TU CRABI Lab

Alexandra Z Durfee, Ph.D. CCC-SLP 
Alexandra is an assistant professor at Towson University, certified speech-language pathologist, and the primary investigator of the CRABI Lab. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and her master’s and doctoral degrees from The Ohio State University. She also completed a postdoctoral research fellowship in Neurology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Alexandra has participated in research on language and communication changes after left hemisphere stroke (aphasia) and right hemisphere stroke (apragmatism). She has worked on projects focusing on assessment and treatment outcomes for aphasia and apragmatism, long-term recovery of communication after right hemisphere stroke, and literature reviews of what we know about apragmatism.

Her current research interests include (1) understanding the differences in communication profiles and their recovery after a right hemisphere stroke and (2) investigating the underlying skills needed to understand and use vocal inflection (called prosody) for emotion. Emotional prosody use and understanding are commonly affected after right hemisphere stroke, and this difficulty is called emotional or affective aprosodia. By better understanding how right hemisphere damage affects communication and its recovery, Alexandra aims to improve assessment and treatment outcomes for individuals who experience apragmatism.

In her free time, Alexandra likes to try new restaurants, read, go on hikes/walks, and spend time with her friends and family.

Caelie Giapponi, M.S., CCC-SLP 

Caelie is a clinical assistant professor at Towson University and certified speech-language pathologist. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN and her master’s degree at Towson University.

Caelie began her career at Children’s National Medical Center (CNMC) in Washington, D.C., where she specialized in aural rehabilitation as part of the cochlear implant team. She then spent nine and a half years at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital (MWPH) in Baltimore, MD, working in both outpatient and inpatient settings with a focus on medically complex neonatal feeding and swallowing and a specialization in traumatic brain injury rehabilitation from birth through adolescence. Alongside this pediatric expertise, she also worked in adult inpatient rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins Hospital for four years. With over 12 years of experience supervising graduate students, Caelie transitioned to Towson University, where she serves as a clinical professor and graduate student supervisor.

Outside of her professional work, she enjoys spending time outdoors, reading, and being with her Labrador, Pancakes, her pug, Pig, her cat, Mr. Meowgi, and her friends and family.

Emma Vacca
Emma is an undergraduate student in the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology major at Towson University. Emma has worked with Dr. Keck, a previous co-PI of the lab, since Fall 2023 on literature reviews following children and adolescents with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). She is currently working with Dr. Durfee on right hemisphere-focused projects in the lab. She is a member of Towson’s NSSHLA chapter as well as the university’s Honors College.

Emma had paired her major in Speech Pathology with a minor in Deaf Studies and Sociology. Her primary interests lie in working with children who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or non-verbal as well as pediatrics in acute care settings. Her participation in research has also led Emma to an interest in Theory of Mind recovery for children with TBI and what this recovery means for their social lives.

In her free time Emma enjoys reading, writing, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends.

 

Catie Fromm  
Catie is a first-year graduate student at Towson in the Speech-Language Pathology program. She completed her undergraduate degree in speech and hearing sciences at East Carolina University. Catie was immersed in the world of speech and language at a young age when she watched her brother grow up with a speech delay and attend speech therapy. She gained an interest in the neurologic components of speech and language in her undergraduate classes and is excited to expand her learning and work more closely with the topic.

Catie is currently the principal investigator in another study and is working towards getting published. This current research surrounds caregiver perspectives of speech and language therapy via telepractice during the pandemic.Outside of school, Catie works as a part-time nanny and campus manager for an apparel company.