Robert Cavanaugh

Robert Cavanaugh is an Assistant Professor at the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Health Professions with dual appointments in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Genetic Counseling. As one of two core statistical faculty members in IHP's PhD program, he provides statistical support to students and faculty across the institute while teaching courses in statistics, measurement, and reproducible research. His methodological expertise spans hierarchical/mixed-effects models, Bayesian methods, psychometrics including item response theory, and causal inference methodology.

• PhD in Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh
• M.S. in Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• B.A. in Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh

Dr. Cavanaugh's research integrates rehabilitation health services, population health, and data science to analyze insurance claims and electronic health record data, examining healthcare outcomes and improving service delivery in speech-language pathology. His work focuses on treatment dosage effects in post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation, addressing disparities observed during his clinical practice as a speech-language pathologist. He advocates for experiential learning approaches that build strong statistical foundations for future rehabilitation researchers and practitioners, with a commitment to open science principles.

His scholarly output demonstrates a clear trajectory toward methodological innovation in rehabilitation research, with publications spanning statistical methodology development, aphasia assessment tools, and healthcare services analysis. Cavanaugh has contributed to both technical statistical literature and clinical rehabilitation research, effectively bridging the gap between advanced quantitative methods and practical clinical applications in speech-language pathology. His work increasingly focuses on causal inference approaches and the development of open-source tools for research implementation.

As a statistical co-investigator and consultant, Dr. Cavanaugh mentors students and faculty across the institute while developing practical research tools like the allofus R package for the All of Us Research Program. His collaborative research agenda spans efficacy, effectiveness, and implementation approaches to improve complex interventions in neurorehabilitation. He is actively engaged in the rehabilitation research community through social media and professional networks, frequently sharing resources and insights on statistical methods for rehabilitation research.