Lab Member Defends Dissertation

Eshan Schleif, PhD,  Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, successfully defended her dissertation, “The Influence of Orthodontic Appliances on Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Velopharynx” under the direction of Dr. Jamie Perry.

Dr. Schleif’s research has been primarily focused on making evaluation of the velopharyngeal mechanism using MRI more accessible to the clinical population, specifically for patients undergoing orthodontic treatment. She aims to utilize MRI to examine changes in the velopharyngeal musculature before and after jaw surgery and determine predictors of velopharyngeal insufficiency in the population born with cleft lip and/or palate.

Dr. Schleif has begun a clinical position at Next Level Advanced Therapy. She plans to integrate her research with clinical practice. She also plans to travel and collaborate internationally in Mexico and China to promote the field of speech language pathology by teaching and equipping speech language pathologists with skills in evaluation and treatment of articulation and resonance disorders.