the integration of audiologists and speech-language pathologists into primary care teams through training, education, and capacity-building. Her current research project focuses on enhancing early intervention and hearing loss management among the older adult population by integrating audiologists into primary care.

Prior to joining Western University, Jana completed her Bachelor of Science in Medical Sciences and Master of Public Health at Brock University.

Dr Binns is a scientist and speech-language pathologist with nearly two decades of experience. She leads a research program focused on enhancing pediatric speech-language services for autistic children through community-engaged research that responds to the realities of service systems and the lived experiences of those with lived experience. She integrates clinical insights to advance evidence-based, neurodiversity-affirming practices that strengthen service delivery. She holds an Assistant Professor Appointment at the University of Toronto and is the Clinical Education Development Lead at the Centre for Faculty Development.

Dr Binns’ work has taken her across the globe, with over 50 invited presentations to professionals, parents, and policy makers in North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and South America.

Sasha Brown is an Assistant Professor of Teaching and Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education (ACCE) for Audiology students in the School of Audiology and Speech Sciences at the University of British Columbia. She collaborates with a team of ACCEs to deliver clinical education and foster the development of professional competencies among audiology students, partnering closely with clinical sites across British Columbia. Alongside her academic role, Sasha serves as the Occupational Audiologist at WorkSafeBC, where she applies her expertise in occupational hearing loss prevention to promote BC’s worker health and safety.

Dr Butler is an Associate Professor and researcher in auditory neuroscience at Western University, where he leads the Neuroplasticity in Sensory Systems Lab (NiSSL). For over a decade, the lab’s research program has explored how the brain adapts to changes in auditory input across the lifespan – from typical development to the neuroplastic consequences of hearing loss and restoration. The lab’s work combines cutting-edge methodologies, including EEG, physiological measures, and virtual reality, to understand the structural and functional changes that occur in sensory brain regions. This research has important implications for rehabilitation, helping to characterize systems-level changes following sensory loss and informing strategies for sensory restoration that are directly relevant to clinical practice.

More recently, Dr Butler and his team have been studying the experience of misophonia – a condition where specific sounds trigger intense emotional and physiological responses. The lab investigates the neural mechanisms underlying these adverse reactions to everyday sounds, examining questions of sensory gating, multisensory integration, and the brain’s role in determining which sounds we attend to and which we filter out. This work bridges basic auditory neuroscience with real-world clinical challenges, offering new insights into why certain individuals experience such profound distress from sounds that others easily ignore.

Dr Butler is excited to have the opportunity to help translate these research findings into practical knowledge for clinicians, helping bridge the gap between laboratory discoveries and clinical application. The work he will discuss is supported by funding from NSERC, CIHR, the Misophonia Research Fund, and other major research agencies, as well as by a team of exceptional students and postdoctoral scholars.

Dr Campbell is the John and Margaret Lillie Chair in Childhood Disability Research and an Associate Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University. A Scientist at CanChild Centre for Childhood-Onset Disability Research, Dr Campbell leads an interdisciplinary research team dedicated to optimizing support services in schools to enhance inclusion, participation, and engagement in learning for all children. Her work prioritizes building partnerships across education and health sectors, employing varied research methods to create inclusive, effective service delivery models, with a strong commitment to knowledge mobilization to ensure impacts on practice and policy.

Véronique est orthophoniste depuis 2002. Elle a travaillé en milieu scolaire pendant plus de 20 ans avec des élèves de tous âges, mais principalement de la 3e année jusqu’au secondaire. Elle travaille aussi en clinique privée avec des adolescents et des adultes ayant un TDL. Véronique a exercé des rôles de clinicienne, de consultante auprès d’équipes scolaires et travaille maintenant à l’Université Laval au programme d’orthophonie ainsi qu’à la Clinique universitaire en orthophonie. Elle a collaboré avec l’équipe de recherche de Chantal Desmarais dans le cadre du programme ESCALADE.

Dr Milburn Chapman is a Canadian early language and literacy researcher. She completed her PhD at the University of Toronto in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology and her post-doctoral fellowship at the Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR). As faculty in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Alberta, she had the unique opportunity to conduct research with a proactive school district examining universal language and literacy screening from kindergarten to second grade. She is currently a lecturer in the Department of Language Studies at the University of Toronto at Scarborough.

Shae Chapman-Doucet is a Speech-Language Pathologist with more than a decade of experience working with children who are d/Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or who have experienced hearing loss. She currently serves as the Aural (Re)Habilitation and Cochlear Implant Speech-Language Pathology Consultant at Hearing & Speech Nova Scotia. Earlier in her career, she co-taught the Aural (Re)Habilitation with Children course at Dalhousie University’s School of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

As part of her current role, she leads an interprofessional, cross-organizational Task Force supporting team-based family- and client-centered services, that prioritize early intervention and language access for d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing preschool-aged children in Nova Scotia. Shae is passionate about strengthening systems of care that promote children’s language access and families’ informed decision-making.

Dr Colozzo is a pediatric speech-language pathologist and a researcher. She is currently Associate Professor and Director at the University of British Columbia School of Audiology and Speech Sciences. Her research focuses on childhood language disorders and relationships between language and cognition. She has a long-standing commitment to providing evidence-based services that are safe, flexible, and adapted to the needs of children and families from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

Dr Davies is an Assistant Professor of Teaching in the University of British Columbia’s School of Audiology and Speech Sciences (UBC SASS), where she also serves as the academic lead for the Victoria site of the S-LP program. Her work focuses on advancing innovation in health professions education and the scholarship of teaching and learning, with an emphasis on improving communication care for people living with dementia, primary progressive aphasia, and other age-related communication vulnerabilities.

