Dr. Steele's research focuses on understanding the pathophysiology of dysphagia (swallowing impairment) and exploring treatments that are effective to restore functional swallowing. Three lines of research form the primary foci of work in the lab:
1) Characterizing normal and disordered sensory and motor function for swallowing, particularly related to tongue function in swallowing liquids of different consistencies
2) Exploring the effectiveness of tongue pressure resistance training as an intervention for dysphagia of neurologic origin
3) Developing a noninvasive device to detect swallowing impairment in clinical screening and assessment
1) Characterizing normal and disordered sensory and motor function for swallowing, particularly related to tongue function in swallowing liquids of different consistencies
2) Exploring the effectiveness of tongue pressure resistance training as an intervention for dysphagia of neurologic origin
3) Developing a noninvasive device to detect swallowing impairment in clinical screening and assessment