Sargent Investigator Title of Project Agency/Foundation Funds Awarded 2022–2023 Year of Award Total Anticipated Funds
Defne Abur, doctoral student of physical therapy Longitudinal Changes to Speech in Parkinson’s Disease Phenotypes NIH/National Institute on Deafness &
Communication Disorders
$34,674 2 of 2 $102,474
Ashlyn Aiello, doctoral student of physical therapy A propulsion neuroprosthesis for clinic and community-based walking rehabilitation after stroke American Heart Association $31,520 1 of 2 $63,040
Louis Awad, associate professor of physical therapy Non-Significant Risk (NSR) Device Determination – ReWalk 7 Usability study (CLN0043) ReWalk Robotics, Inc. $80,801 1 of 1 $80,801
The reNeu propulsion neuroprosthesis for gait restoration after neurological injury NIH/National Institute of Biomedical Imaging & Bioengineering/MGH $100,000 1 of 1 $100,000
PS100: Post-stroke walking speed and community ambulation conversion, a Pivotal Study MedRhythms Inc. $31,280 4 of 4 $221,220
Supplemental Funding For Robotic Exosuit Augmented Locomotor (REAL) Gait Training ReWalk Robotics, Inc. $23,057 1 of 1 $23,057
Development, Evaluation and Translation of Robotic Apparel for Alleviating Low Back Pain President and Fellows of Harvard College $162,834 2 of 3 $417,805
Connected software-hardware platform for enabling research, development, and translation of tele-rehabilation of soft robotic systems President and Fellows of Harvard College $405,000 3 of 3 $755,000
Development and Evaluation of Music-Based Digital Therapeutics MedRhythms Inc. $984,852 2 of 2 $984,852
NRI: RUI: INT: Wearable Robots for the Community: Personalized Assistance using Human-in-the-Loop Optimization Wyss/NSF $90,135 4 of 4 $345,522
Helen Barbas, professor of health sciences Prefrontal Anatomic Pathways in Executive Control NIH/NIMH $641,523 4 of 5 $3,499,321
Organization of Prefrontal Feedback Circuits NIH/NIMH $514,424 5 of 5 $2,631,120
Virginia Best, research associate professor of speech, language and hearing sciences Spatial Hearing in Speech Mixtures NIH/National Institute on Deafness &
Communication Disorders
$412,500 2 of 5 $2,062,500
Malwina Carrion, lecturer of health sciences Chagas Education for Essential Providers HHS/Center for Disease Control – Boston Medical Center Corporation $150,000 3 of 5 $150,000
 Ashley Collimore, doctoral student of physical therapy From post-stroke assistance to rehabilitation: Neuromuscular adaptations to walking with a soft robotic exosuit NIH/National Institute of Child Health & Human Development $42,811 2 of 2 $88,131
Claire Cordella, postdoctoral fellow in speech, language and hearing sciences Detecting and classifying non-fluent speech in aphasia using machine learning NIH/NIDCD $80,772 2 of 2 $157,574
Detecting and classifying non-fluent speech in aphasia using machine learning NIH/NIDCD $2,500 2 of 2 $2,500
Kimberly Dahl, doctoral student in speech, language and hearing sciences Articulatory and prosodic sensorimotor adaptation in speaker-listener interactions NIH/NIDCD $37,051 1 of 3 $111,153
Terry Ellis, associate professor and chair of physical therapy Study in Parkinson Disease of Exercise Phase 3 Clinical Trial: SPARX3 Northwestern University – NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke $72,779 3 of 3 $182,984
Boston Roybal Center for Active Lifestyle Interventions Brandeis University $21,412 5 of 5 $112,166
Walking and mHealth to Increase Participation in Parkinson Disease (WHIP-PD) NIH/NICHHD $525,809 5 of 5 $3,188,067
Development of a Modular Soft Exosuit Platform Suitable for Community-Based Neurorehabilitation President and Fellows of Harvard College $10,942 6 of 6 $487,320
Emily Evans, assistant professor of physical therapy Participatory Community Integration for TBI Survivors: Development of a Computer Adaptive Test The Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Corporation $45,646 1 of 3 $136,939
Marianne Farkas, director of training & international services, BU Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation Integrated Scaling Approach: A Model for Large Scale Implementation of Effective Interventions for Employment ACL/NIDILRR $499,765 NCE2 $2,470,141
Center on Knowledge Translation for Employment Research (CeKTER) ACL/NIDILRR $499,466 3 of 5 $2,498,285
Marianne Farkas and E. Sally Rogers, research professor, BU Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation Improved Employment Outcomes for Persons with Psychiatric Disabilities ACL/NIDILRR $874,554 4 of 5 $4,373,277