Dr Davies’s research and teaching are grounded in a pragmatic, evidence-based approach that bridges research and practice. A core strand of her work involves designing and implementing educational models that integrate community engagement and patient perspectives into health professional training. Her research examines the perspectives of people with communication vulnerabilities, their families, clinicians, and students to inform education and clinical practices.

Dr Davies teaches on acquired language disorders, primary progressive aphasia, and research methods. She also co-leads UBC Community of Mentors with Primary Progressive Aphasia Supporting Students (COMPPASS) Program. She conducts grant-funded, interdisciplinary research on acquired and progressive communication disorders and health professions education. She is a registered speech-language pathologist and completed her PhD in Speech-Language Pathology at UBC SASS in 2024. Her clinical experience spans rehabilitation, acute care, mental health, long-term care, and private practice.

Frank is a speech-language pathologist at Hearing & Speech Nova Scotia (HSNS). At HSNS he is part of the Preschool Accessibility & Innovations Project. His research interests include communication and swallowing participation and quality of life, sexual health and education, and socioeconomic determinants of communication and swallowing health. His Master’s thesis investigated S-LPs’ role in treating sexual health when impacted by communication or swallowing disorders. Frank enjoys contributing to research relevant to his field and interests, as well as working with other professionals and students.

Mireille est professeure adjointe au Centre Urbanisation Culture Société de l’INRS et membre de l’Unité mixte de recherche INRS-UQAT en études autochtones. Formée en travail social, ses travaux s’intéressent au bien-être des enfants et des jeunes autochtones, ainsi qu’aux services qui leur sont dédiés. Ils cherchent ainsi à documenter et soutenir les communautés autochtones dans leurs démarches d’autodétermination et de gouvernance en matière de services à l’enfance et à la famille, autant concernant les services associés à la protection de la jeunesse que ceux touchant le développement du langage et l’enfance plus largement.

Dr. Deacon is a University Research Professor at Dalhousie University, where she directs the Language and Literacy Lab. She completed her PhD as a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford in 2004. Her research investigates how children learn to read, and the ways in which high quality education enables full functioning in society. She publishes widely, with more than 100 peer-reviewed papers to date. Her research has won extensive recognition across fields, from the science of reading and education to communication sciences and pediatrics. Deacon was recently named as a member of the College of the Royal Society of Canada and one of the top 2% most impactful scientists worldwide.

Dr Desmarais completed an MSc in speech-language pathology from McGill University. She then worked in Ottawa, ON; Vancouver, BC; Madison, WI; and Quebec City, QC. She obtained her PhD in 2007 and has since worked as a professor at l’Université Laval. Dr Desmarais’ teaching and research focus on developmental language disorders and on intervention with children and adolescents who have communication difficulties, with a special interest in the functional impacts of language disorders.

Isuru Dharmarathna is a speech-language pathologist with a special interest in swallowing disorders in children and adults. She is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Swallowing Rehabilitation Research Laboratory at the University Health Network, Toronto, Canada. Isuru completed her doctorate on objective videofluoroscopic measures of swallowing in children at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, in 2021. Isuru worked as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, from 2015 to 2022.

Isuru is a Commonwealth Scholar and a fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK. Her main research interests are to improve the quality of instrumental swallowing assessments and to improve service provision for children and adults with swallowing disorders in under-resourced settings. Isuru is the Councillor-in-Training of the Dysphagia Research Society (DRS) and is the Chair of the Trainee Advisory Council of the DRS from 2024 to 2026. She has also been a Committee Member of the International Pediatric Feeding Disorders Conference since 2021.

Sarah is a Speech-Language Pathologist who specializes in connection-based, neurodiversity-affirming practices in supporting preschool to school-aged children in their development. She graduated from Dalhousie University in 2011 and currently owns a private practice in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia.

Dr DiFabio is a research assistant in the Connected Hearing Healthcare Lab at Western University and a clinician at the Ron Joyce Children’s Health Centre. Her research focuses on family-centred virtual care, particularly the Caregiver Participation for Virtual Care Framework and co-creation of implementation strategies, developed as part of her dissertation. Dr Difabio aims to enhance access to care and collaboration for families in pediatric hearing healthcare.

Sarah is a speech-language pathologist and mentorship coach who helps school-based S-LPs transform frustration with historical practices and caseload overwhelm into sustainable, collaborative practices through Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and workload approaches. She advocates for modern ways of thinking, such as neurodiversity, inclusion and universal design for learning. With an international career spanning the UK and Canada, Sarah brings unique insights into collaborative service delivery models that move beyond traditional pull-out therapy.

After over 20 years of UK experience, she discovered a school district in Prince George, BC, that had fully embraced problem-solving and collaborative approaches. Sarah’s understanding of effective MTSS implementation was fundamentally shaped over her 20 years of direct experience in this district. Her four-year tenure as the Director of School S-LPs for Speech and Hearing BC positioned her to influence school-based practices at a provincial level through Zoom forums for the community. Sarah has also served on two SAC committees, helping to develop advocacy documents for school-based S-LPs. She enjoys supporting school districts in redesigning their S-LP services to align with modern educational practice, whether in-person or online.

Sarah champions the workload approach over traditional caseload counting. She shares a practical perspective which allows school-based S-LPs to quickly begin implementing this approach. Changing mindsets about how to work appropriately within the education system is seen as the natural process for accepting work within the daily life of a school-based S-LP.

This approach breaks the cycle of over-promising and under-delivering that leads to guilt and overwhelm for so many school-based S-LPs.

