HEAAL Lab

Assistant 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 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

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 love the field of Speech-Language Pathology! 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 I love and 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 one day! I am also interested in all things language. I have a passion for giving individuals a voice and a way to communicate!

My name is Anna Norman, and I am a Senior here at BYU. I graduate in April and will be headed to grad school in the fall for speech-language pathology! This is my 6th semester in the HEALL lab! Outside of school, I love to travel, wake surf, and spend time with my family!

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!

Cool details about Ashton here :)

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.

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.

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.