People
Principal Investigator (PI)
Maryam Naghibolhosseini
email: naghib@msu.edu
Tel.: 517-884-2256
Dr. Naghibolhosseini is the director of AVAH Lab. She earned her bachelor and master's degree in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering and obtained her MPhil and PhD in Speech and Hearing Sciences. Her research is focused on studying voice dynamics, speech acoustics and sound processing in the auditory system. She uses advanced mathematical modeling, artificial intelligence, and signal/image processing in her research.
The PI received an NIDCD NIH K01 Career Development Award in 2019 to study voice production mechanisms underlying dysphonia in connected speech. She recently received an R21 Early Career Award on biomechanical modeling of voice production. She was also the recipient of the 2020 ASHA Early Career Contributions in Research (ECCR) Award.
Doctoral Students
Trent Henry
email: henrytr2@msu.edu
Trent is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders under the supervision of Dr. Naghibolhosseini. He received his B.A. in Psychology and Communicative Sciences and Disorders in 2022 from Michigan State University while being a member of the AVAH Lab. Trent is interested in studying voice disorders and how they impact people's lives.
Maruf MD Ikram
email: ikrammar@msu.edu
Maruf is a PhD student in the department of Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State University. He is planning to do a dual PhD degree with the department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders under the supervision of Dr. Mohsen Zayernouri and Dr. Maryam Naghibolhosseini. His research focus is on the mechanical modeling of voice production, where he brings a wealth of experience in computational fluid dynamics. In addition to his research, he is an enthusiastic cook who enjoys experimenting with new recipes and flavors. He is also an avid cricket player and fan and loves to travel and hike in his free time. With a passion for research and a diverse set of interests, he is a well-rounded individual who is dedicated to his studies and personal pursuits.
Sardar Nafis Bin Ali
email: binsarda@msu.edu
Sardar is driven by a thirst for knowledge and has a spirit of exploration. He focused on the captivating domain of high-speed aerodynamics during his undergraduate studies in mechanical engineering. Currently, he is pursuing a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and planning to do a dual degree with the department of communicative sciences and disorders. He aims to learn about the intricate aspects of human communication and contribute to advancements in voice science. Apart from his academic pursuits, he finds solace in traveling, embracing diverse cultures, and capturing the world's beauty through his experiences. Sardar actively engages in initiatives promoting sustainability and environmental conservation. With an unquenchable curiosity and unwavering dedication, he continues to make a meaningful impact in his chosen fields and beyond.
Santosh Chhetri
email: chhetris@msu.edu
Santosh is a PhD student in the Mechanical Engineering department at MSU, joined the FMTH group led by Dr. Mohsen Zayernouri in the summer of 2023. He completed his undergraduate studies in mechanical engineering at BUET – Dhaka in 2019. He aims to understand the failure of materials using various simulation tools such as Molecular Dynamics, Dislocation Dynamics simulation. Currently, Santosh is working on a project related to the mechanics of soft materials in collaboration with AVAH lab under the supervision of Dr. Mohsen Zayernouri and Dr. Maryam Naghibolhosseini. His research interests span mathematical modeling, Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation, Materials Failure, Discrete Dislocation Dynamics (DDD), Mechanics of Soft Materials and Machine Learning. Outside of academia, Santosh finds joy in cooking, exploring new areas, listening to music, reading novels (Nepali), and going on a solo motorbike journey whenever possible.
Prakash KC
email: kprakash@msu.edu
Prakash KC is a PhD student in Mechanical Engineering at MSU, under the supervision of Dr. Mohsen Zayernouri. He received his BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. He joined FMATH Research Group in the Spring of 2023. Currently, he is working on a project in collaboration with AVAH lab, co-supervised by Dr. Mohsen Zayernouri and Dr. Maryam Naghibolhosseini. His research interests include Mathematical modelling, Finite element method, Materials Failure, Uncertainty Quantification, and Machine Learning. He likes writing poems, cooking, and travelling.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prks/
Zachary Kam
email: kamzacha@msu.edu
Zachary is from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He is a junior at Michigan State University majoring in Biology at Lyman Briggs College. He joined the AVAH lab in spring of 2023. As a part of the Osteopathic Medical 3+4 Scholars Program, Zachary will enroll in the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Michigan State University in pursuit of a D.O. degree. Zachary has interests in auditory and vocal disorders and desires to examine if anatomical variation can be utilized as a diagnostic tool in the clinical setting.
Geil Schock
email: schockge@msu.edu
Geil is from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and is a D.O. student in the College of Osteopathic Medicine. He received his B.A. in Criminal Justice in 2021 from Michigan State University. He is interested in studying the physiologic and mechanical basis of hearing and speech production and disorders. After medical school, Geil hopes to apply these concepts to improve clinical diagnosis and treatment outcomes.