Claudio Ferre, assistant professor of occupatinal therapy Codevelopment of Sensory and Motor Function in Infants At Risk for Cerebral Palsy NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke $210,216 3 of 3 $628,407
Daniel Fulford, associate professor of occupational therapy Stable and dynamic neurobehavioral phenotypes of social isolation and loneliness in serious mental illness The General Hospital Corporation d/b/a Massachusetts General Hospital $146,942 2 of 5 $734,710
Neurobehavioral mechanisms of social isolation and loneliness in serious mental illness The General Hospital Corporation d/b/a Massachusetts General Hospital $37,242 3 of 5 $1,603,557
Understanding Social Situations (USS): Training to improve social function in people with psychosis VA Connecticut Healthcare system $19,690 3 of 3 $33,618
Collaborative Research: Passive Sensing of Social Isolation and Loneliness: A Digital Phenotyping Approach NIH/NIMH $280,456 5 of 5 $1,157,237
Simone Gill, associate professor of occupational therapy Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) Trustees of Tufts College Inc $23,740 1 of 1 $23,740
Validation of a Remote Speech/Motor Assessment Protocol for Neurodevelopmental Disorders Massachusetts General Hospital $23,740 1 of 1 $23,740
Turning the TiDe: Training Diverse Clinician Scientists in Rehabilitation Research University of Pittsburgh $10,688 1 of 5 $32,064
2022 Baltimore Research Grant: communication and motor impairments in children with genetic disorders Simons Foundation $11,766 1 of 1 $11,766
Play & Learning Across a Year (PLAY) New York University $18,527 1 of 1 $18,527
Frank Guenther, professor of speech, language and hearing sciences Cortical Mechanisms Underlying Human Vocal Turn Taking New York University/NIH/NIDCD $80,538 3 of 5 $249,824
Sequencing and Initiation in Speech Production NIH/NIDCD $632,314 3 of 5 $3,117,097
Cortical-Basal Ganglia Speech Networks MGH/NIH $165,000 4 of 6 $880,198
Elivabeth Hoover, clinical professor of speech, language and hearing sciences Understanding the mechanisms of Change and Optimal Parameters in Conversation Treatment for Aphasia NIH/NIDCD $655,937 3 of 5 $3,217,654
Nichole Houle, postdoctoral fellow of speech, language and hearing sciences Effect of producing a desired fundamental frequency on measures of vocal hyperfunction in transgender speakers NIH/National Institute on Deafness & Communication Disorders $69,874 1 of 2 $137,456
Dorothy Hutchinson, executive director BU Center for Rehabilitation The Learning and Working During the Transition to Adulthood RRTC ACL/NIDILRR $43,128 4 of 5 $165,005
Jana Iverson, associate dean for research and professor of physical therapy Feasibility and outcome measures for infants with Down syndrome: Advancing clinical trial readiness for a harness-based mobility intervention NIH/National Institute of Child Health & Human Development $477,482 1 of 2 $477,482
Variation in early motor function in autism, cerebellar injury and normal twins The Washington University $75,668 2 of 4 $319,237
Karen Jacobs, clinical professor of occupational therapy Working from the home Office of Ergonomics Research Committee $25,000 1 of 1 $25,000
Gerald Kidd, professor of speech, language and hearing sciences Central Factors in Auditory Masking NIH/NIDCD $559,870 5 of 5 $2,799,650
Top Down Control of Selective Amplification NIH/NIDCD $654,317 5 of 5 $3,293,325
Swathi Kiran, professor of speech, language and hearing sciences Naturalistic Neuroimaging for Presurgical Language Mapping The Brigham and Women’s Hospital $40,310 1 of 5 $201,550
Morphosyntactic Production in Stroke-induced Agrammatic Aphasia: A Cross-linguistic Machine Learning Approach University of Oslo $38,859 1 of 1 $38,859
Next-Generation Optical Brain Functional Imaging Platform NIH – Subaward with  Northeastern Univ. $166,858 5 of 5 $166,858
Functional Reorganization of the Language and Domain-General Multiple Demand Systems in Aphasia NIH/NIDCD $624,183 5 of 5 $3,157,580
Academy of Aphasia Research and Training Symposium NIH/NIDCD $39,941 1 of 5 $199,695
Deepak Kumar, assistant professor of physical therapy A multimodal high-tech/high-touch intervention to address racial inequalities in management of chronic knee pain and depressive symptoms Rheumatology Research Foundation $199,976 1 of 2 $399,952
Music-based, walking rhythm modulating wearable sensor system for people with knee osteoarthritis MedRhythms Inc. $9,945 1 of 1 $9,945
Mindfulness and Exercise for Chronic Pain Management in Knee Osteoarthritis Pfizer, Inc. $15,000 1 of 3 $214,999
 Wearable Sensor-based  Outcomes Following Physical Therapy in Knee Osteoarthritis: A Feasibility Study (WESENS-OA) Pfizer, Inc. $628,675 4 of 4 $1,685,655
