{"id":5620,"date":"2023-02-22T12:20:49","date_gmt":"2023-02-22T17:20:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cbr\/?post_type=profile&#038;p=5620"},"modified":"2026-06-12T20:42:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T00:42:03","slug":"swathi-kiran","status":"publish","type":"profile","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cbr\/profile\/swathi-kiran\/","title":{"rendered":"Swathi Kiran"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Founding Director, Center for Brain Recovery. Director of Aphasia Research Laboratory. James and Cecilia Tse Ying Professor of Neurorehabilitation Department of Speech Language and Hearing Sciences.<\/p>\n<p>Research interests: <span>Neuroscience, Brain Plasticity, Language Recovery, Rehabilitation, Bilingualism<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>About<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Swathi Kiran is the Founding Director of the Center for Brain Recovery (CBR), Director of the Aphasia Research Laboratory, and James and Cecilia Tse Ying Professor of the Neurorehabilitation Department of Speech Language and Hearing Sciences at Boston University. Dr. Kiran is also the Co-founder and Scientific Director of Constant Therapy Heath, an organization utilizing machine learning methods to develop individualized recovery plans for individuals with traumatic brain injury, aphasia, dementia, or other neurological conditions.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Kiran brings with her several years of experience since receiving her PhD in Speech Language Pathology from Northwestern in 2001 in the field of speech and language, neuroimaging, and brain recovery, that allow for an interdisciplinary approach to her research at the CBR. Her academic research focuses on neuroscience, brain plasticity, language recovery, and bilingualism, as she also oversees several projects by her graduate and undergraduate students at both CDS and CBR. These projects include Predicting Rehabilitation Outcomes in Bilingual Aphasia using Computational Modeling, Mapping Aphasia Recovery in the Brain, and Neuroimaging in the Everyday World (NEW).<\/p>\n<p>At the CBR, Dr. Kiran and her team hold over 13 events drawing over 4,000 attendees and publish over 30 papers annually, bringing together more than 20 countries to engage in brain recovery research. As Co-chair for the annual NEW conference, Dr. Kiran works to bring together researchers working on emerging technologies and studies to understand the brain in the everyday world through wearable neuroimaging devices. She presents her findings during this two-day conference at Boston University alongside 13 other speakers in the field and over 30 poster presentations by students and affiliates.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Kiran plans to expand the interdisciplinary collaborative efforts at the CBR to develop advanced neuroimaging approaches to study the brain, sophisticated computational and AI models to predict brain function and continue to provide high-quality clinical care.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>My Recent CV:<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/aphasiaresearch\/files\/2015\/12\/KIRAN-CV-2015_abridged.pdf\"><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/aphasiaresearch\/files\/2015\/12\/KIRAN-CV-2015_abridged.pdf\"><\/a><a href=\"\/cbr\/files\/2023\/02\/KIRAN-CV-2026.May_.pdf\">KIRAN CV 2026.May<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/aphasiaresearch\/files\/2015\/12\/KIRAN-CV-2015_abridged.pdf\"><br \/>\n<\/a><\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/aphasiaresearch\/files\/2015\/12\/KIRAN-CV-2015_abridged.pdf\"><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><b>My Recent Talks:<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Watch my\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MeOGbS21CaI\"><span class=\"s2\">recent talk at TedxBU<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Watch my recent talk at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=2QGMvl5ijug\">Aphasia Center for Excellence.<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Watch 2018 talk for the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=H7txtKbyGzc\"><span class=\"s2\">\u00a0C-STAR online aphasia lecture\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read about our work in BU today<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"LPcH02suJ3\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/articles\/2025\/aphasia-research-sargent-college\/\">Aphasia Robs Millions of Communication. Boston University Is Helping Them Regain Their Voice<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Aphasia Robs Millions of Communication. Boston University Is Helping Them Regain Their Voice&#8221; &#8212; Boston University\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/articles\/2025\/aphasia-research-sargent-college\/embed\/#?secret=LPcH02suJ3\" data-secret=\"LPcH02suJ3\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><b>Appointments:<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">2022- Present Founding Director, Center for Brain Recovery\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>2020- 2024\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Director, Strategic Planning\u00a0Implementation, Office of the Provost<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">2020- present\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/constanttherapyhealth.