Tag: Research

From the lab to the concert hall, virtual reality plays a growing role in acoustics studies

May 05, 2026 | Ethan Simmons

Virtual reality helps “bridge the gap” between lab environments and the real world

To simulate classrooms, performance halls and other indoor environments, the Speech Accommodation to Acoustics Lab uses virtual reality and “auralization” techniques in controlled settings. (Photo provided)

At the Speech Accommodation to Acoustics Lab, researchers are trying to solve a common problem for teachers and vocal performers. How can they be heard and understood without straining their voices? 

Pasquale Bottalico, associate professor of speech and hearing science, runs the Speech Accommodation to Acoustics Lab, which investigates the acoustical conditions of rooms—classes, restaurants and concert halls alike—that lend themselves to intelligible speech with minimal vocal effort from the speakers. 

Over the last 5 years, the lab’s research has steered toward virtual reality and auralization, a technique to replicate the sound conditions of different spaces, to simulate these indoor conditions and make their studies more applicable to real-life scenarios. Here, Bottalico expands on his SpAA Lab’s recent projects and VR experiments.

When did your lab begin using virtual reality? What compelled you about this type of technology for your area of research?

Our lab began working with virtual reality (VR) in 2020 as part of our broader research on how acoustic environments influence voice production and communication. In many traditional speech and voice studies, experiments are conducted in quiet laboratory settings that do not fully represent the complex environments people encounter in everyday life.

VR provides a powerful way to bridge that gap. It allows us to recreate realistic environments—such as classrooms, concert halls, or social settings—while still maintaining precise experimental control. For example, VR makes it possible to manipulate room acoustics, background noise and visual cues independently and observe how speakers adapt their voice. Research has shown that both auditory and visual environmental information can influence voice production and perception, highlighting the importance of studying communication in multisensory contexts rather than purely auditory ones.  

For virtual reality studies you’ve worked on, could you describe what these experiences look, feel, and sound like for participants?

Participants wear a virtual reality headset and headphones that immerse them in a simulated environment. For example, someone might find themselves standing in a classroom, a concert hall or a restaurant while speaking or singing. The visual environment allows them to look around the space, while spatialized audio reproduces how their voice would sound in that particular room.

This means participants hear realistic acoustic effects such as reverberation, reflections and background noise. Studies using these methods have shown that speakers and singers naturally adjust their vocal production depending on the acoustic properties of the environment, even when those environments are simulated.  

What equipment or tools do you use to simulate these experiences?

To create these simulations, we combine several technologies. 

Participants typically use a VR headset for the visual environment and high-quality headphones to deliver spatial audio that reproduces realistic room acoustics.

Behind the scenes, we use auralization techniques, which allow us to simulate how sound propagates in real spaces such as classrooms, concert halls or lecture halls. We use real measurements to simulate the acoustics of the environments, like a University of Illinois classroom, or venues at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. 

Microphones and acoustic analysis tools are also used to measure vocal parameters such as sound pressure level, pitch, and vocal effort while participants interact with the virtual environment.

Because virtual reality can replicate the sensory conditions of real communication environments, it may help improve the transfer of therapeutic strategies from the clinic to everyday life.

Pasquale Bottalico

Associate Professor Speech and Hearing Science

Tell us more about VR as a training or therapy tool. How might virtual reality benefit professional voice users and individuals with voice disorders?

VR has enormous potential as a training and therapy tool, especially for professional voice users such as teachers, singers and public speakers. These individuals often need to communicate in demanding environments for long periods of time, which can lead to vocal fatigue or voice disorders.

One challenge in voice therapy is that exercises performed in a quiet clinic may not transfer easily to real-life environments. VR can help address this problem by allowing people to practice communication in realistic scenarios—such as teaching in a noisy classroom or speaking in a crowded social setting—while still being in a safe and controlled therapeutic environment.

Because VR can replicate the sensory conditions of real communication environments, it may help improve the transfer of therapeutic strategies from the clinic to everyday life.

What are some examples of virtual reality studies you’ve performed? What did you learn?

Our lab has been exploring VR applications for voice and speech research through several projects and doctoral dissertations.

For example, the doctoral work of Charles Nudelman, Ph.D., supported by the Raymond H. Stetson Scholarship, examined how visual aspects of an environment—such as room size and occupancy—affect voice production using immersive virtual reality. His research demonstrated that visual characteristics of a room can influence acoustic voice parameters and self-perceived vocal fatigue and discomfort, highlighting the importance of visual cues in voice production.  

Similarly, the doctoral research of Ümit Daşdöğen (now at CSD University of Delaware), funded through an NIH R21 grant, investigated how auditory, visual and audiovisual sensory inputs influence voice perception and production in immersive VR environments. This work showed that multisensory factors can significantly affect vocal loudness, vocal effort, and acoustic voice parameters, helping establish a scientific foundation for the use of VR in voice training and therapy.  

Another related project is the doctoral research of Carly Wingfield at the Illinois School of Music in collaboration with Professor Yvonne Gonzales Redman, which was supported by the prestigious Kate Neal Kinley Fellowship. Her work explored the use of VR simulations to help singers rehearse in virtual replicas of performance venues. The results suggested that practicing in VR environments allowed singers to better adapt to the acoustics of the real performance space and feel more confident when performing in unfamiliar venues.  

We also currently have a new project underway in the lab focusing on virtual reality–based voice therapy and communication training. This study involves Giulia Fusari, a visiting scholar from the Politecnico di Milano, and Mariah Bates, a master’s student in Health Technology at the University of Illinois completing her capstone project with our lab.

The project is developing a human-centered VR platform designed to simulate realistic conversational environments, such as social interactions in restaurants or other everyday communication settings. Participants complete weekly sessions over several weeks, and we evaluate usability, communication effort, realism of the environment and overall user experience. The goal is to better understand how immersive environments can support communication training and voice therapy in ecologically valid contexts.

