Kiiya Shibata, MS, CCC-SLP

Ms. Shibata is a PhD candidate in Hearing and Speech Sciences at Vanderbilt University whose work focuses on communication and motor changes in frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) and primary progressive aphasia/apraxia of speech (PPA/PPAOS). Her dissertation investigates laryngeal motor dysfunction as a potential early marker of broader motor involvement in FTD-spectrum disorders, integrating auditory-perceptual voice assessment, acoustic analysis, and neurologic measures of motor dysfunction. Her broader research includes perceptual analysis of connected speech in aphasia, progressive motor speech disorders, psychometrics, and cross-linguistic assessment. A central focus of Ms. Shibata's broader work is developing clinically informed support and education for people living with PPA/PPAOS and their families, drawing on years of clinical experience to translate research into practical tools and resources that are meaningful in everyday life. She is an NIH T32 trainee and works across the Darby Lab, Neurogenic Communication Disorders Lab, and Language Neuroscience Lab at Vanderbilt University.