Cara Lewis, associate professor of physical therapy Etiology of cam morphology in adolescent athletes Rheumatology Research Foundation $200,000 2 of 2 $200,000
Lindsey Locks, assistant professor of health sciences Tuberculosis: Learning the Impact of Nutrition Boston Medical Center Corporation/Warren Alpert Foundation $29,996 3 of 3 $51,330
Iron-deficieny and Iron-deficiency Anemia in Pregnancy and Infant Health in India Thrasher Research Fund $19,410 5 of 5 $26,750
Katherine Marks Hartigan, postdoctoral fellow of speech, language and hearing sciences Concurrent Validity of an Automated Objective Outcome for Adductor Laryngeal Dystonia American Speech Language Hearing Foundation $10,000 1 of 1 $10,000
Validation of an Automated Acoustic Outcome Measure for Adductor Laryngeal Dystonia NIH/NIDCD $72,200 2 of 2 $142,074
Megan McCrory, assistant research professor of health sciences Traditional and New Dietary Assessment Methods (TANDAM) for Personalized Nutrition University of Hawaii $66,728 2 of 2 $171,366
A Human-Mimetic AI System for Automatic, Passive and Objective Dietary Assessment University of Pittsburgh $14,075 3 of 3 $44,857
Sensor-based Just-in Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAIs) Targeting Eating Behavior NIH/Uiversity of Alabama $130,148 4 of 4 $516,306
An Innovative Passive Dietary Monitoring System Imperial College/Gates Foundation $96,972 NC Ext #1 $96,972
Nicola McKeown, clinical associate professor of health sciences Development of a dietery treatment program for type 2 diabetes remission: the Lifestyle Empowerment Approach for Diabetes Remission (LEADR) Program American College of Lifestyle Medicine/Ardmore Institute of Health $16,217 1 of 1 $16,217
Systematic Review of Dietary Fiber and Health Outcomes in Children and Database Enhancements Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences $68,303 1 of 1 $68,303
Mechanisms connecting dysregulated BCAA, glucose, lipid metabolism in the pathogenesis of metabolic disease Duke University $99,360 2 of 2 $184,918
Hilary Miller, doctoral student of speech, language and hearing sciences Predictors of Speech Motor Sequence Learning in Neurological Disorders NIH/NIDCD $45,934 2 of 3 $136,860
Christopher Moore, professor of speech, language and hearing sciences Advanced Research Training in Communication Sciences Disorders NIH/NIDCD $530,183 2 of 5 $2,509,960
Jasmine Mote, research assistant professor of occupational therapy Longitudinal assessment of specificity in adolescent-dog relationships and adaptive coping for youth with social anxiety Trustees of Tufts College, Inc $20,312 1 of 4 $101,560
Cardiovascular regulation through social contact: Examining the impact of loneliness on heart rate variability in schizophrenia American Psychological Foundation $14,480 1 of 1 $14,480
Kathleen Morgan, professor of health sciences Actin and Focal Adhesion Remodeling as Therapeutic Targets in Cardiovascular Disease NIH/NIA $529,157 NCE $2,635,822
Kim Mueser, professor of occupational therapy Laboratory for Early Psychosis: Project 3 NIH $19,506 NCE $58,518
Laboratory for Early Psychosis: Project 2 NIH $3,313 4 of 3 (extension, but funded) $58,518
Early Stage Identification and Engagement to Reduce the Duration of Untreated Psychosis: Evaluating the Impact of Screening and Systematic Communication NIH $20,585 1 of 5 $102,925
Comparative effectiveness of cognitive enhancement therapy vs. social skills training in serious mental illness PCORI $17,556 3 of 3 $50,546
Telehealth Adaptation of Group and Family Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Youth at Risk for Psychosis NIH $20,585 1 of 3 $61,755
Comparative effectiveness of cognitive enhancement therapy vs. social skills training in serious mental illness PCORI $21,720 4 of 3 (extension, but funded) $72,266
Franchino Porciuncula, research scientist of physical therapy Amplifying physical activity through digital music therapeutic in Parkinson disease Brandeis University – NIH/National Institute on Aging $123,750 2 of 2 $123,750
E. Sally Rogers Testing the Effectiveness of Mainstream Coaching Tools to Increase Organizational Commitment and Job Satisfaction and Decrease Turnover Among Peer Providers ACL/NIDILRR $199,965 NCE $599,902
Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Health and Function of People with Psychiatric Disabilities ACL/NIDILRR $6,074 3 of 5 $55,381
Emily Rothman, professer and chair of occupational therapy Healthy Relationships on the Autism Spectrum: Feasibility and Target Engagement NIH/National Institute of Mental Health 259,456 1 of 3 $745,868