Through her mentorship business, workshops, redesign coaching, email newsletter, podcasts, and online courses, Sarah advocates for collaborative, evidence-based practice that helps S-LPs feel less isolated, more in control, and genuinely excited about their school-based work.

Dr. Doyle completed her Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree with Distinction at Dalhousie University in 2004. She completed a Paediatric General Practice Residency at Toronto SickKids Department of Dentistry in 2005 and graduated from the University of Toronto with a master’s degree and Paediatric Dental Specialty in 2008. She is an Assistant Professor with the Division of Paediatric Dentistry, Dalhousie University and a Staff Paediatric Dentist at IWK Health. Dr Doyle’s research interests include dental trauma, public health and oral care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Carolyn is an audiologist and manager of the Centre for Advanced Hearing and Balance Testing at Toronto General Hospital, as well as the co-owner of the Munk Hearing Centre clinics in Toronto. As an audiologist, she holds lecturer status for the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Toronto. She is actively involved in vestibular research and education. She has co-authored two textbook chapters on vestibular assessment (including KJ Lee’s Essential Otolaryngology, 11th edition) and has presented lectures and courses to audiologists, medical residents, and otolaryngologists within Canada and abroad. Carolyn currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Academy of Audiology and has been featured on CBC’s “The National”.

Dr Filiatrault-Veilleux is an Assistant Professor with the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department at the University of Alberta. Her primary research focuses on children’s language comprehension and the use of narratives for assessment and intervention in relation to communication-participation in children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and on the autism spectrum. She has active research partnerships with researchers across Canada and internationally, including from Australia, the United States and France.

Her work aims to create better, more inclusive tools that support language and literacy skills for all children.

Janine Fitzpatrick graduated from Dalhousie University’s Speech-Language Pathology program in 2016. She has worked in Victoria, BC, in acute care and neurological rehabilitation, and contributed to the research project presented here during her time at the Voice and Swallowing Clinic at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. She has recently moved to Lethbridge, AB, with her family and is excited to continue her career with Alberta Health Services. Janine is a Haligonian and is thrilled to attend this year’s conference in Halifax.

Dr Gandhi is an Assistant Professor at the University of Alberta and a speech-language pathologist whose work focuses on swallowing disorders in Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. She completed her doctoral training at the University of Toronto and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Krembil Research Institute at the University Health Network. Dr Gandhi’s research examines the mechanisms underlying dysphagia and evaluates approaches to improve its identification and management in clinical practice. Her program integrates clinical research, evidence synthesis, and guideline development to support evidence-based care for individuals with neurogenic dysphagia.

Dr Glista is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, a Principal Investigator at the National Centre for Audiology, and Director of the Connected Hearing Healthcare Lab at Western University in London, Ontario. Dr Glista’s research program advances technology-enabled and virtual models of hearing healthcare by developing, evaluating, and implementing collaborative, person-centred approaches to care. Her work integrates human-centred design with real-world implementation science to support the adoption and scale-up of innovative hearing care solutions, including virtual care, mHealth tools, and remote service delivery across diverse clinical and community contexts.

Through interdisciplinary collaboration and mixed-methods research, Dr Glista engages clinicians, patients, families, and community and industry partners in the co-design of equitable and sustainable models of hearing healthcare that advance access, strengthen readiness for participation in care, and improve outcomes across the lifespan.

Dr. Gonzalez-Barrero is an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Dalhousie University, cross-appointed with the Department of Pediatrics in the Faculty of Medicine at Dalhousie University, and a Speech-Language Pathologist licensed in Nova Scotia and Quebec.

Beyond her clinical training, she also completed a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology at McGill University, a PhD in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a specialization in Language Acquisition at McGill University, and a 4-year postdoctoral fellowship in Developmental Psychology at Concordia University in Montreal. Her research interests focus on the language, literacy and cognitive skills of monolingual and bilingual children with typical development and children with neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism.

Dr. Gonzalez-Barrero is the Lab Director and Lead Researcher of the Child Language, Literacy and Cognition (CLIC) Lab. Her research program is supported by provincial and federal grants, including SSHRC, NSERC, and Research Nova Scotia.

Dr Gow is the mother of two teenage daughters, one deaf and one hearing. Her deaf daughter launched Jen onto a new personal and professional path. In 2011, Jen first walked through the doors of BC Family Hearing Resource Society (BCFHRS); her family received early intervention services there for five years. Since then, Jen has become a strong parent advocate who supports, empowers, and connects families with deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Jen joined the team at BCFHRS in 2016, where she coordinates the Family Support Parent program and the research program. Prior to this, Jen was an academic researcher and Managing Editor of two scientific journals.

Professor Shauna Hachey is a licensed dental hygienist and Associate Professor in the School of Dental Hygiene at the Dalhousie Faculty of Dentistry. She holds a cross-appointment with the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders in the Faculty of Health. Her research focuses on integrating oral health into non-traditional settings, improving oral health care for care-dependent individuals, and advancing community-led oral health promotion and knowledge translation initiatives.

Gabriela is a Speech-Language Pathologist registered to practice in Ontario. She currently works in pediatric early intervention within a preschool speech-language program. Her clinical practice focuses on assessment and intervention, with collaboration alongside other professionals as part of service delivery. Her experience spans work with adults with aphasia, private practice services for pediatric and adolescent clients, and involvement in a regional cleft lip and palate program.

Alongside her clinical work, Gabriela is interested in practice guidelines, scope of practice, and documentation standards, particularly as they relate to equitable and culturally responsive service delivery. This interest developed during her master’s training and led to her involvement in this research project.

