Our Team

Principal Investigator

Kristen Allison, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Laboratory Director

Office: Forsyth 228 B
Phone: 617-373-3697
Email: k.allison@northeastern.edu

Dr. Allison is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders and the director of the SMILe Lab. She received her Ph.D. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. She has extensive clinical and research experience working with children who have neurodevelopmental disabilities and is passionate about improving speech and communication outcomes for children.

View Dr. Allison’s Curriculum Vitae

Lab Members

Emily Hartford

Graduate Research Assistant

Emily (she/her/hers) is a second-year student in the Speech-Language Pathology Masters Program. She graduated with a B.S. in Neuroscience and a double minor in Healthcare Management and Speech-Language Pathology from Stonehill College in May 2023. Her primary research interest is Parkinson’s disease, and she also has research interests in swallowing disorders and motor speech disorders. She is excited to continue learning and growing as a clinician throughout her journey!

Florencia Ferreyra

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Florencia is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Northeastern University studying Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology with a minor in Global Health. She plans to enroll in an accelerated nursing program (ABSN) after graduating in May of 2025, and hopes to work as a neonatal or pediatric nurse. She will use her research experience to focus on evidence-based practice in her career.

Naomi Rajput

Undergraduate Research Assistant and Lab Co-op Student

Naomi is a fourth-year Behavioral Neuroscience major with minors American Sign Language and Spanish at Northeastern University. Naomi aspires to be a physician with a career both in healthcare and research. Outside of work she enjoys performing all around Boston with her music band as a drummer/singer, doing yoga and meditating.

Piper Lynn

Graduate Research Assistant

Piper is in her first year of the Speech-Language Pathology Plus One Program at Northeastern University, working towards obtaining her Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and a Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders/Speech-Language Pathology. Alongside her research in the SMILe Lab, she is interested in areas of speech and rehabilitation such as augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), motor speech disorders, dysphasia, early intervention, and the assessment and treatment of feeding and swallowing disorders.

Chloe Sohn

Graduate Research Assistant

Chloe is a third year student studying Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. She plans to continue her studies in a SLP masters program and is interested in motor speech disorders, neurological rehabilitation, and feeding/swallowing disorders.

Jackie Perlmutter

Graduate Research Assistant

Jackie is a first-year student in the Speech-Language Pathology Masters program. She graduated from Tufts University with a Bachelors in Clinical Psychology and a minor is Child Study & Human Development. Her primary interests include pediatric SLP, social pragmatics, and autism. Outside of work, Jackie likes going to vintage markets and spending time in the outdoors.

Abby Block

Graduate Research Assistant

Abby (she/her) is a first-year student in the Speech-Language Pathology Masters Program. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in Spring 2023 with a B.A. in Communication Science and Disorders, a minor in Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies, and a certificate in American Sign Language. Prior to joining the SMILe Lab, she worked in the Brain Systems for Language Lab at the University of Pittsburgh studying language development and attention in children who stutter. Her primary research interests include motor speech disorders, fluency, and early intervention.

Kylie Miller

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Kylie is a second-year Biology major with a minor in Psychology at Northeastern University. She aspires to go into the dental field and is interested in orofacial myofunctional disorders and motor speech disorders.