In future developments, these types of VR environments could also be adapted to support individuals with neurological conditions that affect speech and voice, such as Parkinson’s disease, where patients often struggle to generalize speech therapy skills from the clinic to real-world communication settings.

If there are studies open to participants, how can they reach out?

Individuals interested in participating in research studies in our lab can contact us directly at pb81@illinois.edu. We regularly recruit participants for studies involving speech perception, voice production and immersive communication environments.

Editor’s note:

To learn more about the Speech Accommodation to Acoustics Lab, visit their website.


 

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Jeff Woods’ retirement closes a chapter in the College of Applied Health Sciences 

May 08, 2026 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Woods leaves a legacy of groundbreaking research and inspired mentorship

Jeff Woods, center, got a rousing sendoff from faculty and staff at the AHS college meeting on May 7. (Photo by Ethan Simmons)

After a noteworthy tenure spanning more than three decades at the University of Illinois,  Jeffrey Woods, Ph.D., the associate dean for research in the College of Applied Health Sciences and a national leader in exercise physiology research, has announced his retirement, marking the end of an era for one of the campus’ most influential scholars in health and aging studies. 

Woods, whose work has reshaped scientific understanding of how physical activity benefits the immune system and human health, retires as one of the College of Applied Health Sciences’ most honored researchers and mentors. Named the inaugural Mottier Family Professor in Applied Health Sciences in 2019, Woods leaves a legacy of groundbreaking research and institutional leadership that has influenced both scholars and students alike.  

“When Jeff started his career at Illinois 32 years ago, life looked very different. His days began with an hour-long commute from Charleston, Illinois, to the University of Illinois. Even in tough winter conditions, he never complained; he simply did what needed to be done,” said Amy Woods, the James K. and Karen S. McKechnie Professor and associate dean for faculty affairs in AHS and Jeff’s wife. 

“All the while, his impact extended far beyond home. He traveled widely, shared his expertise with colleagues around the world and contributed to NIH grant reviews, helping to shape the future of research in his field. Now, he has a well-earned chance to slow down and enjoy life on his own terms. Jeff’s dedication and integrity have made a lasting difference, and this milestone is so richly deserved. We are so proud of him and so grateful for the life we’ve built together.” 

Woods earned his B.S. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, an M.S. from Springfield College and his Ph.D. in Exercise Science from the University of South Carolina. He joined the University of Illinois faculty in 1994, eventually holding appointments across multiple disciplinary programs, including the Departments of Health and Kinesiology, Nutritional Sciences and the Carle-Illinois College of Medicine.  

In his retirement announcement, Woods credited the undergrad and graduate students he worked with, as well as faculty and staff, whom he called the “unsung heroes” of the university.

“It has been a great career at a great university,” he wrote. “I look forward to observing your future success through the lens of my emeriti role.”

Throughout his career, Woods became internationally respected for his pioneering research into how regular exercise counteracts inflammation, bolsters vaccine responses in older adults and, perhaps most notably, alters the gut microbiome in ways that promote health independent of diet. His research findings have appeared in over 140 peer-reviewed publications and helped define new directions in the study of aging and preventative health.  

“Jeff has been a defining presence in the College of Applied Health Sciences—as a scientist, as a mentor and as a leader. His career represents the very best of our mission: rigorous research, collaborative innovation and an unwavering commitment to improving human health,” said Cheryl Hanley-Maxwell, dean of the College of Applied Health Sciences. “From the moment he arrived, he brought with him a spirit of curiosity and a deep belief in the transformative power of research.” 

In addition to his pioneering scientific contributions, Woods served in numerous leadership capacities on campus. He was associate dean for research in the College of Applied Health Sciences and director of the Center on Health, Aging and Disability, where he guided interdisciplinary collaborations and championed integrative research programs aimed at improving the quality of life for aging populations.  

Jeff has been a defining presence in the College of Applied Health Sciences—as a scientist, as a mentor and as a leader.

Cheryl Hanley-Maxwell

Dean, College of Applied Health Sciences

Colleagues and students will also remember him as a committed mentor. Over the years, Woods supervised more than 30 graduate students and served as a guiding force for early-career researchers, helping to cultivate a new generation of scholars in health sciences. His leadership extended beyond campus, with roles in national organizations and review panels that have shaped federal research agendas. 

“One thing I’ve always appreciated about Jeff is the space he gave his trainees to grow,” said Jacob Allen, an associate professor in Health and Kinesiology. “As his Ph.D. student, he trusted me early on to think independently, take risks and develop my own scientific voice—practicing over and over how to communicate science clearly. That’s what ultimately matters: making an impact with your science. Jeff always reiterated that. That kind of environment is not easy to create, and it made a lasting impact on how I approach mentorship and science today. Now Jeff gets to apply that same approach to his golf game—plenty of time, plenty of reps, … but now no deadlines! Though he may still need a little extra ‘scientific creativity’ when his ball ends up in the woods.” 

The Mottier Family Professorship, established through a generous estate gift honoring Charles and Audrey Phyllis Mottier, was awarded to Woods in recognition of his outstanding contributions to both science and education. At the investiture ceremony in 2019, Woods spoke warmly of the collaborative spirit of his colleagues and his gratitude for their daily challenges and inspirations.  

As he steps away from his official duties, Woods said he looks forward to continuing to engage in collaborative projects, writing and opportunities to speak on issues at the intersection of exercise, aging and public health. 

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.
 

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RST student brings equity-focused research to national science policy advocacy workshop 

April 28, 2026 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Malaika Bigirindavyi learns valuable lessons on how the government funds research

Malaika Bigirindavyi is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism (Photo provided)

For Malaika Bigirindavyi, science has never existed in a vacuum. It lives in communities, in policy decisions and in the lived experiences of the people her research aims to center. That belief guided her to the AAAS Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering Workshop, a national program hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, D.C. 

