Natalie Gilmore, Ph.D.

Post-Doctoral Fellow

I have always been fascinated by cognitive processes and how the brain can adapt to support recovery of these essential functions after damage. I recently graduated with a PhD in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences from Boston University during which I studied treatment-induced recovery of language and other cognitive processes in individuals with stroke-induced aphasia and other acquired brain injuries (Aphasia Research Laboratory, PI: Swathi Kiran). Prior to returning for my PhD, I worked clinically as an outpatient speech-language pathologist at MossRehab in Philadelphia, PA. I loved working with my patients to improve their language and other cognitive functions with the ultimate focus being on promoting community reintegration and successful return to previous (or newly identified) roles and responsibilities. Not surprisingly, my research interests have been strongly influenced by my clinical experiences. In the long-term, I plan to develop theoretically- and neuroscientifically-grounded rehabilitation programs to promote cascading gains in language and other cognitive function, activity participation, and quality of life for individuals with acquired brain injury. In parallel, I aim to apply neuroimaging methods to increase our understanding of the neuroplasticity that may be underpinning these treatment-related changes and inform models of rehabilitation-induced cognitive recovery. Working as a post-doctoral research fellow in the NICC will support my advancement toward these research goals in many ways. Throughout my time in this lab, I am looking forward to studying how the extent of repetitive low-level blast exposure experienced by military service members impacts brain health, cognitive function, mood, and overall functioning. I'm also excited to strengthen my skills in higher-level statistical analysis methods and expand my understanding of the nature of traumatic brain injury recovery across the severity continuum via the combination of behavioral assessment and advanced neuroimaging techniques.