Dr. Herrmann is the Tier II Canada Research Chair in Auditory Aging, a Scientist at the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest, and an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at the University of Toronto. He has a bit of a non-traditional career path, leaving school at 16 to work in German industry, receiving an apprenticeship degree in industrial mechanics, and working as a quality control manager in gas turbine manufacturing at Siemens for several years.

He obtained his high-school degree a bit later in life through night school while working for Siemens, before going to university to obtain his Diploma (MSc equivalent) in Communication Psychology and his PhD in Psychology in Germany. He was a postdoc at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Germany, at Purdue University in the U.S. (visiting postdoc), and at Western University in Canada. His research aims to understand the hearing, speech-comprehension, and cognitive challenges that many individuals experience as they age, and how detection and treatment of impairments in these domains can be improved to facilitate optimal aging and a full, joyful life.

Dr. Herrmann tackles these questions from different angles, ranging from mechanistic neurophysiology, hearing and cognitive behavioural science, data-science methods, to qualitative approaches that meet people’s experiences in real life.

Zoe is a bilingual (English/French) speech-language pathologist and the founder of Words et Mots, a private practice based in Sudbury, ON. Zoe will complete her doctorate in the Interdisciplinary Rural and Northern Health program at Laurentian University in Spring 2026, where her research has focused on culturally and linguistically responsive assessment practices with First Nations children. For more than 13 years, Zoe has worked with children and families across Northern Ontario, including extensive collaboration with First Nations communities. Her clinical and research experience includes supporting children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Learning Disabilities, Developmental Language Disorder, and Motor Speech Disorders.

Zoe is committed to advancing culturally safe practices in speech-language pathology and seeks to inspire colleagues to adapt their approaches in partnership with First Nations and other Indigenous families.

Ghasideh is a third-year PhD student in Special Education in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta. Her work focuses on early language and literacy development, with a particular interest in universal screening and the early identification of children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). Her research centres on spelling and literacy assessment as tools for supporting students at risk for persistent learning difficulties. With a background in classroom teaching, she is committed to bridging research and practice to support evidence-based identification and intervention in educational settings.

Jessica Holmes will be the keynote speaker for our conference. A celebrated comedian and mental health advocate, she blends humour with evidence-based strategies based on positive psychology to help audiences build resilience, manage stress, and prioritize well-being.

In her keynote, Connection Culture, Jessica draws on her work in mental health and well-being to share practical, relatable strategies for navigating life’s challenges.

Known for her work on Royal Canadian Air Farce and her bestselling memoir Depression the Comedy: A Tale of Perseverance, she brings both lived experience and professional insight to the stage.

Stephanie is a Faculty Lecturer and Coordinator of Clinical Education in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders (SCSD) at McGill University. Her role includes teaching, organization and monitoring of clinical placements, and training and support of clinical educators. She is a certified speech-language pathologist and supervises students herself in the SCSD acquired language disorders teaching clinic.

Tegan Hryciw is a registered speech-language pathologist (S-LP) and a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Alberta. Her research interest is in the impact of early childhood trauma on children’s language skills and in best practices for SLPs working with children who have a trauma history. She is particularly interested in issues of equity as they relate to social determinants of language, and in the potential of personal narratives to support children’s mental health and wellbeing.

Dr Hudson I completed an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Waterloo, followed by a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto. He did his medical school training at Western University in London, ON. Dr Hudson did his ENT residency at McGill University, and then a fellowship in complex Otology and hearing implants at Cambridge University Hospitals in Cambridge, UK. He is now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at Dalhousie University. He practices as an ENT with a subspecialty focus on Otology & Ear Surgery, primarily based out of Dartmouth General Hospital. Dr Hudson also performs complex pediatric otology operations and clinics at the IWK (children’s hospital).

Dr. Jafari is an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Dalhousie University. She leads an interdisciplinary research program integrating auditory science, cognitive neuroscience, aging, and artificial intelligence. Her research focuses on identifying auditory and speech-based biomarkers of healthy aging, frailty, and dementia. A further core area of her work examines tinnitus, including its risk factors and the evaluation of outcomes of current tinnitus interventions.

Watfa Abou Kaaf is a Speech-Language Pathologist licensed with the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO). She currently works within the Halton District School Board, and her clinical experience spans pediatric and adult populations across hospital settings, children’s centres, and private practice. Her work has focused on supporting communication and swallowing goals across a range of service environments. This research venture began during her graduate studies and continued beyond graduation, reflecting her ongoing interest in evidence-based clinical practice.

Watfa is committed to evidence-based, culturally responsive, and client-centred care, with an emphasis on neurodiversity-affirming practices, family involvement, and individualized intervention.

Dr Kim is Professor and Interim Dean of the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Alberta. She is a speech-language pathologist with over 25 years of experience working with adults with acquired communication disorders. Her research and clinical interests focus on developing interventions and programming to improve participation for people living with communication disorders.

She is the co-founder of the Alberta Aphasia Camp and the Corbett Aphasia Rehabilitation and Education (CARE) program, two Life Participation Approach to Aphasia (LPAA)-based initiatives serving individuals affected by aphasia. She is passionate about communication accessibility and has collaborated with colleagues, students and people with lived experience of aphasia to advocate for increased awareness and access for individuals living with communication difficulties.

Anne Marie Lanoue est orthophoniste et responsable de formation pratique à l’École des Sciences de la réadaptation de l’Université Laval depuis 2005. Elle a obtenu sa maîtrise en orthophonie et audiologie à l’Université de Montréal en 1998. Ses fonctions actuelles incluent la supervision de stagiaires à la Clinique d’Enseignement en Orthophonie de l’Université Laval, en plus de la coordination des stages du programme de maîtrise en orthophonie.

