People
Meet the Gray Matter Lab team
Lab Director
Teresa Gray
Education
- 2015 Ph.D., Boston University
- 2008 M.A., San Jose State University
- 2000 B.A., University of California at Santa Cruz
Research Interests
Teresa Gray, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is the director of the Gray Matter Lab. Her research interests are focused on exploring the relationship between lexical access and verbal and nonverbal control mechanisms in aphasia and improving the effectiveness of language intervention for bilingual populations with aphasia. Her clinical expertise includes assessing and providing language and executive function treatments for monolingual and bilingual populations with aphasia and traumatic brain injury.
Graduate Students
Joseph Cachapero
Education
- 2022 M.S. Candidate in Speech Language and Hearing Sciences
San Francisco State University - B.S. Psychology, UC Irvine
Research Interests
Prior to joining the field of speech-language pathology, I received my bachelor's degree in Psychology at UC Irvine and completed an honors thesis on working memory and metacognition. In the Gray Matter Lab, I currently administer an intensive language intervention (Abstract Semantic Associative Network Training: AbSANT) to a monolingual adult with aphasia. I am also working on my thesis that investigates error patterns in patients who have completed AbSANT.
Cheryl Corpuz
Education
- 2022 M.S. Candidate in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
San Francisco State University - 2018 B.S. Speech-Language Pathology
California State University San Marcos
Research Interests
I have always been fascinated with the rehabilitation and functions of the brain after injury. As a future clinician, I want to ensure that my clients have the resources and services they need to reach their full potential. Joining the Gray Matter Lab has allowed me to delve into the research and be part of a team that aligns with own professional values. In the lab, I have completed reliability and fidelity for AbSANT, and I administer the CLQT. I also co-lead the Conversation Club for persons with aphasia which has allowed me to work with an amazing group of adults, providing them with an opportunity to build relationships with each other and continue to work on their communication skills.
Hannah Khorassani
Education
- 2022 M.S. Candidate in Speech Language and Hearing Sciences
San Francisco State University - 2020 B.S. Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences & Business Administration with a Concentration in Marketing
San Francisco State University
Research Interests
My name is Hannah and I am currently working towards my M.S. in Speech Language Hearing Sciences. Growing up surrounded by multiple cultures, I have always been interested in multilingualism as I feel as if it allows people to connect with each other and share opportunities, creating a global community. I have also been fascinated in the brain and how it makes people original, hence why I joined the Gray Matter Lab team in 2018. In the lab, I have contributed to many projects, including the BAbSANT and AbSANT projects, as well as co-facilitated our lab’s Conversation Club. I am currently working on projects such as building experimental paradigms that tap verbal and nonverbal control mechanisms for the SF Build project, debugging and researching a bilingual naming therapy website, and organizing data for a meta-analysis
Maryvi Morales
Lab Manager
Education
- 2023 M.S Candidate in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
San Francisco State University - 2020 B.S in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
San Francisco State University
Research Interests
Growing up bilingual led me to become invested in gaining a deeper understanding of language and communication. This eventually brought me to the field of speech and language pathology where my interest for multilingualism and the brain increased. For this reason, I joined the Gray Matter Lab because my desire was to gain more knowledge on aphasia and have the opportunity to work with a culturally and linguistically diverse population. In the lab, I currently administer a bilingual semantic feature naming therapy to Spanish-English bilingual adults with aphasia in collaboration with Boston University. I also co-lead the Spanish-English Bilingual Conversation Club that supports improving quality of life and communicative effectiveness for people with aphasia.
Elaine Peralta
Education
-
2022 M.S Candidate in Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences
San Francisco State University -
2020 B.S. in Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences with a minor in Child and Family Development
San Diego State University
Research Interests
- Through past and present clinical and research experience, I have gotten a glimpse into the life-changing effects that Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) have on their clients and families. The opportunity to have a positive impact on people motivates me most on my journey to becoming an SLP.
- In Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 I administered an intensive language intervention (Abstract Semantic Associative Network Training: AbSANT) to a monolingual adult with aphasia. I also co-facilitated our lab’s Conversation Club for persons with aphasia.
