During Stroke Awareness Month, we’re pleased to feature some of the exciting research going on at Jefferson Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute and our team members who are making important new discoveries. Shauna Zodrow joined the Institute in 2022 and now serves as a Clinical Research Coordinator for our Cognition and Action Laboratory, directed by Laurel Buxbaum, PsyD, and our Speech & Language Recovery Laboratory, directed by Marja-Liisa Mailend, PhD. In this interview, Ms. Zodrow discusses her career path, stroke research projects she has contributed during her time at the Institute, the impacts of this work, and her plans for the future.
Can you describe your academic background and the path you took to your current position at the Institute?
I earned my Bachelor of Science in psychology from Drexel University in 2021. Beginning in my second year, I spent two and a half years in a neuroimaging lab. There, I reviewed and synthesized neuroimaging literature and worked with datasets from other institutions to investigate how emotionally valenced objects are perceived and how the brain responds to them. This work ultimately culminated in the completion of my graduation thesis and contributions to one published paper.
My drive to join that lab was deeply personal. My father had been diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, and watching how that affected him sparked a growing fascination with how traumatic events and injuries to the brain can shape so many different aspects of a person's life. That experience pushed me to understand the clinical and research sides of brain health more deeply, which ultimately led me to apply for my current position at Jefferson Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute. I have now been with the Institute for nearly four years, and it has only deepened my passion for this kind of work.
You are working on an ongoing study in the Cognition and Action Laboratory examining disparities between arm use and the capacity for arm use in people who have had a stroke. Can you describe the goal of this study and your role?
One of the studies I am currently working on is titled "Use Capacity Disparity." Arm nonuse after stroke is characterized by a failure to use the affected arm despite having adequate capacity to do so, and current literature suggests this disparity is not always explained by physical limitations alone. We include participants across a wide spectrum of arm deficits and stroke severity levels, and we and evaluate their cognitive and motor outputs across a large battery of behavioral assessments. The overarching goals of this study are to identify the factors that predict risk of arm nonuse, to understand the neural substrates that underlie it, and to develop the Virtual Reality Non-Use (VRNU) task as a clinically-valid tool that measures arm use during naturalistic reaching under attentional and motor demands similar to those of daily life.
In my role, I manage the full scope of the study's operations. I reach out to potential participants from our research registry, screen them for eligibility, schedule sessions, and conduct one-on-one testing, including administering the full battery of assessments and managing the setup and execution of the Virtual Reality environment. Beyond data collection, I am heavily involved in data management and processing, ensuring datasets are organized, cleaned, and prepared for analysis. I also contribute to the regulatory side of the study, assisting with documentation and compliance processes that keep the research running in accordance with institutional requirements.
What are the impacts or potential impacts of this work?
The potential impacts of this study map directly onto each of its three aims. First, if we can identify the factors that predict arm nonuse, we will be able to flag at-risk individuals earlier in their recovery and tailor rehabilitative strategies to their specific profile. Second, by identifying the neural substrates underlying arm nonuse, we can inform the development of targeted treatment strategies that address the neurological mechanisms driving the behavior, not just its outward symptoms. Third, the VRNU task has the potential to give clinicians a reliable and ecologically-valid tool for assessing arm nonuse in real time, bridging the gap between laboratory research and practical rehabilitation care.
You have also been contributing to a study examining the impacts of speech entrainment interventions in individuals with post-stroke aphasia. Can you tell us more about this research and the role that you have played?
This study explores how speech entrainment interventions affect recovery in individuals with post-stroke aphasia. Aphasia is a language disorder caused by damage to speech and language regions in the brain. It is one of the most significant consequences of stroke, affecting an individual's ability to communicate effectively. Speech entrainment is a treatment approach in which an individual speaks in unison with a recorded model speaker in real time. Within this study, we compared the effects of an audio-visual condition, in which participants could both see and hear the modeled speaker, to an audio-only condition, in which participants could only hear the modeled speaker. All participants completed both types of treatment, and all independent speech probes, totaling 120 stories per participant, were transcribed and evaluated. The primary outcome measure was the number of correct information units, with additional measures including script words and number of different words produced.
Preliminary findings are promising. Pretest to posttest gains were greater for trained items compared to untrained ones, suggesting a meaningful treatment signal. At the group level, gains were comparable across massed and distributed practice conditions as well as across auditory and audio-visual conditions, though notable individual variability was observed. These preliminary results suggest that more treatment sessions and a longer follow-up period may be needed to more fully evaluate and differentiate these conditions.
In my role, I scheduled and tested all participants on a battery of speech and language assessments and executed the speech entrainment experiment over the course of approximately two weeks with each participant. Following data collection, I assisted in analyzing both individual participant data and the overall dataset.
What are the impacts or potential impacts of this study?
We hope the findings from this study will help guide future research with the goal of applying what we learn in rehabilitative treatments for individuals with post-stroke aphasia. By determining whether audio-visual or audio-only speech entrainment is more effective for specific individuals, we can begin to match aphasia profiles to the most targeted and appropriate intervention, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach. This has the potential to make speech entrainment a more precise and effective tool in clinical rehabilitation practice.
What were some of the things you have learned through your involvement in different research projects at the Institute over the years?
Through my involvement in various research projects at the Institute, I have learned that many individuals affected by stroke choose to participate in research not for the incentives, but out of a genuine desire to improve the lives of others facing similar challenges. The community I have had the privilege of working with consistently brings warmth and richness to every interaction, which deeply motivates me to support them in every way possible.
What has your experience been like working with research participants?
My experience working with research participants has been both humbling and deeply rewarding. Each interaction has reinforced my commitment to serving this community, and I have come to understand that advocating for those impacted by stroke carries a sense of purpose that goes far beyond any financial compensation. The connections I have built with participants have shaped me not only as a researcher, but as an individual who is passionate about making a meaningful difference.
Can you tell us more about your long-term career plans?
Upon completing my prerequisite coursework at La Salle University, I plan to apply for the Speech-Language Pathology Master's Program at Drexel-Salus University. My long-term goal is to work with older children and adults on the autism spectrum, helping them develop and strengthen their communication abilities. I am passionate about this path and look forward to combining my research experience with clinical practice to make a meaningful impact.
What are some of your personal interests or hobbies?
Beyond work and school, my time is filled with crocheting, watching movies, and cherishing moments with the people I love. When the weather cooperates, you'll often find me at local art and food festivals, enjoying the chance to connect with my community.