The workshop, commonly known as CASE, brings together graduate students from across the country to learn how federal policy shapes scientific research, and how scientists can shape policy in return. 

Bigirindavyi, a first-year doctoral student in the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign working with Assistant Professor Yannick Kluch, said the opportunity immediately aligned with her academic and personal interests. 

“I have thoroughly enjoyed working on policy co-creation, implications and developing communal accountability measures,” she said. “This opportunity sounded like a perfect chance to expand my understanding of how policy can be used for social justice and equity-oriented work.” 

Her research focuses on the lived experiences of Black women student-athletes and how they build community within their institutions—work she describes as deeply rooted in a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. That connection made the workshop especially timely, as many researchers grapple with shifting federal priorities and increased scrutiny of DEI-related funding and scholarship. 

At CASE, Bigirindavyi joined students from a wide range of disciplines, from engineering to public health. Despite their varied fields, she said a common thread quickly emerged: concern over federal funding and the role of advocacy in protecting research. 

“The larger scientific community has experienced alienation and funding cuts,” she said. “That was one of the main unifying concerns across disciplines.” 

One of the workshop’s central goals is to demystify the federal budget and appropriations process, a system that can feel opaque even to seasoned researchers. For Bigirindavyi, that clarity was one of the most valuable takeaways. 

“There are a lot of misconceptions and confusion about how the federal government is structured and run,” she said. “The presenters made sure everyone was on the same page before diving into the budget process.” 

She described learning about the intricate network of stakeholders, timelines and decision points that determine how federal research dollars are allocated. Understanding those details, she said, is essential for scientists who want their work to be heard. 

“There are specific times in the fiscal year that are more effective for connecting with policymakers,” she said. “There are also relationships, like how leadership at agencies is appointed, that can signal future priorities.” 

For graduate students, particularly those early in their careers, that knowledge can be empowering. 

“It gives you a roadmap,” Bigirindavyi said. “You’re not just doing research and hoping it matters. You’re learning how to advocate for it in spaces where decisions are actually made.” 

Beyond the policy lessons, the workshop also offered something less tangible but equally important: community. 

Bigirindavyi said she was most excited to meet other graduate students and learn about their work, and that those conversations became a highlight of the experience. 

“Everyone was super welcoming and friendly,” she said. “It’s always great when you can find connections between your work and others.” 

Those connections reinforced another key message of the workshop: that science and policy cannot afford to remain separate. 

“There’s often this idea that science and policy are siloed,” she said. “But when there’s a disconnect, there can be catastrophic outcomes.” 

Malaika Bigirindavyi, right, outside of the office of Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.) (Photo provided)

She pointed to issues such as climate change, vaccination and gender and sexual health as areas where gaps between scientific evidence and policy decisions have already had real-world consequences. 

“A lack of engagement can lead to misinformation or false information spreading,” she said. “That’s why it’s so important for scientists to be part of those conversations.” 

Now back on campus, Bigirindavyi is already thinking about how to apply what she learned. 

One goal is to share her knowledge with peers, particularly when it comes to navigating the federal system. 

“I want to help demystify the budget process for others in my department,” she said. “Knowledge is extremely powerful. The more researchers understand the system, the more effective our advocacy can be.” 

She also plans to continue integrating advocacy into her own work, both in research and in the broader academic community. 

“Advocacy is a key component of my approach,” she said. “The research I want to publish is grounded in transforming systems and policy for racial and gender equity and justice.” 

That vision extends beyond academia. Bigirindavyi hopes her work will not only inform policy, but also empower the communities she studies. 

“I want participants in my research to develop an understanding of advocacy for themselves and their communities,” she said. 

For other graduate students interested in science communication or policy, Bigirindavyi offers a simple but direct message: use your voice. 

“Student voices have been the pillars of so many social and political movements,” she said. “There are endless ways to communicate and advocate—speaking, writing, signing petitions, showing up.” 

Her experience at CASE underscored that advocacy does not require abandoning science; it requires strengthening it. 

As debates over funding, equity and the role of research continue at the national level, programs such as the CASE workshop aim to prepare the next generation of scientists not just to conduct research, but to defend and advance it. 

For Bigirindavyi, that mission feels personal. 

“Science impacts people’s lives,” she said. “If we care about our work and the communities it serves, then we have to be willing to advocate for it.” 

Editor’s note:

To reach Malaika Bigirindavyi, email mjb18@illinois.edu 

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In second year, Illini Physical Activity Symposium widened its reach

April 07, 2026 | Ethan Simmons

The second Physical Activity Symposium at Illinois was hosted by the Department of Health and Kinesiology on April 3, 2026.

The Illini Physical Activity Symposium celebrates the widening research field of physical activity and its connections to public health across the globe. 

The second edition hosted at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign added a couple new traditions, including live student presentations and a guest speaker, but things kicked off the same way as last year: with a sunny walk to the Main Quad. 

“We felt very happy with our event and the feedback we received from the students, and we feel motivated to continue with this initiative for next year,” said Health and Kinesiology Assistant Professor Otavio Leão. 

This year, students and faculty members also celebrated the launch of the concentration in physical activity and health in the Master of Public Health program at Illinois. 

The Illini Physical Activity Symposium is hosted by labs at the Department of Health and Kinesiology in the College of Applied Health Sciences: 

  • The Lifetime Physical Activity Lab run by Assistant Professor Rafael Tassitano and Teaching Assistant Professor Cecília Tenório. 
  • The Longitudinal Analysis in Physical Activity, Sleep, Sitting, Screen Time, and Accelerometry Lab run by Assistant Professor Leão. (LA-PASSSTA Lab) 
  • The Epidemiology, Physical Activity and International Collaboration Lab of Professor Pedro Hallal. (EPIC Lab) 

University of California San Diego Professor Michael Pratt visited campus to present the research on the potential benefits of vigorous physical activity, and why it may be more important than current physical activity guidelines indicate. 