Elle est également responsable d’une partie de l’enseignement théorique et clinique des étudiants pour les volets du professionnalisme, de la production des sons de la parole et du bégaiement. Elle est aussi impliquée dans divers comités liés aux organismes de réglementation de la profession.

Ayant élaboré et offert plusieurs formations à la supervision, elle participe depuis plusieurs années à l’accompagnement des superviseurs qui accueillent des stagiaires des différents programmes de réadaptation, en les outillant sur diverses thématiques relatives à la supervision.

Kim Lawlor is a Registered Speech-Language Pathologist in Newfoundland and Labrador with an interest in the link between oral language and literacy. During her 32 years working in the education system, Kim has focused on collaborative partnerships with educators, government agencies, and community organizations.

Her varied experience includes working as a school-based S-LP, a Consultant in the Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Education, a Director of Student Services with NLSchools, and a Sessional Instructor in the Faculty of Education at Memorial University of Newfoundland. She supports her provincial colleagues as the current Disciplinary Panel Chair with the Newfoundland and Labrador Council of Health Professionals. She is currently the Education Navigator with NLHealth Services.

Kim was awarded the SAC Eve Kassirer Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2023.

Adele holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theology and English, with a minor in Psychology, and diplomas in Human Services and in Gerontology (Recreation and Leisure). She also completed the Communication Disorders Technician (CDT) program in Nova Scotia and is bilingual in French and English. She has worked for Hearing and Speech Nova Scotia since 2007, supporting both adults and children and assisting with assigned communication goals. In April 2025, she became a provincial CDT Team Lead, allowing her to focus on the adult population. Adele volunteered in a variety of settings, including nursing homes, community canvassing, and fundraising for medical equipment, which influenced her values and approaches to her professional work.

Shannan is a speech-language pathologist with over 25 years of clinical experience across the continuum of care, working with adults who have acquired communication disorders. She is a research associate and clinical educator in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Alberta. Shannan is interested in clinically relevant qualitative and implementation research that advances clinical practice in speech-language pathology, especially for adults living with aphasia.

Dr Lunney is a Research Associate in the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary. She is part of a multidisciplinary team that works to identify health care gaps for people with hearing loss and develop practical, evidence-based solutions to make care safer and more equitable. Meaghan holds a PhD in Health Services Research.

She brings expertise in mixed methods evaluation and implementation science. Her published work spans hearing loss epidemiology, qualitative studies of patient experiences, digital health innovations, and implementation evaluations, among other areas.

Dr Macdonald is a Speech-Language Pathologist in private practice in Montréal, QC. Her research, inspired by her clinical practice, focuses on parent-supported intervention for preschoolers and school-aged children with reading impairment. She completed her doctoral research at McGill University and published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (JADD) on understanding the underlying pathway to reading and supporting reading comprehension for preschoolers on the autism spectrum with hyperlexia. As part of this project, she developed a free, online app that improves reading comprehension for preschoolers with autism and hyperlexia.

She recently completed her postdoctoral research at the University of Toronto, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), examining biliteracy for bilingual children with reading impairment. This study was published open access in the International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism in September 2025. She has taught at Concordia University in inclusive education and at the University of British Columbia in reading, language, and cognition.

Dr McMahon-Morin is a speech-language pathologist and is currently completing a post-doctoral fellowship in education at the Université de Sherbrooke. She obtained a PhD in speech therapy and audiology sciences from the Université de Montréal. As part of her work as a school speech-language pathologist, she has collaborated with teachers to deliver universal literacy interventions in classrooms. Her research focuses on:

1. universal practices that support children’s language and literacy development;
2. teacher-child interactions and children’s participation in the classroom; and
3. interprofessional collaboration in school and interprofessional education for preservice teachers.

Dr. Jennifer Moore is a speech-language pathologist with over 15 years of clinical experience and co-owner of a multidisciplinary private practice in northern New Jersey. She is a PROMPT Certified Instructor, Certified Orofacial Myologist, and the Director of the Brave Speech Research Lab, where she integrates ultrasound and visual biofeedback in clinical practice and research. Her work focuses on pediatric motor speech disorders, including those in children with autism and co-occurring motor speech deficits. Dr. Moore’s neuroaffirming motor speech framework has been published internationally, and she has presented at numerous state, national, and international conferences.

She is also the founder of Next Level Motor, an online training community for S-LPs. Dr. Moore’s mission is to connect science with clinical practice.

Dr. Namasivayam is an internationally recognized expert in speech motor control and pediatric speech disorders. He holds a clinical degree in Speech-Language Pathology, with advanced specialization in Neuroscience at the doctoral and post-doctoral levels. Dr. Namasivayam has led several government- and industry-funded randomized clinical trials, driven policy changes and shaping evidence-based care pathways for children.

He has authored 53 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and delivered over 80 presentations at international conferences. He has received numerous prestigious awards, including recognition from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the Stuttering Foundation of America, Apraxia Kids, and the National Award for Excellence in Applied Research from SAC.

Dr. Namasivayam teaches speech physiology and pediatric speech-sound disorders at the University of Toronto. In 2018, he founded the Speech Research Centre Inc., dedicated to making evidence-informed practices accessible to clinicians worldwide. He is also the co-founder of Hear2Speak.org, a non-profit organization.

