Aarthi Madhavan

Dr. Aarthi Madhavan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Pennsylvania State University. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Florida (2016) and is a certified speech-language pathologist (CCC-SLP). Her research focuses on mitigating negative health outcomes of dysphagia in older adults, particularly developing early screening tools for preclinical swallowing disorders in community-dwelling populations. She leads a NIH-funded research team examining speech and swallow mechanisms in individuals with Down syndrome, integrating structural, functional, and genetic factors.

Education:

• Ph.D., University of Florida, 2016

Research Interests: Her work bridges aging studies, neurology, and rehabilitation science, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaborations in aging, cognition, and tool development. Key areas include oral motor control, speech-sound disorders, and the sensory basis of swallowing.

Grants & Awards: Principal Investigator on a 2023 NIH INCLUDE grant exploring Down syndrome's genetic impacts on speech/swallow mechanisms. Collaborates with experts in imaging, somatosensation, and language.

Affiliations: Center for Healthy Aging at Penn State, contributing to aging-focused research initiatives.