Lab Mission Statement

The goal of our work is to positively impact the lives of individuals who struggle with speech communication by learning new information about the behavioral and brain bases of their speech and language challenges. We believe that examining brain function in these individuals will provide critical information about how and why they struggle to comprehend or engage with the speech around them. It is our hope that our scientific findings will provide insights into how we can improve communication with these individuals to help strengthen their social connections with family, friends, and community members for the benefit of the individuals and the broader community.

We believe that our primary responsibility is to our research participants, including individuals with hearing, social, and cognitive challenges, as well as neurotypical individuals, and their families. In addressing their needs, we must conduct work of the highest quality. Of particular concern is the need to pursue scientific questions that address the interests and needs of these clinical populations and disseminate our findings in a manner that honors the dignity of these individuals. We acknowledge that, due to the time and effort necessary to conduct quality basic human research, the research we conduct today may not directly benefit our participants, who generously donate their time and energy for our studies. However, it is our hope that our participants’ efforts will be honored through the important scientific findings that result from our work.

We believe that our second responsibility is to our team of dedicated researchers and collaborators who perform this work. We must provide an inclusive work environment where each person must be considered as an individual, that respects their diversity and dignity, and that recognizes their merit. Our team members must have a sense of security, fulfillment, and purpose in their jobs. We must support the career goals of all our team members and make every attempt to equip them with skills that are helpful towards their career goals. We must support the health and well-being of our employees and encourage a healthy work-life balance. Our team members must feel safe and free to make suggestions and complaints, and there must be equal opportunity for employment, development, and advancement for those qualified.

Finally, we must be good citizens within the academic and broader communities in which we serve and to the global community as well. We must maintain in good order, or improve, the Stanford University resources we are privileged to use, protecting the environment and natural resources.