The Neuroscience of Rehabilitation Laboratory (a.k.a. “UNM Brain Crew”) at The University of New Mexico is directed by Jessica D. Richardson, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, an associate professor and speech-language pathologist in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences and Brain and Behavioral Health Institute/Center for Brain Recovery and Repair at The University of New Mexico. She graduated with a B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders (The University of Georgia) and a M.S. in Speech and Hearing Science (The University of Arizona). She then completed her Ph.D. study at The University of Georgia in the summer of 2009 and went on to complete a post-doctoral fellowship at The University of South Carolina. Her research interests include treatment outcomes and translational neuroscience, with an emphasis on adults with communication disorders (e.g., aphasia, cognitive-communication disorder) following acquired brain injury (e.g., stroke, TBI) and progressive disease (e.g., primary progressive aphasia).
The goal of Dr. Richardson’s research is to improve both communication and cognitive outcomes for people who have experienced brain injuries such as stroke and traumatic brain injury. To learn about recovery from brain injury and response to treatment, she assesses changes in everyday communication and cognitive behaviors along with changes in brain structure and function. Because the brain MUST change in order for observed behaviors to change and improve, she uses a range of approaches, including behavioral treatment approaches and noninvasive brain stimulation approaches. She focuses on outcomes that matter most to survivors and their care partners – real-world communication abilities and life participation.
Her research interests have naturally expanded to focus on people living with communication deficits due to progressive disease, with a specific focus on language and motor speech deficits in primary progressive aphasia. Her lab conducts a wide range of clinically relevant and translational research. She is a thought leader in the fields of aphasia, primary progressive aphasia, brain stimulation, communication neuroscience, and rigor and reproducibility of research in the aforementioned areas. Whenever possible, she presents findings through peer-reviewed publications, at conferences, in outreach and engagement activities with participants, in the classroom, and in community meetings.
Dr. Richardson has leadership roles in the Center for Brain Recovery and Repair (Outreach Director, Clinical Core Co-Director) and the New Mexico exploratory Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.
