Vera is a speech pathologist with PhD in Education, currently working as a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Beata Batorowicz as supervisor at the AAC-IT Lab. I am currently working on the RAACI Project in collaboration with computing engineering group. By allying Augmentative and Alternative Communication and Artificial Intelligence, the aim in this project is to create an environment to increase Pragmatic Reasoning abilities for children with neuromotor disabilities while they play a collaborative game with the assistance of a robotic arm and using eye-tracking technology to access the computer. Dr. Ralin is an experienced researcher in Augmentative and Alternative Communication field, with expertise in research group management. 

Contact Email: vera.ralin@queensu.ca

PhD, is a developmental psychologist currently working as a Research Associate with the AAC-IT Lab. Dr. Fecica is an experienced project manager,  research psychologist, and program evaluator specializing in qualitative and quantitative research methods, knowledge mobilization and fundraising with extensive experience managing projects in the social service and mental health sectors.

Contact Email: a.fecica@queensu.ca

Navjit Gaurav graduated with a PhD in Rehabilitation Science from Queen's University in Canada, where he received the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Scholarship. His research focuses on community schools' design in Indian informal settlements to promote meaningful participation and social interaction for children with physical disabilities. Navjit believes equal access and participation are fundamental to academic inclusion and the building blocks for providing children with a conducive, inclusive learning environment. He is a Gold Medallist for his Master's in Disability Studies and Action from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, and he holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Bhopal, India. When not working, Navjit loves traveling to new places close to nature and visiting ancient architecture and historical forts. He loves cooking, meeting people, and documenting urban spaces through sketches, photographs, and narratives.

Contact Email: 19ng7@queensu.ca

Tibeb Debele, a Mastercard Fellow and fourth-year Ph.D. student at Queen's University School of Rehabilitation Therapy, focuses on researching women's social inclusion and participation process post-obstetric fistula surgery. Formerly a clinical midwife at Gebreguracha Hospital, Tibeb transitioned to the University of Gondar in 2013, where she engages in teaching, community work, and research. Her passion for safe maternal healthcare is fueled by the preventable yet pervasive impact of obstetric fistula on Ethiopian women. Motivated by the disabling nature of fistulas, she joined the Rehabilitation Science department to provide holistic rehabilitation services. Post-Ph.D., Tibeb aspires to work closely with women navigating pregnancy and childbirth-related complications. She intends to leverage knowledge to contribute significantly to advancing maternal and child health research, aiming to address the challenges faced by women in Ethiopia. 

Contact Email: 19tzd@queensu.ca

Paulina Finak is in the final year as a Rehabilitation Science PhD candidate. She is a bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist with 28 years of experience working with children with disabilities. She previously worked at Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario as a Clinical Coordinator of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation team. Paulina's research interest is to understand how various environmental factors may support literacy for children with severe speech and motor impairments who use augmentative and alternative communication. Paulina is working on developing a grounded theory on how environmental factors influence the transition from using graphic symbols to using spelling during face-to-face communication interactions for people who use AAC. Paulina presented her research at several international conferences, including the International Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) conference in Cancun 2023. Paulina is currently on ISAAC executive board for ISAAC Canada.

Contact Email: 18pmf@queensu.ca

Shannon is a Doctoral Candidate in the Doctor of Science in Rehabilitation and Health Leadership (DSc RHL) program at Queen’s University. She is a Registered Occupational Therapist in Ontario and Quebec, holds a Master of Health Sciences in Occupational Therapy. Shannon has worked as an Occupational Therapist since 2014, primarily with a pediatric population. Her applied dissertation is surrounding Assistive Technology and Occupational Therapy, focused on therapists' experiences related to their university curriculum and clinical experience with school-age children who require AT assessment and intervention.

Contact Email: sgravelle@queensu.ca 

Ph.D. Candidate in Rehabilitation Science. Her research focuses on AAC services in Canada, particularly the perspectives of AAC service providers on current service delivery practices as well as factors that influence access to and use of AAC. Steph has worked as an occupational therapist for 10 years in a range of settings, gaining experience serving diverse client populations including people impacted by neurodiversity, developmental disabilities, and serious mental illness. Recognizing the value of AAC in the lives of many people for whom she provided service, she aspired to become better equipped in her practice to support use of AAC systems.

Contact Email: lackey.s@queensu.ca

Diane McEachern’s research interests are in augmentative and alternative communication and the implications for social inclusion of young adults, particularly around informal social networks, and their importance to successful employment opportunities. She has 20 years of clinical experience as a Speech-Language Pathologist working with preschool and school-aged children, as well as adults with complex communication needs.

Contact Email: 81dmm2@queensu.ca

Melkitu, currently a third-year PhD student in Rehabilitation Science with a background in Public Health, previously served as an academic staff member at the University of Gondar, College of Medicine and Health Sciences in Ethiopia. Her doctoral dissertation, titled 'Exploring Caregiving Experience and Support Needs among Caregivers of Children with Cerebral Palsy and Service Providers in Ethiopia,' aims to provide nuanced insights into family caregiving within low-resource settings. Melkitu is committed to improving the lives of caregivers of children with CP and is eager to collaborate with fellow researchers in the area to contribute to their well-being and address the challenges they face.

Contact Email: 20mfm9@queensu.ca

Amir is an undergrad student in the BHSc Program at Queen's University. Outside of work and school, he pursues his passion for landscape and architectural photography. As a member of the AAC-IT Lab team, he designed the research lab's website, and keeps the lab's website up-to-date. He's always ready to help with various research tasks for the project. Commencing May 2024 as a grad student, Amir will be continuing his studies in the MBI Program at Queen's University.

Contact Email: amir.ranjbar@queensu.ca

PhD student in the Rehabilitation Science program. Background in Speech and Language Pathology (Undergraduate and Postgraduate programs). Currently, I am working on two projects involving accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities: Investigating the use of Pragmatic Reasoning abilities in children with complex communication needs in the use of high technology AAC devices and children’s perception of the robot as a partner during the gameplay. Exploring the effectiveness of lipreading as a communication strategy to enhance speech recognition in individuals with hearing impairments.

Contact Email: rafael.santana@queensu.ca

Erfan is a Doctor of Physiotherapy student at the University of Melbourne in Australia. He was a Research Assistant for Dr. Batorowicz and worked on her Voice and Choice project on adults with developmental disorders. He created interview transcriptions for the study participants and conducted data analysis for these interviews. He conducted literature and data extraction for Dr. Batorowicz’s research manuscript, "Strategies to Support the Communication of Adults with Developmental Disabilities.” He also worked as a research assistant for Rafael Santana’s study on Exploring the effectiveness of lipreading as a communication strategy to enhance speech recognition in individuals with hearing impairments. Erfan is currently pursuing his dream of working as a physiotherapist. Outside of school and research, he enjoys fitness, cooking, and music.

Contact Email: sarabierfan@gmail.com