Maria Varkanitsa

Maria Varkanitsa is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences at Sargent College, Boston University, and serves as Assistant Scientific Director of the Center for Brain Recovery (CBR). Her work bridges linguistics, neuroscience, and clinical rehabilitation to advance aphasia treatment.

Her academic journey includes:

• BSc in Greek Literature (Linguistics) from National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (2005)
• MA in Linguistics from National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (2008)
• MSc in Neuroscience, Language and Communication from University College London (2010)
• PhD in Linguistics from University College London (2015)

Dr. Varkanitsa's research centers on neural mechanisms of language recovery in post-stroke aphasia. She integrates theoretical linguistics with neuroimaging to investigate how linguistic and non-linguistic cognition interact after stroke. A major focus is identifying biomarkers like white matter integrity and cerebral small vessel disease to predict rehabilitation outcomes and personalize treatment protocols.

Her 2018-2024 publications reveal consistent emphasis on biomarkers for treatment responsiveness, with increasing use of multimodal neuroimaging (resting-state fMRI) and clinical data integration. Key trends include shifting from single-modality biomarkers to comprehensive neural-cognitive profiles for predicting therapy response.

Her research impact is recognized through:

• Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Development Grant (2023)
• Dudley Allen Sargent Research Fund award (2019)

As Aphasia Research Lab director and CBR scientific leader, she secures continuous funding for translational projects. Her collaborations with neurologists and rehabilitation specialists facilitate rapid clinical implementation of findings, particularly in optimizing language therapy for stroke survivors with vascular comorbidities.

The Aphasia Research Lab drives innovation through its focus on vascular contributions to language recovery, using advanced neuroimaging to develop personalized rehabilitation protocols that address individual neural profiles beyond conventional aphasia severity metrics.