Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery

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Profile picture of Stephanie Watts, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Stephanie Watts, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Assistant Professor, College of Medicine Neurology

Speech Language Pathologist, College of Medicine Otolaryngology

Speech Language Pathologist, Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery

Contact Info

  • Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery
    13330 USF Laurel Drive MDC 72
    Tampa FL

Education

  • PhD, Communication Sciences, University of South Florida, 2017
  • Ph.D., Speech Pathology, University of South Florida, 2017
  • MS, Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Florida, 2012
  • BA, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Florida State University, 2009

Research Interests

  • 1) Understanding relationships between oropharyngeal and esophageal dysphagia as well as developing assessment mechanisms to promote multidisciplinary care.
  • 2) Airway protective mechanisms such as coughing and the physiological interactions between swallowing and cough.
  • 3) Clinical practice patterns and implementation of new protocols

Awards/Honors

  • Springer Publishing Junior Investigator Award Dysphagia Research Society (Dysphagia Research Society - 2015)
  • First Place 2015 Statewide Graduate Student Research Symposium (Statewide Florida Universities Symposium - 2015)
  • Research Excellence Award 2015 Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Scholar Research Symposium (USF - 2015)
  • Second Place 2013 Statewide Graduate Student Research Symposium (USF - 2013)
  • Research Excellence Award 2013 Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Scholar Research Symposium (USF - 2013)

Memberships

  • Member (• Dysphagia Research Society, 2015 - Present)
  • Member (• Florida Association of Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists, 2015 - Present)
  • Member (• American Speech Language Hearing Association Member- Sig 13, 2013 - Present)

Recent Publications

  • Tabor L, Gaziano J, Watts S, Robison R, Plowman EK. Defining Swallowing-Related Quality of Life Profiles in Individuals with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Dysphagia. 31(3) : 376-82, 2016.
  • Plowman EK, Watts SA, Robison R, Tabor L, Dion C, Gaziano J, Vu T, Gooch C. Voluntary Cough Airflow Differentiates Safe Versus Unsafe Swallowing in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Dysphagia. 31(3) : 383-90, 2016.
  • Watts S, A, Tabor L, C, Plowman E, . To Cough or not to Cough? Examining the Potential Utility of Cough Testing in the Clinical Evaluation of Swallowing. Curr Phys Med Rehabil Rep. 4(4) : 262–276, 2016.
  • E, K, PLOWMAN L, C, TABOR R, ROBISON J, GAZIANO C, DION S, A, WATTS T, VU & C, GOOC. Discriminant ability of the Eating Assessment Tool-10 to detect aspiration in individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Neurogastroenterol Motility. 28(1) : 85-90, 2016.
  • Plowman EK, Watts SA, Tabor L, Robison R, Gaziano J, Domer AS, Richter J, Vu T, Gooch C. Impact of expiratory strength training in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Muscle & nerve. 54(1) : 48-53, 2016.