Exciting Developments
SCSD's first On Campus Hearing Screening Event
May 2013
On March 25th and 26th, 2013, the SCSD held its first On Campus Hearing Screening Event at the Bronfman Building in the Desautels Faculty of Management. The event was a huge success. 238 people from the university and the community at large were screened. Approximately 20% of the people screened presented with hearing difficulty. We had such a large turn out that, sadly, we had to turn many people away. Thirty-three Speech-Language Pathology Master’s students participated in the event under the supervision of Liliane Brunetti, audiologist. At our booth, students provided information about audiology, hearing loss, and preventative measures for noise-induced hearing loss. Screenings were done on the 5th floor in 3 different rooms, and consisted of otoscopy, tympanometry and audiometry tests. We look forward to making this an annual event.
Canal Savoir's Campus program shines the spotlight on the Child Phonology Lab collaboration with Tribal Nova
April 2013
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2012 Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Leadership
March 2013
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Dr. Susan Rvachew awarded Fellowship of the Association
October 2012
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New textbook: Developmental Phonological Disorders
August 2012
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New textbook by faculty member Dr. Susan Rvachew and Ph.D. student Françoise Brosseau-Lapré. |
SSHRC grants to McGill researchers put youth first
June 2012
Two McGill researchers were recently awarded large partnership grants by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). These grants are designed to foster research partnerships among the academic, private, public and not-for-profit sectors.
Founding the Besner Fellowship for the Study of Human Communication Neuroscience
Spring 2012
Through a generous donation to the School, Lucie Besner has established the Besner Fellowship for the Study of Human Communication Neuroscience. Starting in 2013, this $200,000 endowment will permit an award to be given annually to a doctoral-level student from the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders who is conducting research on the relationship between language, communication and the human brain.
McGill and Tribal Nova partner for literacy research
January 2012
Researchers from McGill's School of Communication Sciences and Disorders have conducted research toward developing a prototype iPad application which focuses on interactive and participatory reading for children. The app was produced in partnership with Tribal Nova, a designer of online content for children, and Harper Collins publishers. It should be ready for testing in the spring.
Communication Breakdowns
Winter 2011
Interdisciplinary research across McGill — including the Bloomfield Centre for Research in Aging, the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the Centre for Research on Language, Mind and Brain—is exploring how language works… or doesn’t.
Parkinson’s disease research uncovers social barrier
February 2010
People with Parkinson’s disease suffer social difficulties simply because of the way they talk, a McGill University researcher has discovered. Marc Pell, at McGill’s School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, has learned that many people develop negative impressions about individuals with Parkinson’s disease, based solely on how they communicate. These perceptions limit opportunities for social interaction and full participation in society for those with the disease, reducing their quality of life. Pell’s research offers the public a better understanding of the difficulties these patients face – as well as an opportunity to promote greater inclusiveness.
The research of Marc Pell, Ph.D.: Something to talk about
Spring 2006
Dr. Marc Pell is passionate about communication. Appropriately, he is a member of the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders of McGill University. While most of his colleagues concern themselves with words, sentences and phrases, Dr. Pell is more interested in how things are said as opposed to what is said. In particular, he is fascinated by the important contributions that facial expressions and the tone of speech make to our interpretation of what is said. These aspects of speech can influence the meaning of words and phrases. For instance, are words said angrily, happily or sadly? These cues are integral parts of language communication.
Speaking Your Mind
Fall 2006
The bilingual, multicultural city of Montreal is a language researcher’s dream. The rich environment has fostered groundbreaking research—such as psychologist Wallace Lambert and researcher Elizabeth Peal’s discovery, in 1962, that bilingualism actually improves, rather than impairs, cognitive abilities. Now, building on McGill’s historic strengths in linguistic research and the neurosciences, the Centre for Research on Language, Mind and Brain (CRLMB) is drawing together researchers from across disciplines, institutions and countries to examine how language works in the brain—and how better to treat people, from babies to the elderly, when language goes awry.
New language learning linked to early language experience: McGill researcher's team publishes landmark study
May 2002
The ability to learn a new language is determined by the onset of language experience during early brain development -- regardless of the specific form of the language experience. This is the finding of a Canadian study led by Rachel Mayberry of McGill University.