Empowering our Community through Communication Health

Welcome to our research landing page! Our goal is to improve communication health in the community through innovative research driven by you, the community.  Communication health refers to the well-being of our ability to communicate through words and gestures. There are many conditions such as stress and brain injuries that can negatively impact our communication health.  Our goal is to learn more about maintaining and improving our communication health, especially within underserved communities. In doing so, we can foster communication health equity for all.

There are many ways to participate in research. For more information on our current projects including eligibility and compensation, please email us at research@raymondbanksfoundation.org.

Research Projects

Project title

Exploring the Relationship between Bilingualism and Posttraumatic Stress

project description

This project examines posttraumatic stress, COVID-19, and cognitive-linguistic skills among Spanish-speaking bilinguals. Survey data on 212 Spanish-speaking bilingual adults (ages 21-60) was examined to understand the perception of recent traumas on the Spanish and English language of bilingual children and adults.  Results from this project may provide insight on improving culturally-responsive interdisciplinary intervention.

This project was funded as part of a larger student research training program by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, American Speech-Language Association.

Want to learn more? Check out our presentations on this project here and below. A summary of the project’s findings will be available December 2024.

Project title

Utilizing Natural Language Processing to Drive Community Health Equity

Project description

Cognitive health plays a key role in everyone’s life. Understanding how people experience healthcare, especially in underserved and high-risk communities, is essential for reducing health disparities. By looking at the social and psychological factors that affect health, we can create more effective solutions to address these challenges. This means improving health education, ensuring healthcare providers are culturally aware, and working closely with local organizations to make healthcare more accessible, affordable, and better suited to the unique needs of these communities. Supporting individuals to take an active role in their own healthcare, and providing them with the right tools and resources, can lead to better health outcomes and close the gaps in healthcare access and research. This project explores how new technology, like natural language processing (NLP), can analyze stories and data to promote health equity.

This project was funded through the AIM-AHEAD Leadership Fellowship Program.

Want to learn more? Check out our poster presentation below. A summary of the project’s findings will be available August 2025.

Are You A Graduate Student Interested in Research? Become CulturallySMART!

Culturally SMART is a 1-year virtual fellowship for historically underrepresented graduate students in communication sciences and disorders and related disciplines.  Fellows will learn cultural competency and gain direct clinical research mentorship in multicultural issues.  At the end of the program, fellows will have the opportunity to present their work at a conference and/or publish in a scholarly journal.  Stipends are also provided to help offset costs associated with participation.  

Eligibility Requirements:

In order to participant as a fellow, you must be:

1. A full-time graduate student enrolled in a communication sciences & disorders program or related discipline (e.g., psychology)

2. In good academic standing (will be verified by unofficial transcripts)

3. A member of a historically underrepresented population in STEM

Applications are currently closed. Please check out the CulturallySMART Page for the latest updates.