UofT SLP

🗣👂In honour of Speech & Hearing Month, the Department of Speech‑Language Pathology celebrated SLP Clinical Research Day 2026 with a full day of student research, learning, and community.

From capstone presentations across dysphagia, adult communication, and paediatric care to a powerful keynote on improving access to SLP services, the day highlighted research that’s making a real‑world impact.

✨ Read the full story on our website: https://slp.utoronto.ca/past-posts/inside-slp-clinical-research-day-2026/

🎉 Now live on our website 🎉

Meet Fiza Aamir, an undergraduate student and recipient of the University of Toronto Excellence Award, whose award-winning research in Alternative and Augmentative Communication highlights how meaningful research training in Speech-Language Pathology begins early. Supported by mentorship from Dr. Emily Wood, Fiza is contributing to community-based research with real-world impact.

Read her story on how early mentorship and hands-on research are shaping the next generation of scholars and clinicians.

🔗 : https://slp.utoronto.ca/past-posts/u-of-t-excellence-award-highlights-early-research-training-in-speech-language-pathology/

✨ That’s a wrap on SLP Clinical Research Day! ✨

Today was an energizing and inspiring showcase of the incredible work happening across the Department of Speech‑Language Pathology—from innovative research to meaningful clinical impact!

A huge thank you to our presenters for sharing your expertise, our organizers and volunteers for making the day run so smoothly, and everyone who joined us to learn, connect, and ask thoughtful questions.

Missed it or want to revisit the highlights? Stay tuned for a full recap on our website, coming soon!

🎉 Celebrating student excellence! 🎉

We’re thrilled to share that five of our Speech‑Language Pathology students have received prestigious awards through Speech‑Language & Audiology Canada (SAC), recognizing their leadership, research, advocacy, and academic achievements.

👏 Congratulations to Somayah Al‑Ees, Mahnoor Khurram, Sneha Patel, Anita Sritharan and Aaron Vincent!

From pediatric leadership and doctoral research to lived‑experience‑informed practice, our students are shaping the future of communication health.

🗞️ Read the full story and hear directly from our award recipients: https://slp.utoronto.ca/past-posts/celebrating-the-2025-26-sac-scholarship-recipients/

🎓✨ SLP Research Day is almost here! ✨🎓

On Tuesday, May 5, we’re excited to welcome students, faculty, clinicians, and community partners to SLP Clinical Research Day at the University of Toronto.

Come learn from our Year II SLP students as they present their capstone research covering diverse and timely topics in speech-language pathology.

🔑 The day wraps up with a Keynote Address:

“Access by Design: A System-Level Approach to Transforming Access to SLP Services”

featuring Brendan Whylie-Toal and Caterina Minaudo from KidsAbility.

🗓 May 5, 2026
📍 Medical Sciences Building, U of T
🕙 Presentations: 10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
🎤 Keynote: 3:45 – 4:30 p.m.
🥂 Reception: 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

A full day of learning, inspiration, and connection—we can’t wait to see you there!

Grad students—your voice matters! 📢

Take the gradSERU survey and help improve programs, research opportunities, and campus life at U of T.

🔹 Confidential

🔹 Real impact

🔹You could win one of seven $3,000 bursaries!

Survey closes May 5. Check your email to complete the survey now.

✨ Student Leadership Spotlight ✨

Congratulations to Mahnoor Khurram, Co‑President of the U of T SLP Student Council, on receiving a University of Toronto Student Leadership Award (UTSLA)!

From advocating for her peers and working closely with faculty, to supporting prospective students through tours and panel discussions, Mahnoor’s leadership has played a meaningful role in strengthening the SLP student experience.

We’re proud to celebrate her commitment to service, connection, and community. 💙

🔗: https://slp.utoronto.ca/past-posts/slp-student-leader-mahnoor-khurram-recognized-with-utsla-award/

New on the SLP website! 💙

We’re celebrating major research achievements from Dr. Yana Yunusova’s Speech Production Lab, including a newly funded international study on bulbar and pseudobulbar symptoms in motor neuron diseases, and a prestigious fellowship awarded to postdoctoral fellow Dr. Jennifer Soriano for her work advancing digital tools in ALS care.

Their work continues to push the field forward and strengthen support for people living with ALS.

Read more: https://slp.utoronto.ca/past-posts/advancing-als-care-recent-achievements-from-the-speech-production-lab-spl/

Congratulations to our amazing SLP Alumni Co-Presidents! 🎉💙

We’re proud to share that Faiza Ali and Michelle Simmons have received the 2025 Arbor Award, one of U of T’s highest honours for volunteer service.

Since graduating, they’ve given so much back to the SLP community, from leading alumni initiatives to helping shape events like our J.F. Walker Lecture Series. Their dedication continues to strengthen and celebrate the SLP family.

We’re so grateful for their leadership and so excited to celebrate this incredible achievement! 🙌

Read more: https://slp.utoronto.ca/past-posts/slp-alumni-co-presidents-recognized-with-2025-arbor-award/

IMAGINE is a University of Toronto student-run interprofessional group from U of T that promotes and provides health care services to core neighbourhoods of downtown Toronto. We are comprised of students across different health and social care departments. This winter, we have partnered up with Fred Victor, an organization that supports individuals experiencing homelessness & low-income living across Toronto. Together, we are collecting items of greatest need that will be donated at the end of the month & we need your help!

IMAGINE has set up a friendly competition across the St. George campus to encourage departments and faculties to collect as many food and hygiene products as they can over the month of February 2nd-6th. Whichever program collects the most items receives a free ‘coffee break’. The program winner will be announced on Friday, February 13th, with logistics to follow.

If you are interested in donating and/or collecting items, please check out the poster above!