A discussion of the  Speech Biomarkers Research Project  -- what it is, where it's going, and how you can get involved.
 

Last spring, we recruited more than a dozen Ware residents for paid research positions, working on a project to develop and test methods for tracking neurocognitive health using simple measures automatically derived from speech samples.

We've applied such techniques to research on neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease, on developmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, and on behavioral disorders such as Schizophrenia This work is going forward in collaboration with clinicians at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the Center for Frontotemporal Degeneration in Penn Med's Neurology Department, and Northwell Health's Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, among other places.

So far, the work has focused on English speakers, but we're in discussion with colleagues in other countries -- including Israel, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Moscow -- about the possibility of pilot projects in their countries and languages.

Now we want to recruit another dozen or so undergraduates to help with this project. If you're interested in learning more about that opportunity, join us next Wednesday at

https://upenn.zoom.us/j/91454826010?pwd=NlNya2NqQ0c3N3JtT2FJeXVXVENJdz09

(The nature of the work is such that it can be done entirely virtually.)

And also join us if you're just interested in the past, present, and likely futures of this research!