HEAAL Lab

Associate Professor, Department of Communication Disorders

I am interested in research that advances behavioral assessment and treatment of adult neurological communication disorders. Specifically, I am interested in understanding how language functioning and recovery after stroke is affected by mood and attention and in learning how to help people with aphasia transfer gains made in therapy to their everyday communication.

2nd Year MS SLP Student

I am from Modesto, California and I love to wakeboard, try new foods, bake, and spend time with my family and friends. I am a Senior here at BYU studying Communication Disorders with a minor in Gerontology. I recently married my best friend Levi in April and have never been happier! I love this field and the potential we have to help patients of all ages achieve the quality of life they desire. When I first started this major, the effects of aphasia and TBI on a patient’s ability to communicate quickly fascinated me, so I am beyond excited to already be involved firsthand in this facet of the field.

2nd Year MS SLP Student

I am from South Jordan UT and I am interested in anything to do with the brain, particularly how it is involved in speech, language and cognition. I really enjoy working with individuals who have neurological communication disorders and I have loved my experiences at the BYU Aphasia Lab. Some of my hobbies include playing tennis, reading, and playing the piano.

2nd Year MS SLP Student

I am from Provo, Utah and I am currently a second-year graduate student. I have been married for almost 3 years to my amazing husband, Jack. Some of our hobbies include cast iron cooking, traveling, fly fishing, and wake surfing. I chose this career path after observing the speech-language pathologist who provided genuine and compassionate care during my grandpa's stroke recovery. I have enjoyed working in the aphasia lab and I hope to carry these experiences into a hospital setting working with individuals who have had Strokes and TBIs.

1st Year MS SLP Student

I have been married to my wonderful husband for 22 years and am a mother of five energetic children. I enjoy reading, camping, Zumba, and spending time with my family. This is my first year at BYU and my first year of graduate school. I love the COMD program and am excited to work in the HEAAL lab. I am grateful for this opportunity to learn, grow, and make a difference in the lives of individuals.

1st Year MS SLP Student

Hi! My name is Sarah and I am from Riverton, Utah. I am a first-year graduate student, and this is my first year at BYU. I love traveling, reading, playing the piano, paddling board, and spending time with friends and family. My specific interests in the COMD program are aphasia, cognition, and swallowing. I love this field and the opportunities it creates to bless individual's lives!

1st Year MS SLP Student

My name is Emma Hymas and I am currently a first-year graduate student. I live in West Jordan, UT with my amazing husband Dylan. I enjoy traveling, hiking, baking, and reading. I chose to pursue this field because I have a strong desire to serve others and make a difference in the lives of others. I love that this field allows me to do that plus get to work a job that I am passionate about! My specific interests in the field are in the realm of feeding and swallowing. I would love to work in the NICU! I am also interested in all things language. I have a passion for giving individuals a voice and a way to communicate!

I am from Snowflake Arizona and grew up on Bellybutton Lane! I served my mission in the Salt Lake City South Mission. I grew up riding dirt bikes, jeeping, camping, mountain biking, and going on adventures! I love playing soccer, singing, and eating lots of sweets! This is my first semester in the Communication Disorder Program. I am very passionate about helping others and plan to get my master's in Speech-Language Pathology so I can help post-stroke patients recover and reconnect with their loved ones!

Hi! I'm Ainsley Johns and I'm in my third semester as an undergraduate ComD student, with a minor in Family Life. I love playing tennis, being outside, spending time with my husband, playing the piano, and I'm on the BYU Racquetball team! I love trying new things and going to new places, and I especially love being with and helping people, which is one of the big reasons I want to be an SLP! Aphasia is super interesting to me and I think there is so much more we can do for people with aphasia and their families to help them live a more comfortable and happy life, so I love being a part of the HEAAL lab!

