Our Team

Victoria Tilton-Bolowsky, Ph.D. CCC-SLP/T (she/her) joined the faculty at Teachers College and established the Creative & Inclusive Rehabilitation for Communicating with Aphasia Lab in September 2024. Victoria worked as a full-time speech therapist serving adults with neurogenic communication disorders for several years before pursuing a career as a research scientist. Victoria's research interests are largely inspired by her clinical experiences, as well as by her interactions, conversations, and relationships with people living with aphasia. Her research aims to improve people with aphasias' quality of life from multiple angles—by improving the effectiveness and generalizability of aphasia treatments and by shifting clinical practices and perspectives to be more disability- and identity-affirming. Outside of the lab, Victoria is an avid reader and novice crocheter who loves to travel, cook, listen to music, laugh, and gab. 

Bianca is a first-year master’s student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is in the Bilingual Extension-Dual Certification tract, specifically for Spanish. This past May, she graduated summa cum laude from the University of Houston with B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a minor in Psychology. Her clinical interests include medical speech-language pathology as it relates to aphasia, multilingualism, and neurodivergence. Outside of the lab, Bianca enjoys reading, exploring the city, and trying new foods.

Izzy Chen (they/them) is a first-year MS student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders – Bilingual Extension Dual Certification program. They hold a B.A. in Art History from Mount Holyoke College and an M.A. in Curriculum and Teaching here in Teachers College, Columbia University. Before pursuing speech language pathology, they worked as an art museum educator and later as an early childhood educator. They are broadly interested in multimodal, embodied, and other kinds of communication beyond speech, as well as incorporating them in therapy as part of anti-ableist practice. Their goal is to provide disability-affirming care as informed by inclusive, strength-based, and creative teaching practices drawn from their previous experiences.

Lisa Le is a first-year Master’s student in the Communication and Sciences Disorders Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She graduated with a B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from California State University, Sacramento. Lisa is interested in working in the field of medical speech-language pathology, primarily focusing on neurocognitive disorders, aphasia, dysphagia, and pediatric care. Outside of the lab, she enjoys reading, doing pottery, and trying all the matchas around New York.

Annabella Li is a first-year master’s student in the Communication Sciences & Disorders: Bilingual Extension-Dual Certification program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She graduated summa cum laude with a dual degree from Macaulay Honors College and Hunter College, earning a Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology and Chinese Language & Literature. During her undergraduate studies, Annabella studied abroad and taught at a public school in the Republic of China to hone her Mandarin language proficiency and understanding of diverse cultural norms. She centered her undergraduate thesis around language accessibility in New York City titled Diver(CITY) Speaks: Diversifying our City through Speech and Language. Annabella’s clinical interests include multilingualism/multiculturalism, neurogenic communication disorders, and pediatric feeding and swallowing. She is excited to deepen her understanding of aphasia at CIRCAL. In her free time, Annabella loves to bake, read, and explore new cafes.

YiTing is a first-year master’s student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders- Bilingual Extension program at Teachers College, Columbia University. In May 2024, she graduated from New York University with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and a minor in Child and Adolescent Psychopathology. During her time at NYU, she was a research assistant at the Biofeedback Intervention Technology for Speech (BITS) Lab under Dr. Tara McAllister where she researched biofeedback interventions for speech sound disorder in children. Her clinical interests include aphasia rehabilitation, neurodegenerative communication disorders, and pediatric feeding. In her free time, YiTing enjoys exploring the city, trying new foods, and taking dance classes.

Melanie O'Connor is a first-year master's student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program at Teachers College, Columbia University. In December 2023, she graduated cum laude from the University of Maryland, College Park with a Bachelor of Arts in Hearing and Speech Sciences, and a double minor in Human Development and Disability Studies. During her undergraduate studies, she was a part of the Language Fluency Research Lab, where she studied the onset and development and stuttering. Her clinical interests include neurogenic communication disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. In her free time, Mel enjoys spending time with friends and family, going to the beach, and exploring NYC!

Maddie Christy Solano is a first-year master’s student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders – Bilingual Extension Dual Certification program at Teachers College, Columbia University. In May 2025, she graduated from the Schreyer Honors College at the Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders and a minor in Human Development and Family Studies. Her honors thesis focused on improving language assessment for bilingual adolescents with Developmental Language Disorder.

Maddie has worked with adults in nursing homes since she was 17, which sparked her interest in dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and aphasia. She is passionate about bilingual language development and adult neurogenic communication disorders and hopes to support adults in rehabilitation through culturally responsive care. Outside of the lab, she enjoys exploring new coffee spots, curating personalized playlists, and hiking with her two dogs.

Amy is a first year master’s student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders: Bilingual Extension-Dual Certification Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She graduated from University of California, Irvine with a Masters of Arts in Teaching and California State University, Long Beach with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies. Before pursuing her career as a speech-language pathologist, she was an elementary teacher for three years. She is interested in working with adults with aphasia and with children in school settings. She has volunteered at a private children’s speech clinic and virtual aphasia support groups, and is currently a clinician for the Saturday Aphasia Group at TC. In her free time, Amy enjoys skateboarding, going to the beach, and shopping until she drops.

Brianna Cadavero (Bree) is a first-year master's student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program at Teachers College, Columbia University. In May 2024, she graduated cum laude from the Pennsylvania State University, University Park with. Bachelor of Science in CSD and a minor in Spanish Linguistics. During her undergraduate studies, she received a PIRE Fellowship, funded by NSF and conducted linguistics research on bilingualism in San Basilio de Palenque, Bolivar, Colombia. Her clinical interests include neurological language disorders like aphasia and neurodegenerative diseases like dementia. Bree values traveling and engaging in social activities as an opportunity to connect with others and experience diverse environments.