Michael Pratt (center) visited campus from UCSD to present his findings on vigorous physical activity.
Health and Kinesiology professors (from left) Bruno Nunes, Otavio Leao, Pedro Hallal, Thayna Flores, Cecilia Tenorio, Emerson Sebastiao and Rafael Tassitano pose at the second Illini Physical Activity Symposium.

Afterwards, several graduate and doctoral students presented their findings from physical activity studies, covering topics such as step counts, obesity, screen-time, and childhood development.

Doctoral students Tayo Folorunso and Alisha Chuhdry won the inaugural Bill Kohl Awards for best poster presentation and oral presentation at the event. Folorunso presented her research into physical activity and abdominal obesity among U.S. women, and Chuhdry presented a study on motor competence among preschool children in Brazil. 

Health and Kinesiology doctoral student Tayo Folorunso was honored for her outstanding poster presentation at the second Illini Physical Activity Symposium, on April 3, 2026.
Health and Kinesiology doctoral student Alisha Chuhdry was honored for her outstanding poster presentation at the second Illini Physical Activity Symposium, on April 3, 2026.

“Having doctoral students present their research at the symposium is a valuable experience. It allows them to practice communicating their work to a broader audience, receive feedback, and gain confidence in public speaking,” Tenorio said. “Experiences like this also help young researchers build their professional network and encourage them to continue pursuing a career in research.” 

Editor’s note:

To reach Cecília Tenório, email tenorioc@illinois.edu.
To reach Otavio Leão, email leao@illinois.edu.
 

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U. of I. trial will test if exercise can improve protein efficiency for older adults with type 2 diabetes

Oct. 25, 2025 | Ethan Simmons

Can regular exercise reduce the protein needs of adults with type 2 diabetes?

From left: University of Illinois Professor Nick Burd, postdoc Mikaela Kasperek, Ph.D. student Gena Irwin, and Associate Professor Jacob Allen pose inside Freer Hall’s gym, where their labs will train participants in a 12-week exercise program for a clinical trial.

For healthy adults, roughly .8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day is enough to maintain muscle mass and support daily function.

But for adults with type 2 diabetes, an estimated 1 in 10 adults in the United States, their protein requirements remain relatively undefined, but are believed to be elevated when compared to their non-diabetic counterparts. Especially as diabetic individuals age, their bodies often become more anabolic resistant: less responsive to the muscle-building effects of exercise and protein intake.

Researchers from the Department of Health and Kinesiology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are recruiting participants for a human clinical trial to understand the protein needs of older adults with type 2 diabetes, and whether regular exercise can help their bodies use protein more efficiently.

“The problem with current strategies for type 2 diabetes is they largely try to keep throwing protein in people’s diets: eat more, eat more, eat more,” HK Professor Nicholas Burd said.  

Piling on the protein could have detrimental effects. There’s evidence that circulating amino acids, including branch chain amino acids that promote muscle mass, are associated with poorer outcomes for people with diabetes, said HK Associate Professor Jacob Allen.

Their upcoming study, “Exercise impact on dietary protein efficiency in older adults with type 2 diabetes,” is funded by a grant from the American Diabetes Association. The principal investigators are Burd, who researches protein metabolism, and Allen, who studies how exercise and nutrition impact the gut microbiome.

Health and Kinesiology professors Jack Senefeld and Steve Petruzzello are co-investigators on the study.

HK Assistant Professor Jack Senefeld and Professor Steve Petruzzello are co-investigators on the study, bringing expertise on training diabetic individuals and psychological well-being during exercise. Ph.D. candidate Gena Irwin and postdoc Mikaela Kasperek will lead the work from the Burd’s Exercise Performance Lab and Allen’s Integrative Microbiota Physiology labs respectively.

Starting this fall, the researchers will recruit 30 older adults to participate in this study—15 individuals living with type 2 diabetes and 15 without—and bring them into Freer Hall’s gym for a 12-week fitness program that mixes weight training with endurance exercise.

The researchers will use sensitive tools in their labs to figure out how efficiently participants’ bodies utilize protein, and whether that efficiency varies for older adults with and without diabetes. After participants wrap the exercise program, the team will test whether resistance training improved their bodies’ usage of protein overall, lessening their daily protein needs.

“To make an older person’s muscles more youthful, you can exercise them,” Burd said. “But we don’t know how the gut’s being impacted, and we don’t know how type 2 diabetes interferes with some of the ‘youthfulness’ effects of exercise.”

Some of our dietary protein ends up in our skeletal muscle, through muscle-protein synthesis, and some of it is used for energy. But there’s a “black box” around where the rest of our protein goes in the body, Allen said.

“We think that the microbes in the gut, the gut microbiome, might be responsible for some of this, but this has never been studied,” Allen said. “We’ve run some pilot work that fueled part of this study, where we can show that indeed, ingested amino acids are converted into these microbial metabolites.”

Why might that matter? Some of these metabolites are important for human health overall, Allen said. For example, short chain fatty acids—the byproducts of dietary fiber being processed in our gut—bring a host of benefits for metabolism and the immune system.

The research teams will host intervention days at the beginning and end of the 12-week exercise program, to see how participants’ bodies are using the protein in their muscle and gut.

Participants will consume amino acids labeled with stable isotope tracers. The labs will collect breath samples to see how much of the labeled amino acid is showing up in the breath—if more of that labeled protein appears in participants’ breath, their bodies aren’t as good at incorporating it into muscle.

Blood samples will help the scientists understand how the gut is taking those amino acids and converting them into potentially beneficial metabolites.

The second intervention day at the end of the trial will determine whether an exercise program changed the way participants’ bodies use protein.