Dr Noel practiced clinically for 6 years with a specialized interest in Auditory Processing Disorders before accepting his current position at Hearing & Speech Nova Scotia. He is the co-founder of the Canadian Academy of Audiology and a past president of the Academy. Dr Noel holds a license to practice audiology in the province of Nova Scotia, two degrees in Audiology: a Master of Science from Dalhousie University, School of Human Communication Sciences and Disorders (SCSD) and an AuD, a clinical doctorate from AT Still University. He also has the pleasure of completing the neuroaudiology fellowship with Dr Frank Musiek at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Centre in New Hampshire, US. Dr Musiek is a world-renowned clinician and researcher in the field of auditory processing.

For 19 years, he taught the Advanced Diagnostic Audiology course in the Master of Science program at Dalhousie’s School of Human Communications and Disorders (SCSD) before becoming full-time Director at HSNS in 2019. He remains an adjunct professor at Dalhousie and has trained many audiologists in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island in advanced audiological testing. Dr Noel was a co-author of the Canadian Guidelines for Auditory Processing and has given numerous talks and poster sessions on the topic. He was also the chair of SAC’s position statement on audiology and concussion. He remains actively involved volunteering with the Nova Scotia Regulator of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology.

His current role is Director, Adult and Mi’kmaq Hearing and Speech Services at Hearing & Speech Nova Scotia. Dr Noel is a proud member of the advisory committee for the Etuaptmu’k E’loti: Using Mi’Kmaw Knowledge to Create Health & Wellness Solutions project and is learning how to integrate two-eyed seeing into both his professional and personal life. He is an active member of the Canadian College of Health Leaders and holds a CHE designation.

Megan is a PhD student in the Faculty of Health at Dalhousie University, conducting research into the assessment of bilingual children’s reading skills under the supervision of Dr. Ana Maria Gonzalez-Barrero (Dalhousie University) and Dr. Monika Molnar (University of Toronto). Megan earned her Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Nottingham and completed her Master’s degree in Developmental Linguistics at the University of Edinburgh. Her research interests and experience focus on bilingualism, literacy and language acquisition in children.

Basiliki Passaretti is a PhD Candidate in the Rehabilitation Science program, and a certified speech-language pathologist working in school-based services with educators to support student development of communication skills, and student academic achievement. Basiliki’s research interests include evidence-based practices for language and literacy instruction, and collaborative practices used by school-based speech-language pathologists and educators to support student success in the language and literacy curriculum.

Melanie completed her Master’s Degree in Clinical Engineering at the University of Toronto. She currently works as an engineer and Clinical Research Manager at the Swallowing Rehabilitation Research Laboratory (KITE, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network). She has been supporting dysphagia research since she graduated. She has been involved in a number of multi-site clinical trials and has a special interest in the technical components as they relate to supporting best-practice recommendations, research data collection, and analyses.

Rebecca is a Speech-Language Pathologist in the Feeding and Swallowing Clinic, the Restrictive Eating Clinic, and the Cleft Lip and Palate Craniofacial Program at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto, ON. She has presented extensively to clinicians and families on topics related to Paediatric Feeding and Swallowing, and on the importance of a team-based approach to assessment and management. She has been a co-investigator on research designed to increase understanding of best practices in feeding, swallowing, and speech. Rebecca is also a Lecturer (Status Appointment) in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Pinsonnault‑Skvarenina has been an audiologist since 2016. A graduate of the Université de Montréal, he obtained a master’s degree in audiology in 2016 and a PhD in speech‑language pathology and audiology in 2022. He later pursued a postdoctoral research fellowship within the ÉTS–EERS Industrial Research Chair in In‑Ear Technologies at the École de technologie supérieure in Montreal. He is currently an associate professor at the School of Rehabilitation Sciences at the Université Laval in Quebec.

As a researcher, his interests center on the effects of industrial noise on the inner ear and auditory nerve, as well as the impacts of occupational hearing loss on workers. He is also interested in hearing technologies and interventions for people with hearing loss. Among his most innovative projects is the development of multifunctional in‑ear devices integrating hearing protection, hearing amplification, and auditory health monitoring features. Author of more than 20 scientific publications and a prolific speaker with over 70 presentations, he has successfully bridged his academic research with the needs of the professional community and the broader public.

Committed to his professional community, he served on the board of directors of the Ordre des orthophonistes et audiologistes du Québec (OOAQ) in 2024-2025 and of the Association québécoise des orthophonistes et audiologistes (2017–2021). He actively participates in various scientific and professional committees of the OOAQ and of Speech‑Language & Audiology Canada.

Cuyler is an Occupational Therapist and Pediatric Feeding Specialist serving as Feeding Matters’ Director of Strategic Initiatives and practicing as a Feeding Specialist at Banner University Medical Center Level IV NICU in Tucson, Arizona. She holds a speciality certification in Feeding, Eating and Swallowing (SCFES) and is an internationally certified lactation counsellor (IBCLC). She works to advance feeding practice by facilitating AOTA’s Mealtime Occupations: Feeding, Eating, and Swallowing Community of Practice, serving on the National Perinatal Association’s Developmental Work Group for disseminating published guidelines, and contributing to consensus actions and publications for PFD-ARFID for Feeding Matters. She also is a founding Board Member of the Institution of Perception-Action Approach which brings evidenced-based education on perception-action approach to professionals working with children with movement disorders.

Kelly is a Speech-Language Pathologist with clinical and teaching experience in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) across adult, adolescent, and pediatric populations. Her work focuses primarily on supporting adolescents and adults with complex communication needs related to developmental disabilities and acquired or degenerative neurological conditions, including traumatic brain injury, aphasia, and primary progressive aphasia.

