Select the image of the team member below to find out more
Associate Professor Anna Miles PhD
Associate Professor Jacqui Allen PhD MD
Calvin Baker PhD
Fathima Shakeela Abdul Saleem PhD
Check out our lab in action
‘Once a lab member, always a lab member’
The University of Auckland Swallowing and Voice Research Laboratory has a strong philosophy of connectiveness and friendship. The rule is ‘Once a lab member, always a lab member.’ The lab group remains professionally and socially connected after graduation and continues to be a supportive ‘family’ years after studies have been completed.
We are proud of the achievements of our lab members.
Past PhD Students |
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Dr Marie Jardine – Deglutition in Advanced Age Marie worked as a speech-language therapist in hospital (acute and rehabilitation) and community settings in Aotearoa New Zealand prior to embarking on doctoral study. Her PhD ‘Deglutition in Advanced Age’ stemmed from her clinical and personal experiences, supporting older adults with dysphagia (swallowing problems). |
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Dr Mariyam Zahir – Equitable Service Delivery for Children with Communication Difficulties in the Maldives: Finding the Perfect Fit |
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Dr Isuru Dharmarathna – Profiling Objective Quantitative Videofluoroscopic Measures of Swallowing in Children |
| Dr Ying Tor – A New Measurement of Maximum Comfortable Bite Force Across the Lifespan | |
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Dr Lise Bakker – Getting the Best Start in Life: An Investigation of Oral Feeding for Neonates in Aotearoa’s Neonatal Units |
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Dr Sharon Wu – Current Practices and Opportunities for Texture-Modified Diets in Aged Care Facilities Xiaojing (Sharon) is a New Zealand registered dietitian. She studied exercise and sports science for her bachelor’s and Nutrition and dietetics for her master’s degree at the University of Sydney. She started her PhD in 2019 and her thesis focuses on the use of texture-modified diets for older adults with swallowing difficulties. Sharon has presented her research at several international conferences and has received the best oral presentation reward from the 2021 Dysphagia Research Society Conference. Her research interests are nutrition and aging, clinical trials and novel foods. https://profiles.auckland.ac.nz/xiaojing-wu
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Dr Shakeela Saleem – Comprehensive Assessment of Parkinson’s Disease and Novel Non-Medical Therapy of Swallow, Cough, and Vocal Symptoms Shakeela is a Sri Lankan trained speech-language therapist. Her PhD project featured a two-treatment arm clinical trial aimed at improving voice, swallow, and cough skills in individuals with Parkinson’s disease. Shakeela has continued her work in the lab as a post-doctoral fellow. |
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Dr Calvin Baker – Female Adolescent Voice Change: Exploring Tools for Instrumental Singing-Voice Analysis Calvin’s interdisciplinary work explored acoustic and aerodynamic tools for instrumentally describing the singing voice during adolescent voice change, as well as in clinical contexts. The work contributes to efforts to establish robust and ecologically valid diagnostic protocols for singers. |
Current PhD Students |
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| Nilushika Thambugala Athukoralalage – Development of Texture Modified Foods with Freezing, Thawing and Baking Stability | |
| Monika Byrne – Empathy Training in Healthcare | |
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Annabelle Vaughan – Physical Rehabilitation of Central Facial Palsy |
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Kellie McCarthy – Oesophageal Screening in Videofluoroscopic Swallow Studies |
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Claire Stanley – Observing Structural Abnormalities on Videofluoroscopy Swallowing Studies (VFSS) |
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Sarah Boggiano – Developing a Laryngeal Functional Score to Determine Structural Abnormalities and Their Impact on Swallowing Through Endoscopy |
| Christie Grunge – Developing an Acute Paediatric Dysphagia Screener | |
| Cara Hill – Implementation of IDDSI in Aged Care | |
| Rae Padd – Caregiver Peer Support for Families of Children with a Feeding Tube | |
| Analou Sugar – Define a Competent Pathway for the Assessment of Neurotypical Children with Dysphagia | |
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Kevin Ambrocia – Development of Texture Modified Foods with Freezing, Thawing and Baking Stability |
| Rebecca Black – Impact of Lung Transplantation on Swallowing and Voice | |
Research Master’s Students |
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| Natrah Nordin – Competency Development in Objective Measures of Videofluoroscopic Study of Swallowing | |
| Mandy Beatson Henderson – Quantitative Objective Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Measures in Children | |
| Alex Hunting – The Development and Reliability of the New Zealand Secretion Scale | |
| Gwen Lake Kerrison – Impact of Quantitative Objective Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Measures on Analysis and Recommendations in a Clinical Context | |
| Louise McHutchison – The Management of Feeding Decisions in Hospitalised Adults with Severe Oro-Pharyngeal Dysphagia | |
| Grace Murphy – Videofluoroscopic Evaluation of Swallowing in Bottle Fed Infants and Children with Laryngomalacia | |
| Michelle Erlam – Supporting Students With Complex Paediatric Feeding Disorders in a New Zealand Specialist School: Identifying Barriers and Facilitators to Enable Behaviour Change | |
| Nicole Hinsch – Developing a Holistic, Patient-Centred Resource for Individuals Diagnosed with Acoustic Neuroma: A New Zealand Context | |
| Gracious Mutasah – Choral Singing and People with Stroke and Parkinson’s Disease | |
| Lior Ben-Harosh – Experiences of Acoustic Neuroma Patients in New Zealand | |
| Laura Fuller – Variability in Swallowing Biomechanics in Infants with Feeding Difficulties: A Videofluoroscopic Analysis | |
| Elizabeth Thompson-Williams – Variability in Swallowing Biomechanics in Infants with Feeding Difficulties: A Videofluoroscopic Analysis | |
| Alicja Nowacka – The Effect of Symptomatology, Mental Wellbeing and Fear of Negative Evaluation on Quality of Life in Acoustic Neuroma Patients | |
| Sonja Neef – Navigating Wellbeing with Resilience and Hope Through Community Engagement and Art in People with Parkinson’s Disease | |
| Georgia Mackay – Platelet Rich Plasma in Benign Vocal Fold Lesions | |
| Blanca Lorena Rojo – Oral Health Education Program for Adults with Disabilities: An Intervention Study | |
Associate Professor Anna Miles PhD – Speech-Language Therapist
Anna Miles PhD is a full-time faculty member in Speech Science, Psychology at the University of Auckland. Dr Miles is a researcher, lecturer and clinician in the area of swallowing and swallowing disorders. She is the New Zealand Speech-language Therapists’ Association Clinical Expert in Adult Dysphagia. Anna is Principle Investigator of the Swallowing Research Laboratory in the Centre of Brain Research at the University of Auckland.