“There are very few labs in the U.S that not only have the expertise, but have the infrastructure to be able to do this kind of work, so we’re very fortunate for Illinois and our department,” Burd said. “Stable isotope tracers require expensive machines to analyze.”

What’s in it for participants? On top of helping the scientists form dietary guidelines for older adults with type 2 diabetes, they’ll receive progressive exercise training from expert students and faculty at the college, that will hopefully serve them well beyond their last visit.

“A big goal is to change behavior, too, to make them healthier,” Allen said. “That’s ultimately what we’re trying to do.”

Editor’s note:

Interested in participating in this study? Take the survey to see if you qualify, or email the organizers at HK-ADA-Study@illinois.edu

To reach Nick Burd, email naburd@illinois.edu
To reach Jacob Allen, email jmallen5@illinois.edu

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Understanding the trauma coping of Ukrainian refugees

Oct. 21, 2025 | Ethan Simmons

‘This was by far the most difficult and I think impactful work that I have done’

Photos from Medyka, a Polish village near the Ukraine border, a few months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Millions of Ukrainian refugees have passed through Poland, with more than 990,000 settling there under temporary protected status. (Provided by Monika Stodolska)

Sitting face-to-face with Ukrainian refugees who had escaped to Poland after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Recreation, Sport and Tourism Professor Monika Stodolska asked a set of questions many of them hadn’t considered. Namely, what do you do in your leisure time?

She wanted to understand what they had done to cope with their psychological trauma from the conflict, and whether their participation in leisure activities had helped to relieve some of the stress they’d experienced. But Stodolska wasn’t prepared for how difficult it would be to even broach the subject, or how the refugees’ reactions would affect her personally.

“The look on their faces when I asked that really stuck with me. ‘How can you even be asking about leisure when everything else is going on, when my family lives on the front lines, when I’m separated from my children?’” Stodolska said. “I knew as a researcher how important leisure can be in helping people cope with those most difficult moments in their lives. But these people didn’t realize that.”

Stodolska, professor of RST at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, researches how leisure and recreation can improve health and well-being, especially among racially and ethnically minoritized populations. In 2025, she released the first paper in a series studying the human consequences of the Russian war on Ukraine, specifically in the neighboring country of Poland.

By Feb. 2024, more than 18.8 million Ukrainians had crossed the country’s border with Poland since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. By Sept. 2025, roughly 993,000 Ukrainian refugees remained in Poland under temporary protected status, with the majority resettling elsewhere or returning to Ukraine. (Germany is the only country with more Ukrainian refugees, at nearly 1.2 million).  

In the fall of 2022, Stodolska—who happened to be on sabbatical—traveled back to her home country of Poland and began conducting in-depth interviews with three groups of people who were thrust into action as the war intensified. 

She interviewed Ukrainian refugees who moved westward to Poland to escape the war, administrators of the aid effort such as Polish city mayors and organizers of mass refugee shelters, and “helpers,” Polish residents who housed refugees when the conflict escalated and volunteers who assisted the aid effort at home or on the frontlines.

Her first paper in the series, “The Roles of Leisure in Trauma Coping Among Ukrainian War Refugees in Poland,” was published in the journal Leisure Sciences this April. The paper contains firsthand narratives from her interviews with the Ukrainian refugees, which took place from Nov. 2022 to May 2023. 

Among the 21 refugees she interviewed for the study, 19 were women, matching the ratio of Ukrainians initially displaced by the war. Until this August, men of military age were not allowed to leave Ukraine while the fighting continued.

Stodolska conducted interviews in a mix of Polish, English and some Russian, while research assistant Tala Naumovska, from the Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures, conducted interviews with subjects who spoke only Ukrainian.

Polish and Ukrainian flags on the gates to the Warsaw University campus. Polish national attitudes toward Ukrainian refugees have shifted since the invasion began. (Monika Stodolska)

Using Lazarus and Folkman’s framework to explain how individuals cope with psychological stress, Stodolska divided their leisure activities into either emotion-focused or problem-focused coping. The emotion-focused coping, among others, included checking Ukrainian news or staying in touch with family and friends, while problem-focused coping included collecting materials that could be sent the war’s frontlines, using leisure to build a sense of belonging, and traveling across Poland to learn about their new environment.

“We knew that leisure is a good buffer against trauma,” she said. “But there was so much more that surfaced in this study.”

Many of the refugees she interviewed developed strong relationships with their Polish host families, and found purpose in joining the community’s volunteer activities for the war effort, such as weaving camouflage nets intended for the war’s trenches.

Stodolska was continually struck by the immense humanitarian response she witnessed in the wake of the second invasion of Ukraine.

“It was not only the Polish population—Czech, Slovaks, Germans, everyone wanted to help. The scale and magnitude of the assistance that was given to people was just extraordinary,” Stodolska said. “To me, it was not only extremely moving from a humanitarian perspective, but from a research perspective, I thought that this was unprecedented and needed to be studied.”

But the process of acclimation was painstaking for many of the refugees, who often struggled to find purpose in their free time. Eartha, a 38-year-old mother who escaped from Ukraine with her three children, compared leisure activities like visiting the local park or zoo to “doing time” in prison while awaiting her return.

 “Because it’s like you don’t live, you’re just there, you’re just passing the time. You’re ‘doing time’. I mean, you’re safe; everything is fine, but you are just like a piece of paper,” Eartha said in her interview. 

What has lingered with Stodolska are the traumatic memories of escape her interviewees recalled. Three years after beginning this study, she feels irrevocably changed.

“This was my first encounter with people who just crossed the border escaping death,” Stodolska said. “The gruesome stories that they were telling me, people whose families were murdered or who witnessed death during the escape … I was shell-shocked doing this study.”

“I’ve studied race and ethnicity and discrimination for decades now, but this was by far the most difficult and I think impactful work that I have done.”