My name is Kaitlin Palmer and I am from Eagle Idaho. I am currently an undergraduate student in the Communication Disorders program. My plan after graduation is to attend grad school and become a Speech Language Pathologist. I was drawn to this field from my love of serving others, especially those with disabilites. I am looking forward to using my time in the aphasia lab to help individuals with aphasia and their loved ones. Some of my passions include playing the clarinet in the BYU marching band, spending time with family and friends, and helping missionaries at the Missionary Training Center!

My name is Ashton Graff! I am from Southern California (the cool part) and in addition to Communication Disorders, I am studying Spanish and ASL. I love the beach, hiking, exercising, painting, learning more about the Gospel, and trying new things! I also love Mexican food and sushi! (:

I am from Tacoma, Washington. I chose this career path after teaching a speech-language pathologist on my mission, and then also watching my grandpa's communication and swallowing grow worse as he experienced Parkinsons. I have found work very fulfilling in Dr. Harmon's aphasia lab. In the future I will use the skills I learned in this lab to work in a hospital setting to help the elderly population. I also got married recently to my best friend in August 2024, and our hobbies include Spanish, Norwegian, running, traveling, and long hikes.

Hi! My name is Natalie, I’m from Tucson Az, and I enjoy road tripping with my husband, photography and trying new foods! I started my journey at BYU in 2020, then served my mission in Miami Florida from 2021-2023 and am now in my second semester of the COMD program. I hope to work as a medical Speech Language Pathologist one day and am so excited to become familiar with how to help those with Aphasia in the HEAAL Lab!

Hi! My name is Olivia Nelson and I'm from Erda, Utah, a small town in Tooele Valley. This is my second semester in the Communication Disorders Major and I am loving it! My goal is to become an SLP and I'm excited to be a part of this research lab and learn more about advocating for individuals affected by aphasia. In the summer, you can find me hiking or camping with my friends and family, and in the winter, hitting the slopes up the Cottonwood Canyons or at Sundance Resort. I also enjoy photography, reading, and playing racquetball. I love BYU and am super grateful to be here!

I am a junior in the Communication Disorders program, with minors in Gerontology and Music. I'm from Lindon, Utah, and I enjoy spending time outdoors with my loved ones. I'm passionate about Jesus, music, weight lifting, hiking, rock climbing, ASL, and smoothies. I love learning about aphasia and I'm so excited for the opportunity to further educate myself on how to advocate for and serve those affected by it.

I am an undergraduate student in Communication Disorders, and I will be graduating this coming December. In the future, I plan to attend graduate school to receive a master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology, and I hope to be able to work in a medical setting. In my free time, I spend a lot of time outdoors with my husband, and we are planning lots of camping trips for this summer. I also love to read, play volleyball, and watch BYU sports. I am super excited to be a research assistant in the Aphasia lab because I am interested in neurological communication disorders, and research experience will help me be a more empathetic and knowledgable clinician in the future.

I’m from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and I am an undergraduate student in the Communication Disorders program. In my free time, I enjoy playing the piano, reading, and spending time with friends and family. My goal is to attend graduate school to become a speech-language pathologist. I have always been fascinated by the brain, so I’m excited to research aphasia and its impact on speech and language.

Hi! My name is Grace and I am from Maryland, near D.C. I am in my second semester of the COMD undergraduate program. I play a few instruments and plan to get a music minor. I swam competitively for many years but now just swim for fun. I love organizing just about anything! I am excited to learn more about aphasia and how we can help people communicate more easily.

My name is Kylie Brown and I'm from North Carolina! I am an undergraduate student in the Communication Disorders program with plans to become a Speech-Language Pathologist. My simple pleasures include singing, watching cheesy movies, laughing and talking with friends, and adding funky mugs to my mug collection. I am passionate about helping people find their voice and have loved doing so while participating in the HEAAL lab; I am excited to continue this effort in my future career!

Hi! I am Alise Leavens! I am a Junior here at BYU studying Communication Disorders, planning graduate school and receive a master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology. I grew up in Washington and love the outdoors! I love to ski, hike, and boat! I also love music and play the French Horn! Even more so, I love working with those affected by aphasia. I hope to specialize in post-stroke and TBI cases after I receive my master's degree. I and am so grateful for this opportunity to be in this lab to learn, serve, and help those with aphasia!

