Mehta: Voice Science and Technology Laboratory
Overview
Daryush Mehta is Director of the Voice Science and Technology Laboratory at the MGH Voice Center, Associate Director of the Vocal Hyperfunction Clinical Research Center, Associate Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, Director of Student Affairs in the Harvard Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology Program, and Adjunct Associate Professor at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. Daryush’s research interests include voice and speech signal processing, clinical voice disorder assessment, and laryngeal imaging technologies. Learn more about Daryush at https://massgeneral.link/dmehta.
Research Projects
Vocal Hyperfunction Clinical Research Center (VHCRC)
Dr. Mehta is the Associate Director of the NIH-funded multi-institutional Vocal Hyperfunction Clinical Research Center
Ambulatory monitoring of a vocal efficiency index to improve the clinical management of voice disorders
Individuals with voice disorders often suffer from heightened sensations of vocal effort and fatigue while speaking that are typically attributed to inefficient vocal function and behavior. This project seeks to investigate a new index of ambulatory vocal efficiency that integrates estimates of subglottal pressure and vocal sound pressure level to monitor the vocal effort of patients being treated for phonotraumatic vocal cord lesions, non- phonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction, and unilateral vocal fold paralysis. The impact of this work is significant as the new index of ambulatory vocal efficiency will substantially improve the assessment and treatment of voice disorders by providing the capability to quantify a clinically salient vocal parameter in real-world situations.
Comprehensive assessment of speech physiology and acoustics in Parkinson's disease progression
Over 90% of people with Parkinson’s disease have speech problems that significantly reduce their quality of life. However, the relative contributions of changes in speech physiology to outcomes that matter to patients are unknown. This knowledge is crucial for providing patients with realistic expectations and interventions that pinpoint appropriate physiological targets in therapy. The results of this project will allow clinicians to target specific speech subsystems most likely to improve outcomes that matter to patients based on physiological or acoustic evaluation.
Innovative wireless voice dosimetry for improved detection and management of voice disorders
This project seeks to validate a novel wireless voice dosimeter that enables accurate measurement of vocal behaviors during patients' daily activities. This innovative technology will transform voice therapy by giving clinicians objective data about their patients' voice use patterns, vocal responses to ambient noise, and respiratory behaviors during speech. This research develops practical technology that will improve voice therapy outcomes and reduce the $13 billion yearly burden of voice disorders through evidence-based clinical care.