The look on their faces really stuck with me. ‘How can you even be asking about leisure when everything else is going on, when my family lives on the front lines, when I’m separated from my children?

Monika Stodolska

Professor of Recreation, Sport and Tourism

While working on her second paper chronicling Polish “helpers” of Ukrainian refugees, Stodolska decided to pause and reevaluate. Polish citizens’ attitudes toward Ukrainian refugees who had settled in the country have deteriorated in the last year, Stodolska said, and she wants to return this fall to collect more data to trace the reasons for this shift.

“They were, at the beginning of the conflict, incredibly supportive and pro-Ukrainian, including here in the United States, but especially in Eastern Europe. The narrative was, ‘They’re fighting our war. Poland is next, right?’,” Stodolska said. “However, we have since seen a marked shift in the attitudes towards migrants—to the point where the majority of the Polish population says that they want the refugees to leave and go back home.”

Why the shift? New perceptions have emerged in Poland and in the region; that Ukrainian refugees are a drain on the country’s resources, or that they’re receiving preferential treatment through government assistance programs. In an opinion poll from the Warsaw-based Centre for Public Opinion Research, 50% of Poles believed the scale of government assistance for Ukrainian refugees was “too great” in general, while 58% believed Ukrainian refugees must work to receive social benefits.

“It was not only the Polish population—Czech, Slovaks, Germans, everyone wanted to help. The scale and magnitude of the assistance that was given to people was just extraordinary,” Stodolska said.

Stodolska is planning to re-interview many of the Poles who brought Ukrainian refugees into their homes and who offered assistance through other means, and ask, “if you were in this situation again, would you still help to the extent you did?”

“I want to have two snapshots in time,” she said. “Take a more longitudinal approach.”

While war negotiations remain at a standstill, the suffering continues. Yet, as Stodolska wrote in the closing paragraph of her paper, Ukrainian refugees’ experiences are only the tip of the iceberg: more than 100 million people globally have been forcibly displaced worldwide by war, oppression and persecution.

She wrote that it was her “sincere wish” that research on refugees was not needed, but that until they are able to return to their homelands, “their fight for survival and dignity [must be] brought to the witness of the world.”

“Don’t lose interest, don’t lose compassion. Compassion is never wrong. Doing the right thing is never wrong,” Stodolska said. “Research is only one tool of that. If I can use research to make sure that this stays in the news cycle, and that people don’t lose interest in helping Ukraine or helping other people who are in need, I’ve done my job.”

Editor’s note:

To contact Monika Stodolska, email stodolsk@illinois.edu
The paper “The Roles of Leisure in Trauma Coping Among Ukrainian War Refugees in Poland” is available online.
DOI: 10.1080/01490400.2025.2487070

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Health study involves adults with Down syndrome ‘every step of the way’

Oct. 15, 2025 | Ethan Simmons

NIH-funded study will develop community resources to support well-being of adults with Down syndrome

Marie Moore Channell and Joey Kane at the National Down Syndrome Society Adult Summit. (Provided)

The transition to adulthood can be a challenging phase for people with Down syndrome, as resources built to support them in their youth and in school begin to dry up.

Marie Moore Channell, associate professor of Speech and Hearing Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is the lead investigator on a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health, which will collect the direct perspectives of young adults with Down syndrome and develop community resources to support their social, mental and physical well-being.

Unlike any previous study on the topic, this one has a steering committee of adults with Down syndrome who’ve helped develop the direction of the study “every step of the way.”

“We realized that the research as a whole is missing that perspective from individuals with Down syndrome themselves,” Channell said. “It’s really a humbling experience as a researcher to take a step back and not say, ‘these are the topics missing in the literature.’ This time, we said, ‘you tell us.’”

Channell and her co-investigators, University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Susan Loveall and Vanderbilt University’s Meghan Burke, have obtained a two-year, $446,096 grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development for their study, titled “Developing and implementing community based participatory health research with young adults with Down syndrome.”

The research team will cast a wide net, conducting one-to-one Zoom interviews with adults with Down syndrome across the U.S. to better understand their health concerns, and how to best support them.

The study emerged from a separate survey the professors had sent out to caregivers of individuals with Down syndrome, which sought to identify the gaps in support that occur once they reached young adulthood. Adults with Down syndrome tend to live with a caregiver until age 50.

“Families tell us some version of the same thing, over and over: that the supports they were receiving when they were younger and in the schools, are taken away when they’re older,” Channell said.

They decided the topic warranted further investigation. But first, Channell and her team used their networks to form a steering committee with 12 young adults, all of whom have Down syndrome.

One of those steering committee members is Joey Kane, a 30-year-old from Seattle who met Channell at the National Down Syndrome Society Adult Summit a couple years ago. Channell described some of the participatory research she was interested in doing, and Joey was all ears.

“I like to help make a difference,” Kane said. “It’s giving my voice to be heard, and advocating not just for me, but for everyone else who has a disability.”

While the lead researchers have put the study in motion, the steering committee has met with them at least once a week over video calls, sometimes twice to accommodate members living in different time zones.

The health topics they’ve focused on, Channell said, have ranged from securing employment and community living, to improving physical health and self-advocacy skills.

All those priorities resonate with Kane. He lives in an apartment about a mile away from his parents’ house and has two jobs: he serves dinner at the cafeteria in a local nursing home and works the front desk at the Down Syndrome Center of Puget Sound, where he also helps teach in the center’s adult program.

Kane has enjoyed meeting the rest of the committee and learning about their perspectives on health topics. He credited Channell and the other study organizers for making sure everyone is represented.

“What’s really good about Marie and the people doing the study, is they can tell who hasn’t talked yet,” he said. “It makes me happy that everyone’s participating. If everyone participates, we’re going to have a good study.”

We realized that the research as a whole is missing that perspective from individuals with Down syndrome themselves.

