معرفی
Dr. Heather Harris Wright is a Professor and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Allied Health Sciences at East Carolina University, where she holds a primary appointment in the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders. She directs the Aging and Adult Language Disorders Lab, leading research at the intersection of cognitive neuroscience and clinical communication sciences.
Her research program investigates how cognitive functions like memory and attention interact with language processing abilities across two critical populations: healthy aging adults and individuals with acquired neurogenic communication disorders. This work examines age-related cognitive decline impacts on communication, neural mechanisms underlying language breakdown in neurological conditions, and the development of assessment protocols for differential diagnosis of communication disorders in aging populations. Her approach integrates experimental cognitive tasks with clinical language assessments to bridge theoretical understanding and practical applications.
Dr. Wright's research has secured competitive funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), specifically through the National Institute on Aging (NIA), enabling longitudinal studies on cognitive-linguistic interactions. While specific student advising numbers aren't detailed, her lab provides research training opportunities focused on experimental methodologies in cognitive-communication disorders. The Aging and Adult Language Disorders Lab serves as a specialized research environment for conducting controlled studies on language processing in aging and neurological populations, utilizing both behavioral and neurocognitive assessment techniques.
