Dr. Hilger’s research investigates the neural mechanisms underlying impaired speech production in motor speech disorders. While her work is anchored in cerebellar ataxia as a model of disrupted motor coordination, her broader program examines how neurological disease alters respiratory, phonatory, articulatory, and prosodic control systems that support natural and intelligible speech. Her research integrates experimental models of speech motor control with clinical characterization to identify mechanistic drivers of speech impairment across neurological populations. Using acoustic analysis, physiologic measures, and sensorimotor paradigms, she examines how neural dysfunction disrupts timing, feedback control, and multi-system coordination during speech production. In parallel, Dr. Hilger leads translational work aimed at improving diagnostic precision in motor speech disorders. She co-developed the Colorado Motor Speech Framework, a structured clinical assessment tool designed to enhance differential diagnosis of dysarthria and apraxia of speech. Through this work, her lab bridges mechanistic research and clinical implementation to inform targeted treatment approaches and improve patient outcomes. Dr. Hilger directs the Colorado Motor Speech Lab, where ongoing projects span cerebellar ataxia and other neurogenic speech disorders, with the long-term goal of advancing mechanism-informed diagnosis and rehabilitation.
keywords
dysarthria, ataxia, prosody, intonation, acoustics, motor speech, bayesian statistics, voice
SLHS 3116 - Anatomy, Physiology, and Science of Speech
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2020 / Fall 2021 / Spring 2023 / Fall 2023 / Spring 2024 / Fall 2024 / Spring 2025 / Spring 2026
Provides a basic understanding of the structural organization (anatomy), function (physiology), and neural controls of the structures used to produce speech, swallowing, respiration, and related behaviors in humans. Recommended prerequisite: SLHS 3106.
SLHS 4938 - Internship: Speech-Language Intervention
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2026
Provides a supervised clinical experience with children or adults who have communication challenges. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours. Instructor consent required.
SLHS 5292 - Neurogenic Speech Disorders in Adults
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2020 / Fall 2021 / Fall 2023 / Fall 2024
Presents the neural bases of normal and disordered speech motor control, teaches assessment and treatment of motor speech disorders in adults, and applies motor control research to clinical problems.