Marie Moore Channell

Associate Professor, Speech and Hearing Science

Input from the steering committee has shaped the study in critical ways. For one, at the suggestion of the committee, the community resources will likely be geared for professionals who support individuals with Down syndrome, such as healthcare providers, case managers and job coaches.

The virtual interviews will be one-one-one video calls, rather than online surveys. Participants will be able to see questions ahead of time and bring pictures to illustrate their ideas.

“It is a technique we learned about in looking at the research, and that’s one the [steering committee] gravitated toward. It’s called ‘photovoice,’ and it’s been used in similar kinds of community participatory research methods,” Channell said.

The resources could take several forms, but what Channell knows for sure is she’ll be “working with this group every step of the way.” 

“I’ve never done this kind of work before, and it’s been a big learning curve, but really refreshing. Because it feels like we can make an impact a lot faster,” Channell said. “I still highly value the other kinds of research I’ve done, but this is something where it’s built into the project to implement into the community by the end.” 

The investigators will put together a “researcher’s toolkit,” compiling the successful practices and challenges of this participatory research. The team is currently hiring some of the steering committee members as co-researchers, who will be trained to help conduct the one-on-one interviews and take part in day-to-day research tasks.

“I’ve learned so much, and I see the value of connecting with the community, building a relationship and working with them before their research study is designed—not imposing your research questions on the community, we’re so used to doing that,” she said.

“It’s really challenging to change that, but I think it’s what we all should be doing more and more of as researchers.”

Editor’s note:

To reach Marie Channell, email channell@illinois.edu
Channell runs the Intellectual DisAbilities Communication Lab at Illinois. Visit their website.
 

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AHS Faculty Q&A: Mariana Mendes Bahia on swallowing disorders and her research agenda

Oct. 14, 2025 | Ethan Simmons

Speech and Hearing Science Assistant Professor Mariana Mendes Bahia, Ph.D. and CCC-SLP, is an expert on swallowing physiology, respiratory-swallowing coordination, and therapeutic strategies to alleviate swallowing disorders, called dysphagia. She joined the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in fall of 2024, and leads the Neuro + Swallowing Research Lab.

Mariana Mendes Bahia. (Photo by Ethan Simmons)
How was your first year at the Department of Speech and Hearing Science here at AHS?

Mariana: My first year was a period of growth and adaptation as I became familiar with the university and the Department of SHS. I have been fortunate to receive consistent support from colleagues and departmental staff, which greatly eased this transitional period and helped me navigate new academic and administrative environments.

This year was also dedicated to establishing my laboratory, the Neuro+Swallowing Research Lab, and laying the foundation for my future research program. Setting up the lab allowed me to plan my next steps, define research priorities, and begin shaping a trajectory that aligns with my long-term academic goals, while learning to adapt to the challenges and opportunities of a new institutional setting.

When did you first become interested in studying swallowing physiology and disorders, and why have you stuck with that topic in your research?

My initial interest in swallowing developed during my specialization in speech-language pathology in neurology, when I had the opportunity to conduct swallowing assessments and provide treatment for individuals with swallowing disorders, known as dysphagia, related to neurological diseases.

I was fascinated by the complexity of the swallowing process—something we do countless times a day without even thinking about it. What intrigued me most was how such an automatic act relies on the intricate coordination of more than 30 muscles (and many other structures), several nerves, and brain structures. The interaction among all the swallowing structures, along with the brain and breathing, felt like solving puzzles, and this challenge sparked my curiosity and passion for learning more about the mechanisms behind swallowing and how to best support patients with these difficulties.

As a clinically trained speech-language pathologist, I have observed the devastating impact of swallowing disorders on individuals and their families. This experience has motivated me to integrate my clinical expertise and research background in the investigation of swallowing physiology, particularly the interaction between brain-swallowing and breathing-swallowing, to advance rehabilitation approaches that enhance swallowing ability, improve patient care and enhance the quality of life for individuals with dysphagia and their families.

Bahia in her office at the Speech and Hearing Science building.
You’ve described dysphagia as an “invisible” disorder. For the folks you’ve worked with, how does dysphagia impact their quality of life?

Swallowing is a critical process for life. We need to eat and drink for adequate nutrition and hydration. However, we also eat and drink for pleasure and comfort. Eating is a highly social activity. Therefore, the impacts of swallowing disorders or dysphagia are not restricted to the physical health domain, such as inadequate food or liquid intake, resulting in malnutrition, dehydration, or unintended weight loss.

Individuals with dysphagia face psychological, emotional, and social impacts, including fear of eating, embarrassment, loss of enjoyment when they cannot eat or drink certain foods, and reduced social participation in cultural events or family gatherings where eating is central. The limited ability to share a meal may weaken family and community bonds.

Which therapeutic interventions can work for those living with dysphagia?

Therapeutic interventions for dysphagia aim to improve swallowing safety—preventing food or liquid from entering the airway—and efficiency: ensuring adequate passage of food from the mouth to the stomach. Importantly, interventions are tailored to individual needs and target specific impairments evident in each person. Interventions may include compensatory strategies, such as head adjustments and dietary modifications, to reduce the risk of airway invasion, as well as rehabilitative exercises to strengthen the swallowing muscles, improve the movement of swallowing structures, and enhance the coordination of the swallowing process. Additionally, rehabilitative exercises can be paired with other therapeutic modalities, such as neuromuscular electrical stimulation and brain stimulation.

Editor’s note:

To reach Mariana Mendes Bahia, email mmbahia@illinois.edu.
 

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WCIA: Otavio Leão explains the Illini Kindergarten Cohort

Oct. 10, 2025 | AHS Staff

New research invites Champaign-Urbana families to help track children’s physical activity

Assistant Professor Otavio Leão on WCIA 3 News.

Health and Kinesiology Assistant Professor Otavio Leão appeared on WCIA 3 News segment “Community Spotlight” to explain a new research project recruiting young participants this fall.

