معرفی
Dr. Sonja Molfenter is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. She holds a secondary affiliation with the Center of Health and Rehabilitation Research. A clinically-trained Speech Language Pathologist, her research focuses on swallowing physiology, particularly age-related changes in pharyngeal muscle function and dysphagia resulting from neurological disorders, head/neck cancer, and spinal surgery. Her work emphasizes translating research findings into clinical practice to improve swallowing safety and efficiency.
Her research explores natural muscle loss in the pharynx due to aging, cervical spine surgery impact on swallowing, and developing methods to prevent aspiration. She has pioneered studies on radiographic magnification effects in videofluoroscopy and clinician practice patterns in swallowing assessments. Dr. Molfenter has published extensively on topics such as residue assessment, therapy efficacy, and swallowing-related fatigue in older adults.
Teaching responsibilities include courses on dysphagia assessment, instrumental swallowing evaluation, and research methodology in communicative disorders. She actively involves students in problem-based learning through courses like Instrumental Assessment & Treatment of Dysphagia.
Her articles consistently analyze swallowing biomechanics, clinician decision-making, and aging physiology using advanced imaging techniques and longitudinal studies. While not explicitly mentioned in the text, her work implies ongoing collaborations with surgical and oncology teams given the focus on post-surgical swallowing outcomes and cancer-related dysphagia.
Labs/Teams: While specific lab names aren't listed, her research aligns with NYU's Center of Health and Rehabilitation Research and likely involves collaborations with the Department of Otolaryngology and Rehabilitation Medicine programs.