Shreya Srivastava
email: srivass@amc.edu
Shreya is from Haslett, Michigan. She is currently a medical student at Albany Medical College in New York. She received her B.S. in Biology and Music as an interdisciplinary major in 2020 from Union College, where she also studied global music performance and minored in World Music and Cultures. She also received an M.B.A. in healthcare administration in 2020 from Clarkson University. Shreya’s research included studying music appreciation among cochlear implant users and finding ways to incorporate the arts into the medical field. Shreya joined the AVAH Lab in May 2023 to improve her research experience for patients with hearing and voice disorders.
Kamil Jaros
email: Jaroskam@msu.edu
Kamil is a Ph.D. student in the Doctoral School of The Maria Grzegorzewska University (Poland) under the supervision of prof. Olechowska and auxiliary supervision of dr. Gajda. He is also teacher & research assistant in Institute of Support of Human Development and Education. He received his B.A. in Education in 2017 from The Maria Grzegorzewska University and his M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology in 2019 from "Pedagogium" University of Social Sciences. His research is focused on studying singing voice production, voice disorders and its relationships with performance anxiety. Kamil studies singer's dystonia in AVAH Lab under the mentorship of Dr. Naghibolhosseini.
MA Students
Carolyn Lignell
email: lignell3@msu.edu
Carolyn is from Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is a master's student in Communicative Sciences and Disorders at Michigan State University. After graduating, she hopes to become a speech-language pathologist. She believes that everyone communicates differently and that everyone deserves to be heard.
Undergraduate Students
Bianca Imeraj
email: imerajbi@msu.edu
Bianca is from Ann Arbor, Michigan. She is a Junior at Michigan State University, majoring in Psychology (BS) with two minors in Quantitative Data Analytics and Communicative Sciences and Disorders. She joined the AVAH lab in Spring of 2024. After graduation, Bianca hopes to become a medical-based Speech-Language Pathologist and is excited to gain more knowledge about voice production that she can apply in the field.
Samantha James
email: jamessam@msu.edu
Samantha is from Loveland, Ohio. She is a junior at Michigan State University, majoring in Communicative Sciences and Disorders and Psychology with a minor in Cognitive Science. She joined the AVAH Lab in the fall of 2022. After graduation, Samantha hopes to become a speech-language pathologist and is excited to see the growth and improvement in her patients' quality of life.
Gianna Spinelli
email: spinel12@msu.edu
Gianna Spinelli is currently in her undergraduate studies at Michigan State University. She is studying Communicative Sciences and Disorders and is part of the Honors College. With interests in voice science, phonetics, and audiology, Gianna is incredibly excited to delve into research. She is interested in studying pathological voices, specifically of singers. She currently teaches voice lessons to adolescents and works as a preschool teacher. She plans to attend graduate school for either a master’s or doctoral degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders or Voice Science and hopes to become a speech-language pathologist or speech and hearing scientist.
Alexandra Stewart
email: stewa816@msu.edu
Alexandra Stewart is from Woodhaven, Michigan. She is a junior at Michigan State University, studying Communication Sciences and Disorders. She joined the AVAH Lab in the spring of 2024 in hopes of furthering her knowledge and research in her field of studies. After graduation in 2025, Alexandra will obtain a master's degree to become a speech-language pathologist and pursue her passion in helping others.
Sarah Zenas
email: zenassar@msu.edu
Sarah is from South Pasadena, California. She is currently a freshman in the Michigan State University Honors College. She is majoring in Neuroscience through the college of Lyman Briggs and plans to minor in French and Communicative Sciences and Disorders. She joined the AVAH Lab in Fall 2020. After graduating, Sarah plans to go on to medical school and work directly with patients to help them improve their quality of life.
Former Students
- Ahmed M Yousef, dual PhD in Communicative Sciences and Disorders and Mechanical Engineering, Michigan State University, 2019-2023
- Audrey Deising, UG, 2021-2023
- Edie Emery, UG, 2022
- Farrah Levesque, High-School Student, 2019-2022
- Victoria Foco, UG, 2021-2022
- Ally Miscikoski, UG, 2021-2022
- Brianna Behrens, UG, 2020-2021
- Nicole Heinz, UG, 2020-2021
- Corinne Brown, UG & MA, 2019-2021
- Mikayla Norton, UG, 2019-2021
- Samantha Scheidler, UG & MA, 2019-2021
- Rena Ju, UG, 2019-2020
- Lauren Lee, UG, 2019-2020
- Cayce Warman, UG, 2019