Illini Kindergarten Cohort is a study seeking to estimate the physical activity, sleep and screen-time of kindergarten-age children. Families in the Champaign-Urbana area can complete a 20- to 30-minute survey and enroll their kindergartner, who will wear a basic accelerometer for a week. All participants will be awarded a $40 Amazon gift card.

Leão explained the details to WCIA’s Taylor Mitchell on Thursday, Oct. 9.

Editor’s note:

To learn more about the Illini Kindergarten Cohort and participate, visit their website.
 

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Putting people first: Chez Veterans Center sees success with new student-centered model

July 09, 2025 | Adelyn Mui

The Chez Veterans Center showed an increase in military-connected student engagement in the first year after implementing a comprehensive case management model.

The Chez Veterans Center has refocused on more individualized care

The number of unique students Chez served increased by 25.89%, meaning that the center had expanded its reach to more students while focusing on more targeted, individualized care. Andy Bender, director of operations and services at Chez, said that the focus of this initiative was putting the person back into what they do.

“What do we need to do in order to connect with the students on a human level and show them that we care and we really are interested in their success?” Bender said.

The initiative was spearheaded by Ingrid Wheeler, Chez’s assistant director for behavioral health programs, who took the concept of the new model and made it into a practical application. Wheeler said that the shift began with questions like the one above, and evolved over time through the pandemic and as the Veteran population changed. 

Her background in social work and case management helped her recognize that “a more individualized plan has to be in place to really support the ever-changing needs,” she said. “It’s about seeing it through a different lens that maybe we wouldn’t have if we weren’t seeing them as an individual.”

Cheryl Hanley-Maxwell, dean of College of Applied Health Sciences, was also part of conversations from the beginning, said Bender. She has been supportive of Chez’s mission shift and provided resources and knowledge about transition. Additionally, the Chez team said that student feedback, through their conversations with staff, was another part of shaping the new model.

Bender said that a September 2023 visit from Samuel Skinner, an alum and former White House chief of staff, had prompted the team to look more deeply into how Chez was caring for students. Previous to this shift, Bender said the way things were run wasn’t wrong, but that this mission change is a new approach to making a more powerful impact.

“A lot of our things were based on transactional services,” Bender said. “It was reliant on the student identifying that they have a problem and identifying a source for relief of that challenge. Often what would happen is the student would come in, they’d get the help, and then we’d never see the student again.”

Chez still provides those transactional services, such as assistance with Veteran benefits, resume writing and counseling, but now with an emphasis on continuing to check in with students. Chez documented 1,287 case management encounters this past year, ranging from quick check-ins to intensive support sessions.

Another aspect of the mission change was assessing what might be barriers for students and providing them with resources before they run into those barriers.

“Now we’re reaching out to students individually several times throughout the semester to really pull them in and have those conversations of ‘What’s brought you to campus? What are your goals?’” Wheeler said. “We can connect them to different resources, whether it be in the center or on campus, versus ‘Oh, you came to orientation—here’s a couple of pamphlets with everything on campus. Good luck!’”

What do we need to do in order to connect with the students on a human level and show them that we care and we really are interested in their success?

Andy Bender

Chez Veterans Center director of operations and services

She also said that Chez has been making sure that its own staff is equipped to answer the main areas that many students have questions about, such as resume review, so that students aren’t bounced around as much.

John Goeken is an electrical engineering undergraduate student and a former Marine and combat Veteran. Goeken’s first interaction with the Chez Veterans Center was through the Warrior’s Scholar Project, a “boot camp” started in 2022 for military-connected students to reacquaint themselves with the classroom environment.

“The hospitality that they had for us for that program for each student—they were willing to go out of their way and make sure we were accommodated,” Goeken said. “It was just above and beyond the reception you get as a Veteran anywhere else.”

Goeken recalled the first time that he spoke to Wheeler—he said he was just blowing off steam about difficulties adjusting during his first semester, including figuring out childcare.

“I’m just venting all this stuff, and she’s taking all these mental notes and literally follows up with me on an email that day an hour or two later with a list of resources for me to investigate,” Goeken said. “That was huge. I still have the list, too.”

Goeken said that he didn’t realize how much stress can compound, especially with the loss of structure and support that came with being in the military. 

“But Chez helps fill that gap with knowledge, hospitality and resources,” Goeken said. “It hasn’t been any grand gesture, but it’s been all these little incremental things.”

Another student-Veteran, Jacob Means, is a social work student and a former Chez resident advisor. He said the biggest service Chez has done was connect him with the community.

“The biggest thing for me was the people,” Means said. “It’s hard to connect with people in class. With Chez, you’re immediately ingrained in this really welcoming community of people that are very excited to have you there and that understand you, which is super hard in college.”

Means also said that a benefit of living right above the CVC was the close access to all of Chez’s resources.

“It takes people like me, who were scared and alone and didn’t know what to do, and it empowers them and it gives them all this ability to feel able to say, OK, I can leave this housing and understand what’s going on now,’” Means said.

With the new model, the Chez team said its focus is to improve and develop what it is doing, which often means taking into account military-connected student feedback.

Goeken suggested more resources with specifics to different colleges, as well as Chez taking a more proactive role in encouraging Veterans to access the benefits available to them.

“There are so many resources out there, but Veterans like myself often don’t know what’s available, or how to stay informed,” Goeken said. “If Chez could expand its outreach or offer low-pressure education around available benefits, through peer support, onboarding, or regular updates, I think it could make a real and lasting impact.”

Even with the increase in quantitative data of this year’s engagement, Bender said success isn’t defined by numbers.

“I want the success to be more about how the student defines their success,” Bender said. “Again, every student is different and everyone has a different idea. If we’re going to put humans back at the center of all we do, then the numbers can’t be the most important—it has to be the feedback they give us on their success and if they feel like they’ve achieved their own goals.”

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