An e-learning training for college sexual assault response service providers to meet the needs of autistic students Organization for Autism Research, Inc. 39,999 1 of 1 $39,999
Understanding the Physical and Psychological Health and Wellness Needs of Minor Sex Trafficking Victims Northeastern University 149,833 2 of 2 $149,833
Strength at Home Couples Program: Examining Sexual Aggression Department of Defense/Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity 142,421 2 of 2 $142,421
Building Capacity for CER/PCOR Participation among BIPOC Adults on the Autism Spectrum Boston Medical Center Corporation 16,229 2 of 2 $114,972
Zlatka Russinova, assistant research professor of occupational therapy and director of reseach, BU Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation Enhancing Supported Employment Services for Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities to Address Workplace Prejudice and Discrimination ACL/NIDILRR $499,435 2 of 5 $2,497,095
Russinova/Rogers Advanced Research Training Program in Employment and Vocational Rehab ACL/NIDILRR $149,745 5 of 5 $749,183
Cara Stepp, professor of speech, language and hearing sciences Sensorimotor mechanisms of vocal hyperfunction  The General Hospital Corporation d/b/a Massachusetts General Hospital $445,442 1 of 1 $445,442
Comprehensive Assessment of Speech Physiology and Acoustics in Parkinson’s Disease Progression NIH/National Institute on Deafness & Communication Disorders $720,098 1 of 5 $3,186,283
SBIR Phase I: SpeechSense: A Wearable Monitor for Speech Disorders Altec Inc. $79,931 1 of 1 $79,931
Non-contact Solution for Quantitative Clinical Management of MTD Altec Inc. $78,928 1 of 1 $78,928
Effects of exogenous testosterone therapy on communication in gender diverse speakers NIH/NIDCD $561,653 2 of 5 $2,788,904
Objective Measures for Clinical Assessment of Voice Disorders NIH/NIDCD $551,197 3 of 5 $2,744,284
An RCT of a telemedicine intervention for hypokinetic dysarthria in PD VA Boston Healthcare System $90,506 3 of 3 $90,506
An RCT of a telemedicine intervention for hypokinetic dysarthria in PD VA Boston Healthcare System $98,031 2 of 2 $124,006
Sensormotor Mechanisms of Vocal Hyperfunction NIH/NIDCD Subaward with MGH $415,514 5 of 5 $1,973,479
Boston Speech Motor Control Conference NIH/NIDCD $5,720 6 of 5 $17,360
Stepp/Guenther Voice and Speech Sensorimotor Control in Parkinsons Disease NIH/NIDCD $478,992 6 of 5? $2,600,995
LaDora Thompson, professor of physical therapy Cellular Mechanisms of Frailty Onset University of North Dakota $350,930 1 of 5 $350,930
Frailty: Prediction of Onset and Progression NIH/National Institute of Aging $518,282 3 of 3 $518,282
Academic Leadership Award – The Translational Rehabilitation in Geroscience Initiative NIH/National Institute on Aging $158,037 3 of 5 $790,466
Sarah Villard, research assistant professor of speech, language and hearing sciences Listening effort under auditory masking conditions in persons with acquired aphasia NIH/National Institute on Deafness & Communication Disorders $89,577 3 of 3 $179,154
Maura Walker, research assistant professor of health sciences Integrative omics approach to elucidate diet quality-blood pressure relations American Heart Association $77,000  3 of 3 $217,080
Leanne Yinusa-Nyahkoon, clinical associate professor of occupational therapy Moving Occupational Therapy and Health Equity into Reproductive-Care Systems: The MOTHERS Program Mace Foundation 10,000 1 of 1 $110,000
Jenna Zajac, doctoral student of physical therapy Musical rhythm synchronization as a mechanism to optimize gait in the real-world in persons with Parkinson disease NIH/National Institute of Child Health & Human Development $47,661 2 of 2 $87,979
Vaseilos Zikopoulos, associate professor of health sciences Short and long range cortical pathway and axon pathology in ASD: high resolution microscopic histopathology combined with machine learning and deep neural network analyses Simons Foundation $697,809 1 of 2 $697,809
Organization and Circuit Interactions of Thalamocortical Attentional Networks in Health and Disease NIH/NIMH $460,899 5 of 5 $2,373,013
Jennifer Zuk, assistant professor of speech, language and hearing sciences Investigating parental oral reading prosody in relation to preschool children’s emergent language and literacy skills The Dyslexia Foundation $5,000 1 of 2 $5,000
Neurobiological Basis of Prosody as a Biomarker for Autism Spectrum Disorder The Hartwell Foundation $100,000 1 of 3 $100,000
$22,056,842   $82,380,172

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