People

Kimberly Mueller (Ph.D., CCC-SLP) — Dr. Mueller’s research focuses on understanding the neural mechanisms and behavioral aspects of speech and language changes across the spectrum of normal aging, preclinical Alzheimer’s disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI),  Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia, and other forms of dementia. Her work utilizes naturalistic speech-language samples as one means of analyzing and understanding subtle changes to communication. Dr. Mueller is also interested in the design and testing of identification methods of early cognitive change in the presence of AD biomarkers, and multimodal therapeutic interventions to address cognitive-communication difficulties in MCI and dementia due to neurodegenerative disease.

Leah Sanson-Miles — Leah earned her Bachelor of Science in Clinical Psychology from Edgewood College. Prior to joining CCANDL as Lab Manager, she worked as a study coordinator for the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center for nearly 6 years. During that time, she focused primarily on Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and early detection of AD related biomarkers. Leah is interested in understanding changes to communication and how they relate to AD biomarkers, and the development of potential therapeutic interventions in those living with MCI and dementia.

Carol Van ​Hulle — Carol earned her graduate degree in psychology with an emphasis on quantitative genetics from the University of Colorado. Dr. Van Hulle has been at UW for over 10 years and currently serves as a biostatistician with Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. She is interested in how speech and communication relate to markers of preclinical Alzheimer’s disease.

Kristin Basche — Kristin earned her MPH concentrated in Biostatistics from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She currently serves as a biostatistician with the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Kristin is interested in understanding how changes in speech and communication relate to Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers.

Madeline Hale — Madeline received her bachelor’s of science degree from the University of Texas at Dallas, double majoring in Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology and Neuroscience. She is entering her first year in the MS/PhD program in Speech-Language Pathology at UW-Madison. Madeline is interested in studying the cognitive-communication changes that result from neurodegenerative disease, specifically in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) dementia. She is especially interested in investigating measures of fluency as a possible early detection tool for subtle cognitive changes along the disease spectrum and their relation to AD biomarkers.

Marissa Todd — Marissa earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Illinois State University in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD). She is in her first year in the MS/PhD program for Speech-Language Pathology at UW-Madison. Marissa is interested in cognitive changes within speech, language, and swallowing in persons with neurodegenerative diseases, specifically dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. She hopes to complete her clinical degree in speech-language pathology and then pursue an academic career in CSD to aid in the development of caregiver resources and prevention in neurodegenerative diseases.

Phoebe Crumpton — Phoebe received her bachelor’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she majored in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She is a first-year graduate student at UW-Madison working towards a clinical MS in Speech-Language Pathology. She is interested in the medical side of Speech-Language Pathology and is passionate about helping solve diversity, equity, and inclusion issues within the field of Speech-Language Pathology.

Frances Violante — Frances graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a certificate in Education and Educational Services. She is a first-year graduate student at UW-Madison working towards a clinical MS in Speech-Language Pathology.  Her interests include early identification of Alzheimer’s disease and increasing diversity among Alzheimer’s disease research participants. She is excited to be involved with CCANDL and looks forward to working with Dr. Mueller and the CCANDL team members.

Erin Bruehlman — Erin received her bachelor’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she majored in Communication Sciences and Disorders and received a certificate in Education and Educational Services. She is a first-year graduate student at UW-Madison working towards a clinical MS in Speech-Language Pathology. She hopes to work with adult populations in a medical setting after graduation. During her time as an undergraduate with CCANDL, she completed a senior honors thesis that focused on the potential relationship between sleep, Alzheimer’s Disease biomarkers, and speech-language performance. She has a passion for the environment as well and acquired a Green Lab Certification for CCANDL by enacting sustainability measures across the lab. She also aided in acquiring a sustainability grant for Goodnight Hall. Erin is thrilled to be part of the CCANDL team!

Claire Terp — Claire received her bachelor’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she majored in Communication Sciences and Disorders and received a certificate in Disability Rights and Services. She is a first-year graduate student at UW-Madison working towards a clinical MS in Speech-Language Pathology.  In lab, Claire works on transcribing speech samples, entering data for various projects, and updating the lab’s social media accounts. Claire is very excited to be involved with CCANDL and is excited to continue learning from Dr. Mueller and other lab members.

Camryn Streid — Camryn earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Cincinnati in Speech-Language Hearing Sciences (SLHS). She is currently in her first year at UW-Madison working towards her clinical MS in Speech-Language Pathology. She is interested in working with people with neurogenic disorders and understanding how to best support these individuals while enhancing their participation in life. She is also interested in understanding language and communication changes that occur with neurodegenerative disorders.

Maddie Wherley — Maddie is a fourth year undergraduate student studying Neurobiology and Life Sciences Communication. She plans to attend Dental School after graduation, and she is excited to work with both children and the geriatric population. Currently, she is working on a research project that focuses on the effects of depression on speech and its connection to cognition. She is excited to be involved with the CCANDL lab, Dr. Mueller, and the other lab members!

George Kostas — George is a fourth year undergraduate student studying Communication Sciences and Disorders and Spanish. His goal is to become a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Speech-Language Pathologist (NICU SLP) and research the effects dysphagia has on neonates of Latinx heritage. George has an interest in using his trilingual background (Greek, English and Spanish) to aid patients whose native language isn’t English to help bridge the gap in health disparities in our field. He is grateful to be working for Dr. Mueller’s lab and learning about issues patients face in getting access to Alzheimer’s treatment through the DEI discussions.

Esmma Almousa — Esmma is a fourth year undergraduate student majoring in Data Science and intends to pursue a certificate in Global Health. She is interested in data science applications to research topics in neuroscience. Esmma is excited to work with Dr. Mueller to use code to solve problems, apply data analysis to recognize speech patterns, and work alongside other lab members to learn from new perspectives.

Olivia Goulette — Olivia is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders with certificates in Education and Educational Services and Disability Rights and Services. After completing her bachelor’s degree, she plans on attending graduate school to become a Speech-Language Pathologist in a hospital or school setting. Olivia is interested in disorders and injuries to the brain that affect communication and memory. She is grateful to be involved with CCANDL and looks forward to learning from Dr. Mueller and the other CCANDL team members.

Lauren Auleciems — Lauren is a fourth year undergraduate student majoring in Neurobiology with a certificate in Global Health. After completing her degree, Lauren plans to attend PA school and specialize in Neurology. Lauren is interested in studying disorders of the mind and is passionate about caring for others. Lauren is excited to be involved with CCANDL and looks forward to working with Dr. Mueller and her other team members.

Alayna Miller — Alayna is a third year undergraduate student studying Communication Sciences and Disorders with certificates in both Education Policy and Health and Humanities. She plans to attend graduate school to become a Speech-Language Pathologist in hopes of working with disabled individuals, whether that be in a hospital or a research-based setting. She’s thrilled to be joining CCANDL’s team and is excited to learn!

Douglas Cowman — Douglas is an undergraduate student at UW-Madison completing his B.S. in Neurobiology. He intends to pursue a MS in Computational Neuroscience, and has interests in neurodegenerative diseases and neural architecture. He is very excited to be involved in CCANDL to learn more about the intersections of communication and neurogenic disorders.