Intervention for Upper Esophageal Sphincter Dysfunction

March 30, 2025

Upper esophageal sphincter (UES) dysfunction, defined as inappropriate opening or failed relaxation of the UES during swallowing, is a common cause of dysphagia. This research project consists of two parts: I- a systematic review of the literature  to assess UES intervention trends and their impact on patient outcomes. II- Development of a multi-site study to […]

Image showing UES dysfunction








“Dysphagia: In Search of a Unified Definition for the Aging Population: NIH R-13 study”

September 15, 2024

Despite the high incidence and prevalence of dysphagia, particularly in the adult aging population, there is no uniform definition of adult dysphagia. Instead, heterogenous definitions in the extant literature pave the way for ambiguity and philosophical differences among dysphagia experts and other key stakeholders. Establishing an accepted and cogent definition for dysphagia is a critical step in […]

Defining dysphagia Project


UT Health Mandell Research Exhibition

April 6, 2024

Doctoral students, Erika Almazan, wins the Collaborative Research award with fellow student, Kathryn Crane, at the 2024 UT Health Mandell Research Exhibition. Her work discusses practice patterns in pediatric SLP evaluations.

Doctoral students win collaborative research award