1. Voice production modeling Research in this area is based on the development of numerical analysis methods of voice production. The goal is to estimate subject-specific parameters from these models in order to have better insights on the causes and effects of voice disorders, as well as predicting voice modes by tuning parameters.
  2. Voice Acoustics and Aerodynamics The laboratory is equipped with instruments to measure different signals from voice, including oral air flow, pressure, EGG, skin acceleration, and audio. By using statistical signal processing, important aerodynamic measures are obtained from these signals, which could allow better assessment on the characteristics of vocal pathologies.
  3. Laryngeal High-Speed Video Laryngeal High-Speed VideoThis area of research is focused on understanding the hidden dynamics of vocal fold motions through images with high precision. VPLAB has a state-of-the-art high speed video camera able to capture up to 48,000 frames per second. This level of detail will allow obtaining useful information that can be complementary to other signals for voice assessment.
  4. Ambulatory Monitoring of Voice Ambulatory Monitoring of VoiceVocal pathologies usually develop during long terms of voice use; therefore, it is necessary to have a monitoring system to understand the patterns that could create or affect those conditions. In partnership with MGH/Harvard and MIT, we have developed an ambulatory system consisting in an accelerometer attached to the neck of a person and connected to a smartphone. The data obtained from the sensor, after a week of voice use, is processed using machine learning techniques in order to obtain predictions of how a person is using his/her voice in a daily basis.
  5. Neuromuscular control of normal and disordered phonation Using high-density EEG systems and EEG modeling, we study the processing of temporal properties of speech-sound at different levels of the auditory pathway. We analyze the functional interaction between sensory, associative and motor cortical areas to describe the physiological mechanisms responsible for controlling different aspect of the speech production with special interest in studies related to alterations of auditory feedback and its relation with the production of normal phonation and dysphonia.