The Swallowing and Voice Research Laboratory at the University of Auckland, led by Dr Miles, strives to improve the lives of people with swallowing difficulties through improved assessment, treatment and medical education. The laboratory hopes to reduce the risks of pneumonia and death associated with swallowing difficulties as well as improve the quality of life of suffers.
In addition to research supervision, Anna provides clinical teaching to students at the University of Auckland and provides a considerable amount of international and national teaching each year. Anna is a specialist speech-language therapist in dysphagia and provides national teaching in speciality areas of endoscopic evaluation of swallowing, videofluroscopic study of swallowing, surface EMG in dysphagia management and tracheostomy management.
Visit Anna’s UoA profile here.
a.miles@auckland.ac.nz
Associate Professor Jacqui Allen PhD MD – Laryngologist
Associate Professor Jacqueline Allen is a Laryngologist practicing in Auckland, New Zealand. A graduate of the University of Auckland, Dr Allen undertook Fellowship training at the Voice and Swallow Centre, University of California, Davis where she specialized in Voice and Dysphagia utilizing modern in-office techniques, endoscopy and laser surgery. She returned to New Zealand in 2010 and established the Auckland Voice and Swallow Centre, and the Swallowing and Voice Research Lab at University of Auckland where these techniques have been put to use. Research interests include neurogenic dysphagia, swallowing and nutrition in the older adult, vocal fold scar translational research (in which she has completed a doctoral degree), reflux disease and novel engineering modelling for swallow dysfunction.
Dr Allen is Past President of Dysphagia Research Society, a Member of the American Bronchoesophagological Association and Laryngology Society of Australasia and is Section Editor of Current Opinion in Otolaryngology and Annals of Rhinology, Otology and Laryngology. She has published more than 95 journal articles, 1 book, and 20 book chapters and is an Editorial Board member and reviewer for many international peer-reviewed journals including Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, European Archives of Otolaryngology and Laryngoscope. She currently lives with her husband and daughter, and two cats in Auckland.
Visit Jacqui’s UoA profile here.
j.allen@auckland.ac.nz
Calvin Baker PhD – Voice Scientist
Dr Calvin Peter Baker is a voice scientist and singing-voice specialist (BAPAM equivalent Voice Rehabilitation Coach; NCVS equivalent Vocologist) based in Auckland, New Zealand. He completed a Bachelor of Music in classical voice performance and has first-class honours and master’s degrees in the specialisation of studio pedagogy.
Calvin conducted his interdisciplinary doctoral research (PhD, Speech Science) at the University of Auckland, working between the School of Psychology and the School of Music. His research explores the links between self-perceptual and instrumental voice analyses and seeks to determine which tools are effective for tracking subtle changes in the singing voice. This work has clinical implications for working with singers with voice complaints, particularly in preventative and rehabilitative care. Calvin also conducts research across voice in general including diagnostics and treatment outcomes.
Currently, Calvin serves as a lecturer in Vocal Anatomy for Singers (MUS193b) and contributes as a guest lecturer for Musicians’ Health (MUS744) and Voice and Fluency (SPEECHSCI746). He is a Professional Teaching Fellow in the School of Music and an Honorary Research Fellow in Speech Science (School of Psychology), UoA. Calvin also serves as a member of the Centre for Brain Research Early Career Researchers committee.
Visit Calvin’s UoA profile here.
calvin.baker@auckland.ac.nz
Fathima Shakeela Abdul Saleem PhD – Speech-Language Therapist
Dr Shakeela Saleem is a research fellow in Speech Science, School of Psychology at the University of Auckland. Specializing in innovative swallowing assessments and management, She focuses on adults with neurodegenerative and neurogenetic conditions, as well as head and neck cancer. As an active member of the UoA Swallowing and Voice Research Laboratory, Shakeela is committed to enhancing the lives of individuals with swallowing difficulties through advanced assessment, treatment, and medical education. Her PhD project featured a two-treatment arm clinical trial aimed at improving voice, swallow, and cough skills in individuals with Parkinson’s disease.
Currently, she co-leads a randomized clinical trial evaluating the effects of expiratory muscle strength training on the swallowing function of head and neck cancer patients treated with primary chemoradiation therapy. Shakeela is also experienced in teaching and conducting dysphagia simulation training workshops. She mentors Master of Speech and Language Therapy practice students, guiding them in projects on voice and swallowing assessment and therapy approaches. She is a registered member of New Zealand Speech-language Therapists’ Association. She also practices as a part-time speech-language therapist in acute adult care at the Middlemore hospital, Auckland.
View Shakeela’s UoA profile here.
shakeela.saleem@auckland.ac.nz