International Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Open Access

Therese M ONeil-Pirozzi

Biography

Dr. Therese O’Neil-Pirozzi is the Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Program Director at Northeastern University and, in this capacity, oversees the coordination of the academic and clinical aspects of the program. Consistent with this role, Dr. O'Neil-Pirozzi is highly interested in the integration of Speech Language Pathology theory and clinical practice with cognitive-communication and swallowing impaired individuals across the lifespan. Her teaching is clinically based, thereby empowering students to apply knowledge learned in the classroom to children and adults with whom they are working. Dr. O’Neil-Pirozzi’s research focuses are clinically motivated, for example: whether individuals with traumatic brain injury can improve their memory function; whether certain swallowing tests used with tracheostomized individuals reliably and validly measure what they are thought to measure; and whether parents, with and without literacy challenges of their own, can learn to facilitate their children’s literacy and/or social pragmatic development.  Her community service is driven by a desire to integrate personal social ethics and professional practice, for example: overseeing a weekly program whereby undergraduate and graduate students provide language literacy stimulation to children residing in homeless shelters. In June 2003, Dr. O'Neil-Pirozzi received Northeastern University's prestigious Excellence in Teaching Award, an honor initiated by her students.  Much of her research is done with interdisciplinary colleagues and department undergraduate and graduate students.  She, her colleagues, and her students have authored many peer-reviewed publications and national and international presentations.  Her homeless shelter literacy program has been featured in the Boston Globe and in On Call Magazine.  

Research Interest

Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Cognition (e.g., attention, memory, and executive function), Health and Language Literacy in Children and Adults, Language, Neuroscience, Swallowing/Dysphagia Tracheostomy, Traumatic Brain Injury, Voice Disorders (speaking and singing)

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