Her AAC practice emphasizes functional communication, communication partner support, and participation in everyday contexts, grounded in a commitment to presuming competence and supporting client autonomy. She prioritizes feature matching to ensure AAC systems and strategies align with individuals’ communication needs, preferences, and environments, with a focus on meaningful use in real-world settings. She works with a range of AAC strategies and tools, including low-tech systems, speech-generating devices, text-to-speech supports, and voice and message banking.

Kelly is a permanent, part-time, faculty member in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Faculty of Health, at Dalhousie University, where she teaches the AAC course. She facilitates a learner-led, participation-focused virtual AAC communication group for adolescents and adults with developmental communication needs in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. She also provides S-LP consultation, including AAC support, to Peter’s Place, a residential brain injury program in Nova Scotia. In addition, she works as a Clinical Skills Educator with the Centre for Collaborative Learning and Research at Dalhousie University, supporting students in the Faculty of Medicine with their clinical skills development.

Kelly is proficient in both French and English.

Anna is a speech-language pathologist, health and social care manager, researcher, and consultant. Anna is the former George Hull Centre Manager of Preschool Speech & Language Services, now the Senior Manager of Research and Strategic Priorities in the Centre’s Institute of Childhood Trauma and Attachment. Anna holds a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology, an International Health Policy degree, is completing a Doctor of Public Health at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and is an Assistant Professor (status) in the University’s Speech-Language Pathology department. All of Anna’s work has been fueled by the belief that communication is central to who we are and at the core of the most important and protective factor in our lives – our relationships.

Jennifer is a Nova Scotian through and through with a francophone background. She graduated from the CDA program at Durham College in Ontario. She currently works with Hearing and Speech Nova Scotia. Having worked in various settings with diverse caseloads, she found her niche in the Newborn Hearing Screening program at the IWK Health Centre. In addition to her current caseload, Jennifer now serves as CDT Team Lead, allowing her to connect with other technicians across the province and work on various projects to advance the CDA profession at Hearing and Speech.

Dr Simione is an Assistant Professor at the University of Rhode Island, Director of the Feeding Innovation Lab, and a speech-language pathologist. Her research focuses on early feeding to ensure that all children and families have the skills, support, and access to nutritious food. Using digital health technologies to understand, assess, and treat, she studies feeding development, its disorders, and healthy lifestyle programs; how we move research evidence into clinical care; and how we incorporate social care into management approaches.

Dr Simione’s research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and by foundations. She has authored numerous publications about feeding, implementation science, family-centered care, and digital health and has presented nationally and internationally.

Eavan Sinden is a registered speech-language pathologist and lecturer in the School of Audiology and Speech Sciences at the University of British Columbia. She serves as an Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education (ACCE), supporting students’ development in professional practice and clinical competency. Eavan also teaches within the acquired communication disorders curriculum, with a primary focus on aphasia and primary progressive aphasia (PPA). Her research interests include developing and evaluating clinical education experiences for students, particularly those related to aphasia and PPA. She is also interested in the role of speech-language pathologists in counselling.

Her ongoing projects include the Clinical Educator Virtual Community of Practice and the UBC Aphasia Network, which encompasses the Aphasia Mentors Program, the Aphasia Partners Program, the COMPPASS Program, and the Aphasia Connect|Ed Weekend.

Dr Smits-Bandstra completed her MSc thesis (Western University), PhD thesis (University of Toronto), and Postdoctoral fellowship (McGill University) in the field of stuttering.  She has taught undergraduate and graduate stuttering courses for over 20 years at five universities in three countries. She has published multiple research articles in the Journal of Fluency Disorders and the Journal of Motor Behaviour, and has given more than 50 presentations at international conferences, including the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), the National Stuttering Association, the International Fluency Association, and the European Symposium of Fluency Disorders.

She has worked for over 25 years in various clinical contexts (university clinic, school board, school health, children’s treatment centre, and the Speech and Stuttering Institute), providing services for preschool children, school-age children, and teens who stutter. She is currently working in school-based rehabilitation at Grandview Kids, a children’s treatment centre in Ontario.

Dr Steele is a clinician-scientist working in the field of swallowing and swallowing disorders. She has a background as a medical speech-language pathologist, and is Director of the Swallowing Rehabilitation Research Laboratory at the KITE Research Institute, the research arm of the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute – University Health Network. Dr Steele is a Professor in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Toronto and holds a Canada Research Chair in Swallowing and Food Oral Processing. Professor Steele holds research funding from the National Institutes of Health (USA) and several active industry partnerships. She was a founding member of the Board of Directors for the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative and served on their board from 2012 to 2023. Catriona recently served as the 2024-2025 President of the Dysphagia Research Society.

Taylor Strande is a Speech-Language Pathologist and voice therapist with extensive clinical experience in the assessment and management of voice disorders across the lifespan. As a PAVA-Recognized Vocologist, Taylor’s work focuses on evidence-based voice evaluation and therapy for professional voice users, aging voices, and gender-affirming voice care. Taylor brings experience in clinical research and quality improvement, contributing to initiatives that improve access to services, support patient-centred care, and advance equity-informed practice. Her research activities include practice-based projects and interdisciplinary collaboration that bridge clinical care and scientific evidence.

Taylor has a strong background in music, including operatic performance, vocal pedagogy and choral conducting, which informs her clinical approach to voice care and collaboration with singers and performing artists. In addition to clinical and research work, Taylor is actively involved in education, mentorship, and professional development.

Since 2008, Hanna has operated a private tutoring and consulting company, My Literacy Space, in Calgary, AB. They provide one-on-one tutoring sessions specializing in literacy for learners from Kindergarten to Grade 6. They also provide professional development – such as Reading with TLC training – for educators and caregivers, highlighting literacy topics and leading picture book conversations. As a kidlit reviewer, Hanna shares their knowledge of picture books that can serve as literacy mentor texts across all learning spaces, and they are passionate about sharing picture books that offer representation for all children, their families, and their communities.

