Aphasia and Related Conditions Research Lab - UCF

Our love for research is in the air! ARC research assistants are booked and busy with projects this semester, stay tuned to hear more about it. ❤️

Check out this press release from Brooks Rehabilitation Clinic! You can read more about it with the link in our bio 🔗💻

Recently, Dr. Bislick was on an episode of the Aphasia Access Conversations Podcast! The episode covers the Friendship Study, Mission SPEAK, our adaptive Yoga Study, and the value of mental imagery. To learn more, click the first link in our LinkTree (found in bio) 🔗🧠

We were so excited to welcome Zoe into our lab over the Summer semester. She has made a big difference in Project SPEAK and we can’t wait to see what else she does in the lab!

Back in July, Dr. Lauren Bislick and colleagues presented at FLASHA 2023 on apraxia of speech diagnosis and treatment, recommendations regarding dual tasking in persons with post stroke aphasia, and clinician-researcher partnerships in university-based intensive treatment programs.

Congratulations to our graduating seniors! We are beyond grateful for your dedication to the lab and we wish you the very best on the rest of your journey.

What’s new in the lab? Recently Orlando Health funded our chair yoga therapy program for people with aphasia! The Orlando Health Community Grant program awarded us more than $21,000 to aid people that have acquired brain injury (ABI) and their care partners through a specially adapted chair yoga program that incorporates aphasia-friendly language and physical modifications. Read more with the link in our bio. 🔗

Last month, our lab in collaboration with presented “Advocating for Aphasia: Using the Performing Arts to Create a Conscious Community” in the annual Student Scholar Symposium. The project aims to increase awareness of aphasia with first responders and was awarded Judges Choice Award! We are forever grateful for the Pabst-Steinmetz award and for everyone who contributed to the project.

We presented one of our lab’s projects, “Advocating for Aphasia,” at the February 18th Central Florida Brain Bee Conference at UCF. The event was a great opportunity to share about an interdisciplinary project whose aim is to foster awareness of aphasia and self-advocacy for people with aphasia.

Thank you to the Neuroscience Alliance () for providing this opportunity for high school students and UCF students to present and learn from one another and from the UCF faculty.

And thank you, for collaborating with us and to members for sharing your stories and voices throughout this project!

Lastly, stay tuned for our presentations at UCF Student Research Week, coming up soon towards the end of March!

Check out some of our photos from ASHA 2022! Our Director, Dr. Bislick, as well as several other UCF faculty and alumni presented at the conference, which was held in New Orleans last fall.

Last fall, we interviewed Ms. Sharon Pierson via Zoom to ask her questions about her life before and after her stroke, her stroke story, and the advice and encouragement she has for other stroke survivors.

Ms. Sharon has been an active participant in the ARC Lab's studies as well as in Aphasia Family UCF. She has contributed greatly not only to research, but by offering direct encouragement, hope, and support to other members of the aphasia community.

You can click here to listen to the interview on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHTGlxO_epQ

We are so thankful to Ms. Sharon for taking the time to share her insights, wisdom, and life experiences with us.

Happy New Year! We hope you all are having a great first week of 2023.

Stayed tuned for the many exciting updates and projects we'll be posting about in 2023! This year is going to be a great one, and we can't wait to continue our research, service, and advocacy in the aphasia community.