Tabitha H. Kao

Tabitha H. Kao, MS, CCC-SLP, is a Research Fellow at the MGH Institute of Health Professions and a current PhD student in the Rehabilitation Science doctoral program since 2021. She is affiliated with the Swallowing and Communication Collaborative Lab under Dr. Bridget Perry and the Speech and Feeding Disorders Lab under Dr. Jordan Green.

Education:

• BA in Psychology from the University of North Texas, Denton, Texas
• MS in Communication Disorders from the University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas

Research Focus: Tabitha specializes in improving clinical best practices for assessing and treating adults with swallowing and motor speech disorders. Her work spans neurodegenerative diseases like X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism (endemic to the Philippines) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), as well as post-surgical dysphagia after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) procedures. She has also contributed to multidisciplinary interventions for chromosome 18 deletion syndromes.

Professional Experience: Prior to her doctoral studies, she worked for five years at an acute care hospital and its affiliated outpatient clinic, serving as a lead clinician, educator, and supervisor for graduate student interns. Her work has been published in journals such as Current Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Reports and Parkinsonism and Related Disorders, and she has presented at conferences including the DRS Annual Conference, International Symposium on ALS/MND, and ASHA Annual Convention (2021–2024).

Contact: tkao@mghihp.edu