- My current focus is on administering the Cognitive and Linguistic Quick Test (CLQT) and other diagnostic tests to our patients’ pre and post-treatment. I continue to play an active role in our lab’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) discussions and meetings. I also take part in leading training for onboarding members on our lab’s reliability & fidelity treatment protocol. Overall, being a part of this lab has not only boosted my clinical acumen but given me a strong sense of community at SFSU.
Faviola Ramirez
Lab Manager 2020-2021
Education
- 2022 M.S. Candidate; Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences
San Francisco State University - 2020 B.S. in Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences
San Francisco State University
Research Interests
I have always been intrigued by the different forms of communication. As I continue my educational career, I am becoming more and more fascinated with how language develops and rehabilitates after brain injury. In the Gray Matter Lab, I work on the Spanish-English bilingual treatment studies, administering bilingual diagnostic tests, cognitive assessments, and treatment.
Leanora Salazar
Education
- 2023 M.S. Candidate in Speech Language and Hearing Sciences
San Francisco State University - 2021 B.A. in Communicative Disorders
California State University, Fullerton
Research Interests
My areas of interest are related to working with adults in the areas of aphasia, dementia, cognition, TBI, bi/multi-lingualism, and psychosocial factors of brain injury. I worked with aphasia and TBI clients at the Brain Rehabilitation and Injury Network in Southern California for two years before joining the Gray Matter Lab (GML). GML gives me the wonderful opportunity to continue to expand my work alongside adults with aphasia through co-leading the Conversation Club, assisting in reliability/fidelity scoring, and learning how to administer bilingual diagnostic assessments. Along with my Master’s degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, I am pursuing a Spanish-English bilingual certificate and a specialization in Augmentative and Alternative Communication.
Karina Tampa
Education
- 2023 M.S. Candidate in Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences
San Francisco State University - 2019 Post-Baccalaureate in Speech Language Pathology
California State University, San Marcos - 2015 B.A. in Psychology and Social Behavior with a minor in Criminology, Law, and Society
University of California, Irvine
Research Interests
Her research interests include bilingualism, early intervention, and adult neuro rehabilitation. Currently, she co-facilitates the Spanish-English Bilingual Conversation Club which gives people with aphasia and related neurological communication disorders the opportunity to make friends, practice conversation skills, and establish a support system. Her professional experience is in early intervention, telehealth, and school settings. Her future aspiration is to be a bilingual clinician working with underserved and marginalized communities.
Jadine Ong Veluya
Education
- 2022 M.S. Candidate in Speech Language and Hearing Sciences
San Francisco State University - 2020 B.S. in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
San Francisco State University
Research Interests
The Gray Matter Lab’s mission to improve the quality of life of individuals through evidence-based interventions aligns my own personal mission. In the lab, I collect Tagalog data and help enforce reliability and fidelity measures. I'm interested in bi/multilingualism, and my ultimate goal is to serve bilingual adults with aphasia.
Undergraduate
Amanda Adams
Education
- 2022 B.S. Candidate in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
San Francisco State University
Research Interests
I have always been fascinated with linguistics and the complex nature of the brain. I joined Gray Matter Lab in Fall 2020, and it has been a great opportunity to explore language rehabilitation after brain injury. In the AY2020-2021, I administered the AbSANT (Abstract Semantic Associative Network Treatment) protocol to a monolingual adult with aphasia. I am currently co-leading Conversation Club and contributing to the development and data analyses of projects that examine the role of cognitive control in bilingual and monolingual aphasia. Being a part of Gray Matter Lab has helped develop my clinical acumen, strengthened my ability to help participants communicate effectively, and provide interventions that boost quality of life for persons with aphasia.
Kenly Doyle
Education
- 2022 B.S. Candidate in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
San Francisco State University
Research Interests
Coming soon!
Alexiz Ortiz
Education
- 2023 B.S. Candidate; Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
San Francisco State University
Research Interests
My overall research interests are focused on improving language treatment outcomes after stroke and exploring how access to services impacts the rehabilitation process. In the lab, we work with people with aphasia who identify as BIPOC. Their experiences navigating the world of rehabilitation are quite different than their White counterparts, and I'd like to better understand this difference. Currently I co-lead the English-speaking Conversation Club and administer an intensive language intervention as part of project AbSANT (Abstract Semantic Associative Network Training).