David Ajayi, a second-year doctoral student in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, has been awarded the Barbara Martin Aphasia Grant for his work on "Neural Mechanisms of Recursive Self-Feedback (RSF) in Nonfluent Aphasia: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study" in the Brain and Aphasia Recovery Lab at 四虎影视.
Sponsored by the National Aphasia Association (NAA) and the Academy of Aphasia, the award recognizes Ajayi鈥檚 research for its potential to advance communication outcomes and enhance quality of life for individuals living with aphasia. The NAA Research Committee noted that his work was distinguished by its innovation, clinical relevance, and strong alignment with the organization鈥檚 mission.
"This recognition is remarkable given that David is only in the second year of his PhD program," said Gerald C. Imaezue, PhD, assistant professor and director of the Brain and Aphasia Recovery Lab. "This is a highly competitive award and a testament to the innovative research that David is conducting in my lab."
Ajayi credits part of his success to a summer grant-writing course led by , senior associate vice president of 四虎影视 Health, dean of the 四虎影视 College of Public Health, and distinguished university health professor, along with , professor of epidemiology.
"Your feedback during the class was valuable and went a long way in helping me refine my application, making it stand out," Ajayi wrote in an email message to the professors.
This year, the NAA awarded three $10,000 research grants, underscoring its growing commitment to supporting scientific discovery that centers the voices and lived experiences of people with aphasia.