Nimra is a Speech-Language Pathologist registered to practice in Ontario. She was first introduced to dysphagia care and Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) during a placement at Toronto Western Hospital, where her interest in dysphagia was solidified. This work was originally developed in collaboration with peers as part of her graduate program’s evidence-based project. Shortly after graduating, she began working at Brantford General Hospital, where she supports acute care services and leads the Outpatient Swallowing Clinic. In this role, she has observed firsthand the limitations of Videofluoroscopic Swallow Studies (VFSS), including prolonged wait times and reduced accessibility related to radiation exposure.

She recently completed FEES training as part of the delegation process. Now re-engaging with this work post-graduation, Nimra brings a strengthened clinical lens and continues to explore its relevance with support from the project team.

Dr. Theurer is a speech-language pathologist and Associate Professor in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders and Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Western University in London, ON. In the CSD program, she teaches anatomy and physiology, swallowing and swallowing disorders, and evidence-based practice. Her research focuses on improving outcomes for individuals undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer, as well as the sensorimotor systems supporting speech and swallowing.

Dr Theurer also engages in practice-based research with clinicians in examining best practices in outcomes measurement and swallowing rehabilitation.

Scott hails from the East Coast, a Newfie b’y, and is thrilled to be back in the Atlantic provinces for this conference! They graduated from the University of Ottawa with a Master of Health Science in Speech-Language Pathology and provide therapy in English and French. With a background in linguistics, education, and performance, they offer a creative, client-centered approach. An SVI-trained vocologist, they specialize in voice rehabilitation, professional communication, and gender affirming voice. Passionate about helping clients overcome communication challenges, Scott integrates evidence-based techniques to support clear, confident speech in a dynamic and supportive environment. As of 2026, Scott is a part-time professor at the University of Ottawa and an internal voice placement supervisor. They currently work virtually and in person at two clinics in Ontario: SpeechAppeal and Ottawa Voice and Swallowing Clinic.

Dr. Turkstra is an internationally recognized researcher and educator in the field of cognitive-communication disorders, with a particular focus on adolescents and adults with acquired brain injury. She is Professor and Assistant Dean in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University, where she directs the graduate program in Speech-Language Pathology and leads the Turkstra Lab at the Centre for Advanced Research in Experimental and Applied Linguistics (ARiEAL).

Her research explores how cognitive processes support social communication, and she has published extensively on intervention strategies for individuals with traumatic brain injury, long COVID, and related conditions. A co-author of international clinical practice guidelines for cognitive rehabilitation, her work bridges experimental science and clinical application across both civilian and military populations.

Dr. Turkstra is a passionate educator and mentor, committed to advancing evidence-based practice and patient-centred care in speech-language pathology.

Jennifer is an Assistant Professor (Teaching Stream) in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Toronto and serves as the Director of Speech-Language Pathology and Communication Health Assistants at Speech-Language & Audiology Canada (SAC).

She is a registered speech-language pathologist with more than three decades of clinical, educational, and leadership experience across pediatric healthcare, rehabilitation, and academic settings. Jennifer has played a key role in the development and implementation of local, provincial, and national initiatives to advance the profession in Canada, including contributions to the development of the Canadian Speech-Language Pathology Competency Profiles and the Canadian Assessment of Clinical Competence.

She has also been actively engaged in advocacy efforts in support of the profession. Her professional interests include simulation in health professions education, competency-based assessment, and pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders. She is currently completing a postgraduate certificate in Simulation for Health Professions Education at the University of Edinburgh.

Susan J. Wagner is an Associate Professor, Teaching Stream in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto (UT) and Coordinator of Clinical Education. She supports students and clinical educators in optimizing learning and received the initial Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists Mentorship Award for leadership in clinical education.

As the inaugural Faculty Lead – Curriculum, Centre for Interprofessional Education (IPE), UT, Susan and her colleagues led the development and implementation of the requisite IPE curriculum for 11 health science professional programs and the Susan J. Wagner Student Leadership Award in IPE was created in her honour. She has been an investigator on a variety of research projects, including the development of the Canadian Assessment of Clinical Competence (ACC), and published in IPE.

Susan is the Past Chair of the SAC Board of Directors and is a graduate of the University of Alberta and University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Dr. Washington is an associate professor and board-certified specialist in child language development and disorders at the University of Toronto, Department of Speech-Language Pathology. She directs the Paediatric Language, Learning, and Speech (PedLLS) Outcomes Lab, which focuses research and clinical interests on speech-language development for monolingual and multilingual preschoolers. Her research, which has been funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), characterizes language learning and use in typical and disordered contexts with a particular interest in understanding how the child’s contextual factors are related to their outcomes. Dr Washington is an ASHA Fellow and Canada Research Chair (Tier 2, CIHR).

Dr Wood attended McGill University’s School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, where she earned her clinical master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology. She then worked for seven years as a paediatric speech-language pathologist, primarily in a school board setting. She completed her PhD in 2025 at the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute and is currently an Assistant Professor (Teaching Stream) in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Toronto. Emily’s doctoral research focused on developing a clinically informed, linguistically quasi-universal dynamic assessment of early word reading skills for bilingual kindergarten students.

Her current programme of research focuses on assessment practices in context, with particular attention to valid and equitable evaluation approaches. Emily teaches several courses across Years 1 and 2 of the MHSc program and engages in pedagogical scholarship on her teaching practices. She is a member of the EDIA committee for Speech-Language and Audiology Canada.