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">Scientific Advisor, Co-Founder, Constant Therapy Health<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">2020- 2024\u00a0 Steering Committee, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/hic\/\"><span class=\"s2\">Hariri Institute of Computing and Computational Sciences, Boston University<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">2020- present\u00a0 Member, Faculty for Computing and Data Sciences, Boston University<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">2018- 2022\u00a0 Associate Dean for Research, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">2018- present\u00a0 Faculty,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/neurophotonics\/\"><span class=\"s2\">Boston University Neurophotonics Center (NPC)<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">2017- 2020\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Consultant,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/constanttherapyhealth.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">The Learning Corporation (FKA Constant Therapy)<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">2016- 2020\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Faculty, Hariri Institute of Computing and Computational Sciences, Boston University<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">2014-present\u00a0\u00a0 Professor, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Boston University Sargent College of Health Sciences<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">2014-present\u00a0\u00a0 Faculty,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/csn\/\"><span class=\"s2\">Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">2012-2017\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Co-Founder, Chief Scientific Advisor,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/constanttherapyhealth.com\/constant-therapy\/\"><span class=\"s3\">Constant Therapy<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">2010-present\u00a0\u00a0 Faculty, Joint Programmatic Appointment, Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">2009-present\u00a0\u00a0 Member, Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><b>Professional Activities:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>International: <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>2025-present\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Strategic Committee Member, Audacious Disability Innovation Program, King Salman Center for Disability Research, Saudi Arabia<\/p>\n<p>2022-present\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Associate Editor, <em>Nature<\/em> <em>Scientific Reports<\/em><\/p>\n<p>2021-2025\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Section Editor, <em>Cortex<\/em><\/p>\n<p>2020-2023\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Chair, Board of Governors, Academy of Aphasia<\/p>\n<p>2020-present\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Section Editor, <em>Neuropsychologia<\/em><\/p>\n<p>2019-present\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Associate Editor, <em>Brain and Language<\/em><\/p>\n<p>2018-2020\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Board of Governors, Academy of Aphasia<\/p>\n<p>2018\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Conference Chair, Clinical Aphasiology Conference<\/p>\n<p>2018\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Associate Editor, <em>Frontiers In Neurology: Stroke<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><b><i>National:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p>2026-present\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Editor-In-Chief, Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research-Language<\/p>\n<p>2026-present\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Advisor, Open Technology Incubator Venture Fund<\/p>\n<p>2025-present\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Co-Chair, Clinical Trials Working Group, National Institutes of Deafness and other Communicative Disorders<\/p>\n<p>2024-present\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Advisory Council Member, National Institutes of Deafness and other Communicative Disorders<\/p>\n<p>2024-present\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 VP, Program Development, American Speech Language and Hearing Foundation<\/p>\n<p>2022 -2024\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Board of Trustees, American Speech Language and Hearing Foundation<\/p>\n<p>2020-present\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Board Member, Research Committee, National Aphasia Association<\/p>\n<p>2019-2023\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Standing Member, NIH LCOM panel<\/p>\n<p>2019-2023\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Member, Massachusetts Statewide Brain Injury Commission<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><b>Grants:<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><b>Externally Funded<\/b><br \/>\n<b>Research<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><i>Research<\/i><\/p>\n<p>2025-2030\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 NIH\/NIDCD R01DC022565. <em>Machine Learning Methods for Predicting Post-Stroke Aphasia and Language Recovery<\/em>. (MPI: Archana Venkataraman, Swathi Kiran) ($3,999,258)<\/p>\n<p>2025-2027\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 PCORI Engagement Award Contract # 42247 <em>APHASIA Impacts defined by Stakeholders (APHASIA IS):Priorities for Research and Practice.<\/em> (PI: Maura Silverman, Subcontract PI: Swathi Kiran<\/p>\n<p>2023-2028\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 NIH\/NIDCD R01DC020653. Computational modeling of language impairment and control in bilingual individuals with post-stroke aphasia and neurodegenerative disorders (MPI: Swathi Kiran, Risto Miikulainnen)($3185065)<\/p>\n<p>2023-2027\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 NIH\/NIDCD1R01DC020965. <em>Naturalistic Neuroimaging<\/em><em> for Presurgical Language Mapping.