Stephanie Knollhoff

Stephanie Knollhoff serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences at the University of Missouri's College of Health Sciences, where she directs the Swallowing and Communication Physiology Exploration (SCoPE) Lab. She teaches graduate courses including Medical Speech-Language Pathology (SLHS 8350), Voice Science and Voice Disorders (SLHS 8225), and Dysphagia (SLHS 8230), while mentoring Honors College students in research.

Her academic credentials include a PhD in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Kansas, a Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Kansas, and a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Saint Louis University.

Dr. Knollhoff's research centers on cancer-related swallowing and communication deficits, with emphasis on head and neck cancer rehabilitation, pediatric dysphagia, and neuroimaging of swallowing physiology using fNIRS. She actively works to improve clinical practice standards and expand access to dysphagia services through education initiatives for current and future professionals. Her work integrates physiological analysis with practical clinical applications to address rehabilitation challenges in oncology settings.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2013-2025) reveals a strong trajectory toward pediatric dysphagia education and caregiver experiences in cancer contexts, alongside innovative rehabilitation protocols for head and neck cancer patients. Recent work increasingly focuses on motor imagery therapy for dysphagia and cortical activation mapping during swallowing, while maintaining foundational research in alaryngeal communication and neurodegenerative disease impacts on speech.

Dr. Knollhoff actively mentors undergraduate researchers like Rucha Kelkar, whose work examined cancer treatment effects on swallowing physiology. She collaborates on clinical projects improving swallowing rehabilitation participation during radiation therapy and develops protocols to enhance dysphagia service accessibility, particularly for underserved populations.

She directs the SCoPE Lab, which investigates swallowing and communication physiology through advanced techniques including fNIRS imaging, articulation pressure measurement, and longitudinal tracking of speech motor changes in cancer and neurodegenerative conditions.