Jamie Mayer

Jamie Mayer, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Speech-Language Pathology unit at Northern Illinois University's School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in speech-language pathology and gerontology, emphasizing student empowerment and real-world connections through her neuroanatomy-informed teaching philosophy.

• Ph.D., M.A., and B.A. in Speech and Hearing Sciences from Indiana University
• Certified by American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
• License to practice in Illinois

Her research focuses on cognitive-linguistic interactions in neurogenic language disorders, aphasia assessment, and creative interventions for dementia patients. Recent work explores virtual service-learning programs, music therapy applications, and structured cognitive training protocols.

• 2024: Northwestern Medicine Community Benefit Grant ($43,000) for 'Resilient Brain: Healthy Cognitive Aging'
• 2022-2024: Multimodal interventions (visual arts, music) for dementia communication
• 2016: Brain Budget protocol for dual cognitive-linguistic impairments
• 2002-2016: Working memory assessment and alexia treatment in aphasia

She leads the Brain Resilience Through Active Communication and Engagement (BRACE) Lab, collaborating with Oak Crest's Bridges Choir and Pine Acres Nursing Center's Music and Memory program to develop community-based interventions for neurological communication disorders.