The Davies School of Communication Sciences & Disorders offers numerous cutting-edge
research initiatives, each under the guidance of distinguished faculty experts in
their respective fields. Dive deeper into just some to gain insights into ongoing
projects, the esteemed faculty leading them and opportunities for student participation.
Davies School Research Centers
The BEaR Lab focuses on finding effective methods to enhance language and literacy skills in Spanish-speaking
or bilingual children, whether or not they have language disorders. The lab achieves
this by creating strategies that provide bilingual services to the community and spreading
the advantages of bilingual education to professionals and the general public.
The BEST Lab engages in clinical research using biofeedback technologies to enhance its understanding
of diagnosing and addressing speech sound errors. This is achieved by engaging children
with persistent speech sound issues, individuals experiencing speech challenges due
to hearing loss and those learning a foreign language in its research.
The CHLLD Lab investigates how children's characteristics and environments impact their vocabulary
knowledge. It examines the development of literacy skills in monolingual English and
bilingual Spanish-English speaking preschool children with hearing loss. Additionally,
the lab explores how speech-language pathologists can effectively assist parents in
becoming their child's primary language teacher.
The LASR seeks to enhance our understanding of healthy and impaired swallowing, known as dysphagia,
with the goal of improving patient outcomes. The research focuses on various aspects,
including the coordination of breathing and swallowing in conditions like chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), changes in sensorimotor swallowing related to
aging and disease and the effectiveness of different doses in swallowing treatments.
The lab offers evidence-based exercise programs for people with Parkinson’s disease,
focusing on maintaining and rehabilitating motor and sensory functions. It connects
Fort Worth community members with a network dedicated to understanding and enhancing
the quality of life for those affected by Parkinson’s disease. The lab also aims to
advance our understanding of how Parkinson’s disease impacts both motor and non-motor
functions.
TCU’s SAIL aims to enhance the educational success of children with specific language impairment
by creating and validating language and literacy interventions. Additionally, the
lab aims to increase the understanding of language and literacy skills among parents
and teachers.
Student Research Opportunities
TCU’s Davies School offers many opportunities for students to get involved in research.
Harris College is able to engage in innovative research because it maintains a very
close connection between students and the community.
At the undergraduate level, students participate through the John V. Roach Honors College who explore a topic of their choosing alongside a professor to yield a research product
such as a presentation or a paper. Some undergraduate students also volunteer in some
of our research labs.
Graduate students can complete a thesis dissertation where they ask a research question
that’s in line with their mentor’s line of research, and they’ll work carefully to
answer it and contribute to the things that we know about health care.
At the graduate level, students have a thesis option where they write and present
their research findings in lieu of the graduate comprehensive exams. Graduate students
may also be awarded funding to work as graduate assistants where they work alongside
faculty to conduct research, engaging in project planning, and data collection and
analysis.