Northeastern University’s Massachusetts SPEAK OUT!® Therapy & Research Center had a banner showing at the annual Lead with Intent Symposium hosted by Parkinson Voice Project (PVP) in Texas on June 10–11, receiving three awards, more than any other center among the 29 recognized nationally, along with a $3,500 monetary award.
The Center, which has been housed in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Bouvé College of Health Sciences since 2023, was honored with the Therapy Impact Award, the Research Excellence Award, and the Marketing & Outreach Award. The recognition reflects the Center’s commitment to advancing care for people living with Parkinson’s disease across all three pillars of its mission.
Clinical Lead Elizabeth Martin, MS, CCC-SLP, Associate Clinical Professor, was present at the symposium to accept the awards on behalf of the Center. Martin was also an invited panelist at the event, contributing to a discussion on student education and clinical training in the SPEAK OUT! Therapy Program, an area where Northeastern has distinguished itself by integrating graduate student clinicians into its evidence-based treatment model under the supervision of licensed, SPEAK OUT!-certified speech-language pathologists.
The Massachusetts Center is co-directed by Martin and Research Lead Kristen Allison, PhD, CCC-SLP, Associate Professor, and is supported by a five-year grant from Parkinson Voice Project, a nonprofit based in Richardson, Texas, that created the SPEAK OUT! program. The program helps people with Parkinson’s disease regain and maintain their speech and swallowing through a combination of individual therapy, group sessions, and daily home practice, currently offered at no cost to clients through participation in a research study.
For more information about the SPEAK OUT! Therapy Program at Northeastern, click here or contact Elizabeth Martin at 617-373-6891.
