REU Site: Engineering Sensors Systems and Signal Processing for Speech Pathology

阿拉巴马大学塔斯卡卢萨分校的这个REU网站：语音病理学的工程传感器、系统和信号处理将使一群不同的本科生沉浸在工程/计算机科学和语音病理学的研究中。研究项目将应用工程原理来开发技术，以改善受通信、语音和吞咽障碍影响的人群的筛查、诊断和治疗。这些经验将为学生提供一个机会，为那些直接应用于改善社会的项目做出贡献，并提高学生在工程领域的社会责任意识。学生将从工程/计算机科学和语言病理学的教师那里获得技术和临床指导，提供真正的跨学科研究经验。此外，专业发展培训和临床跟踪将扩大学生经验的范围，使他们为开展研究和了解患者和临床医生面临的关键问题做好准备。建议的NSF REU网站的主要目标是：1)让来自理工科的本科生参与言语病理学实践，以了解患者和临床医生面临的关键问题；2)整合这些群体的经验和信息，应用工程原理来开发技术，以改进言语病理学研究中的筛查、诊断和治疗；3)培养沟通技能，以支持与专业人员、临床医生和更广泛的公众的互动；4)增加STEM和研究受限机构中代表性不足群体的学生参与研究的人数；以及5)提高工程学的社会责任意识，提高学生攻读研究生课程的兴趣。在临床实践中，临床医生使用一系列技术，包括音频记录/声学分析、肌电图和视频成像/分析。虽然语音病理学家有可用的工具，但由于语音病理学与工程/计算机科学之间的脱节，他们需要特定应用的传感器、系统和信号处理方法的研究需求往往得不到充分的满足。这个REU网站旨在通过向本科生介绍需要图像分析、传感器设计、算法开发和信息处理的跨学科研究来弥合这种脱节，这些研究应用于调查听力评估、语音问题、吞咽问题、语音语言处理、儿科喂养和口吃事件的研究。此外，在REU期间，学生将通过在言语和听力中心协调的跟踪体验与临床医生和患者互动，向学生介绍这些专业人员的广泛实践。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This REU Site: Engineering Sensors, Systems, and Signal Processing for Speech Pathology at the University of Alabama Tuscaloosa will immerse a diverse cohort of undergraduate students in research at the interface of engineering/computer science and speech pathology. Research projects will apply engineering principles to develop technologies to improve screening, diagnosis, and therapy for populations impacted by communication, voice, and swallowing disorders. These experiences will provide an opportunity for students to contribute to projects that have direct applications to improve society and increase student's awareness of social responsibility in engineering. Students will receive technical and clinical mentorship from faculty in both engineering/computer science and speech pathology, providing truly interdisciplinary research experiences. Additionally, professional development training and clinical shadowing will expand the range of student experiences to prepare them for conducting research and understanding the critical issues faced by patients and clinicians. The primary goals of the proposed NSF REU site are to: 1) engage undergraduate students from science/engineering in speech pathology practice to understand critical issues faced by patients and clinicians, 2) integrate the experiences and information from these groups to apply engineering principles to develop technologies to improve screening, diagnosis, and therapy in speech pathology research, 3) develop communication skills to support interactions with professionals, clinicians, and the wider-public, 4) increase the number of students from under-represented groups in STEM and research-limited institutions participating in research, and 5) increase awareness of social responsibility in engineering and raise student interest in pursuing graduate studies. During clinical practice, clinicians utilize a range of technologies including audio recording/acoustic analysis, electromyography, and video imaging/analysis. While there are tools available for speech pathologists, their research needs that require application-specific sensors, systems, and signal-processing methods are often under-served as a result of disconnects between speech pathology and engineering/computer science. This REU Site aims to bridge that disconnect by introducing undergraduate students to interdisciplinary research requiring image analysis, sensor design, algorithm development, and information processing applied to research investigating hearing assessment, voice problems, swallowing problems, speech language processing, pediatric feeding, and stuttering events. Additionally, students will interact with clinicians and patients during the REU through shadowing experiences coordinated at the Speech and Hearing Center to introduce students to the wide range of practice of these professionals.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.