Hey there! My name is Jessica and I'm from Colorado Springs, Colorado. I am currently a junior in the COMD program and hope to become a speech-language pathologist in the future! I am a huge football fan and love cheering on BYU and the Packers. I also enjoy cooking, hiking, and exploring new places here in Utah. I am super excited to work in this lab! I want to learn how to support those dealing with aphasia and help them be able to communicate with others.

Hi! My name is Breanna Niver and I am from Tucson, Arizona. I love being outside in the sunshine and particularly enjoy hiking, running, and swimming. I am currently studying Communication Disorders with a minor in Gerontology. I am excited to be working in the aphasia lab as I have enjoyed learning about it in class and look forward to becoming a better advocate for those with aphasia. Being able to communicate with and relate to others is such a beautiful part of life, and I can’t wait to help those with communication disorders do this as a medical SLP one day!

Hi I'm Mari Xela Merrill and am a sophomore at BYU. I am excited to continue in the Communication Disorders program and see where I end up. I got married in the Spring of 2023 after returning from my mission in Austin, TX and Montevideo, UY where my husband and I met. I grew up in the small town of Ashton, Idaho and miss the view of the Tetons. I enjoy beautiful, but easy, hikes, watching funny movies, and playing games with friends and family. The aphasia lab caught my attention when I learned that aphasia can be a result of a TBI and after having my fair share of TBI's I was dying to learn more.

Hi I'm Anna Dummer! I grew up in Sherwood Oregon, so I have a deep appreciation for waterfall hikes and evergreen trees. I love to read on rainy days and rollerskate on the sunny ones. I also enjoy doing art, playing board games, and watching movies with friends. I am currently a junior in the Communication Disorders program. I am fascinated with Aphasia, and I love the idea of focusing on post traumatic growth. I aim to be an SLP someday so I can help, lift, love, and support others.

My name is Rebecca and I am in my second semester of the t outside of LA called El Segundo. Some of my favorite things include spending time with family, playing/watching sports, cooking, and baking sourdough bread. My grandpa had a stroke and lost his speech several years ago which sparked my interest in learning about aphasia and how it can be treated. After graduation, I plan on pursuing a graduate degree and becoming a SLP. I am super excited for this opportunity to participate in research!

I am from Kaysville, Utah, and am majoring in communication disorders with a minor in gerontology. I served a mission in Dallas, Texas and absolutely love tacos. I would love to work as an SLP in a hospital setting one day. Participating in research helps us to be advocates for individuals with aphasia and I am excited to be a part of research to help others.

I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, so I absolutely adore the desert landscape. I love hiking, reading, watching movies, and spending time with the people I love. I'm currently an undergraduate the Communication Disorders program and plan to go to graduate school to receive my master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology. I'm super excited for the chance I get to participate in this research lab!

I grew up in both Chicago and Utah. I LOVE the Communication Disorders program here at BYU!! I am honestly completely torn between Speech Pathology and Audiology. I served a mission in Sacramento, California. In my free time I love running, reading, skiing, boating, mountain biking, or watching movies. I am so excited to be part of this lab and to learn more about Aphasia!

I was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. I love playing the piano, losing myself in a good book, and spending time with my family. In 2024, I returned from serving in the Brazil Curitiba South Mission, where I had the opportunity to meet some incredible people and be a part of something greater than myself. Now in my second year at BYU, I'm excited to expand my knowledge of communication disorders and explore new ways to connect with others.

I am from Gilbert AZ, a junior in the COMD major, and love exploring anything related to creating a vibrant, fulfilling life. I enjoy meeting new people, being immersed in nature, running, dancing, and guitar. I was originally drawn to the COMD major as a teenage vocalist after healing from a vocal disorder. My grandma’s stroke and her inability to communicate opened my eyes to the need for human connection and communication. I’m excited to offer opportunities for understanding and genuine connection through the HEAAL lab!