<\/em> (PI: Yanmei Tei, Einat Leibenthal; Subcontract PI: Swathi Kiran) ($201550)<\/p>\n<p>2013-2027 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 NIH\/NIDCD R13 1R13DC017375-01, <em>Academy of Aphasia Research and Training Symposium. <\/em>PI: Swathi Kiran ($199695)<\/p>\n<p>2020- 2025 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 NIH\/NIBIB 1U01EB029856-01. <em>The Neuroscience of Everyday World- A novel wearable system for continuous measurement of brain function <\/em>(MPI: Swathi Kiran, David Boas)($5916930)<\/p>\n<p>2023- 2025 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 NIH\/NIBIB 1U01EB029856-04S1. Evaluating the utility of fNIRS in detecting and diagnosing AD\/ADRD (MPI: Swathi Kiran, David Boas)($ $409,770)<\/p>\n<p>2022-2024\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 University of Olso, Norway Subcontract <em>\u201c <\/em><em>Morphosyntactic Production in Stroke-induced Agrammatic Aphasia: A Cross-linguistic Machine Learning Approach\u201d<\/em>(PI: Valantis Fyndanis, Subcontract PI: Swathi Kiran)($38,000)<\/p>\n<p>2019-2025\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 NIH\/NIDCD 5R01DC016950 <em>Functional reorganization of the language and domain-general multiple demand systems in aphasia<\/em>. MPI: Swathi Kiran ($3157580).<\/p>\n<p>2018-2023\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 NIH\/ NIBIB R01EB026998 Next-generation optical brain functional imaging platform (PI: Qianqian Fang; Role: subcontract)( $101,126)<\/p>\n<p>2020 \u20132022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 NIDCD\/NIH 1U01DC014922 05S1 <em>Computational Modeling of Semantic Decline in Bilingual Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Primary Progressive Aphasia, <\/em>MPI: Swathi Kiran ($437,924)<\/p>\n<p>2016-2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 NIH\/NIDCD 1U01DC014922. <em>Predicting rehabilitation outcomes in bilingual aphasia using computational modeling.<\/em> MPI: Swathi Kiran ($3101075)<\/p>\n<p>2013-2018\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 NIDCD\/NIH 1P50DC012283-01 <em>Neurobiology of language recovery in aphasia, natural and treatment induced recovery.<\/em> PI: Cynthia Thompson, ($7,500,000) Sub Project PIs Swathi Kiran (BU: $791,855)<\/p>\n<p>2015-2017\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ASHA Office of Multicultural Affairs. Projects on multicultural activities <em>Development of a Free Online Interactive Naming Therapy for Bilingual Aphasia<span>. <\/span><\/em><span>PIs: Chaleece Sandberg, Teresa Gray, Swathi Kiran <\/span><\/p>\n<p>2009-2015\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 NIDCD\/NIH R21\/R33DC010461-01 <em>Theoretically based treatment for sentence comprehension deficits in aphasia<\/em> ($1,615,519), PD\/PI: Swathi Kiran<\/p>\n<p>2012-2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Coulter Foundation Translational Award. <em>Validation of an iPAD therapy for individuals with post-stroke aphasia<\/em>. ($124,000) PI: Swathi Kiran, Cara Stepp.<\/p>\n<p>2011-2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 NIDCD\/NIH 1K18DC011517-01 Mentored Clinical Development Grant. <span>Application of <em>Multimodal Imaging Techniques to Examine Language Recovery in Post Stroke Aphasia<\/em> ($<\/span>253,478) PI: Swathi Kiran<\/p>\n<p>2008-2011\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ASHA foundation Clinical Research Grant. <em>Effect of a semantic based naming treatment on crosslinguistic generalization in bilingual patients with aphasia<\/em>. ($50,000). PI: Swathi Kiran<\/p>\n<p>2009-2012\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 NIH\/NIDCD <span>1R21DC009446<\/span>. <em>Computational and Behavioral Evidence for Bilingual Aphasia Rehabilitation.<\/em> ($275,000). PIs: Swathi Kiran, Risto Miikkulainen<\/p>\n<p>2007-2008\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ASHA Office of Multicultural Affairs. Projects on multicultural activities <em>The validation of a language use questionnaire across bilingual clinical populations<\/em>. ($11,720). PIs: Swathi Kiran, Elizabeth Pena, Lisa Bedore.<\/p>\n<p>2003-2006\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 NIDCD <span>R03 DC 6359-01. <em>Semantic complexity and treatment for lexical access<\/em> ($216,000) PI: Swathi Kiran<\/span><\/p>\n<p>2003-2004\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ASHA foundation New Century Research Scholars Grant. ($10,000) <em>Effect of semantic complexity on treatment of lexical access <\/em><\/p>\n<p>2002-2003\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ASHA foundation New Investigator Award. ($5000) <em>Effect of semantic treatment on crosslinguistic generalization in bilingual aphasia <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21965,"template":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cbr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile\/5620"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cbr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cbr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/profile"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cbr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21965"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cbr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile\/5620\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11836,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cbr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile\/5620\/revisions\/11836"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cbr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}