G. Lynn Kurteff, PhD

About Me

I'm originally from the Monterey Bay. I did my undergrad at UC Berkeley, where I double-majored in Psychology and Linguistics. I split my time in undergraduate between three labs, which you can read about in my CV.

I then worked as a postbac researcher in the Chang Lab at UCSF where I was introduced to the world of clinical practice by studying recovery from aphasia after resective neurosurgery. I really enjoyed working with a clinical population and decided to pursue applied research in addition to the basic science research that had always motivated me. I published my first papers from my work in the Chang Lab, which you can read more about in my research interests. I noticed a large disconnect between theoretical literature on aphasia and the neuroanatomy of language and what I was observing in the hospital, which inspired me to apply to the joint PhD/MS in Speech & Hearing Sciences at UT Austin.

I'm currently still in Austin, where I completed my PhD under the tutelage of Dr. Liberty Hamilton. My doctoral research focused on the neural bases of speech production and perception in healthy individuals, which I investigated through EEG and ECoG. I am also interested in how the neural substrates of speech motor control break down in disorders such as aphasia, apraxia of speech, and stuttering, as well as how we can build brain-computer interfaces for communication to help populations with neurological impairment.

As a recently minted PhD, I am looking for postdoc positions in the cognitive neurobiology of speech and language. If you think that I would be a good fit for your lab, please send me an email! [kurteff at utexas dot edu]

I spend what little free time I have playing Magic: The Gathering, collecting fountain pens, and cuddling my pets, pictured below.

My Research

My goal as a researcher is to contribute to our knowledge of the neural basis of speech production and adapt it into "brain-to-speech" brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). I believe that a strong theoretical explanation of how linguistic processes work in the brain is imperative for such devices to exist. I would like to see both consumer and medical BCI for speech and language developed in my lifetime. Right now BCI are being developed for decoding intended speech from neural motor programs, but what if there is a breakdown in the system? How do we adapt our encoding and decoding algorithms to accomodate for apraxia of speech and aphasia? What could creating such a device teach us about these communication disorders?

I also have a thing about Broca's area. The classic Broca/Wernicke model of language needs to be updated in theory, in medicine, and in undergraduate curricula. At UCSF, I met with patients who had Broca's area resected with no damage to their speech and language functionality just two days after their surgeries. The language network can function without one of the two "fundamental" brain regions, but why? I hope I can provide some insight on this curiosity in my career.

Lately, this "thing about Broca's area" has extended medially into the insula. Working with stereo EEG depth electrodes during my PhD has uncovered a lot of fascinating responses to speech stimuli in the insula, which I believe is a byproduct of the "pial-centric" view of the neurobiology of language. I believe it plays a role in perception and production, and critically, the integration of these dichotomized processes for processing auditory feedback during speech motor control. I hope increased access to stereo EEG allows us to learn more about the isle of Reil.

Curriculum Vitae

Download a PDF here.

Education

• University of Texas, Austin (2018-2024). PhD in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences. Dissertation: Cortical Suppression of Auditory Feedback during Speech Production and Perception. [link coming soon]
• University of Texas, Austin (2018-2020). M.S. in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences. Thesis: Modulation of neural responses to naturalistic speech production and perception. [link]
• University of California, Berkeley (2012-2015). B.A. in Linguistics and Psychology.

Research Interests

• Speech production, speech perception, speech motor control, auditory feedback, neurobiology of speech production, aphasia, apraxia of speech

Preprints

• Kurteff, G.L., Tyler-Kabara, E.C., Clarke, D., Weiner, H.L., Anderson, A.E., Watrous, A., Asghar, S., Field, A., & Hamilton, L.S. (2024). Processing of Auditory Feedback in Perisylvian and Insular Cortex. bioRxiv. [will be posted in 2-3 weeks!]
• Zhao, L., Silva, A.B., Kurteff, G.L., & Chang, E.F. (2023). Inhibitory control of speech production in the human premotor frontal cortex. bioRxiv. [preprint]

Papers

• Kurteff, G.L., Lester-Smith, R.A., Martinez, A., Currens, N., Holder, J., Villarreal, C., Mercado, V.R., Truong, C., Huber, C., Pokharel, P., & Hamilton, L.S. (2023). Speaker-induced suppression in EEG during a naturalistic reading and listening task. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. [doi]
• Levy, D.F., Silva, A.B., Scott, T., Liu, J., Harper, S., Zhao, L., Hullett, P., Kurteff, G., Andrews, J., Wilson, S.M., Leonard, M., & Chang, E.F. (2023). Apraxia of speech with phonological alexia and agraphia following resection of the left middle precentral gyrus: illustrative case. Journal of Neurosurgery: Case Lessons. [doi]
• Ammanuel, S., Almeida, N.C., Kurteff, G., Kakaizada, S., Molinaro, A., Berger, M.S., Chang, E.F., & Hervey-Jumper, S.L. (2021). Natural language assessment correlates with health-related quality of life in adult glioma patients. Journal of Neuro-Oncology. [doi]
• Chang, E.F., Kurteff, G., Andrews, J., Briggs, R.G., Conner, A.K., Battiste, J.D., & Sughrue, M.E. (2020). Pure apraxia of speech after resection based in the posterior middle frontal gyrus. Neurosurgery. [doi]
• De Witte, E., Piai, V., Kurteff, G., Cai, R., Mariën, P., Dronkers, N., Chang, E.F., & Berger, M.S. (2018). A valid alternative for in-person language assessments in brain tumor patients: Feasibility and validiy measures of the new TeleLanguage test. Neuro-Oncology Practice. [doi]
• Chang, E.F., Kurteff, G., & Wilson, S.M. (2018). Selective interference with syntactic encoding during sentence production by direct electrocortical stimulation of the inferior frontal gyrus. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. [doi]

Posters

• Kurteff, G.L., Tyler-Kabara, E.C., Clarke, D., Weiner, H.L., Anderson, A.E., Watrous, A., Asghar, S., Field, A., & Hamilton, L.S. (2024). Intracranial EEG Processing of Auditory Feedback in Perisylvian Cortex. Poster session presented at the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society, Toronto, ON, Canada. [poster]
• Hamilton, L.S., Asghar, S., Desai, M,, Kurteff, G.L., Field, A., Nussbaum, N.L., Clarke, D., Tyler-Kabara, E.C., Anderson, A., & Weiner, H.L. (2023). Utilizing Clinical Intracranial Epilepsy Monitoring Infrastructure for Basic Science Research of Speech and Language Development. Poster session presented at the Annual Meeting of the Child Neurology Society, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
• Kurteff, G., & Hamilton, L.S. (2022a; 2022b). Stereo EEG mapping of sensorimotor responses to self-generated speech. Poster session presented at a. the Annual Meeting of the Texas Speech-Language Hearing Association, Fort Worth, TX; b. Association for Research in Otolaryngology, virtual meeting due to COVID-19. [poster]
• Cheng, C., Young, N., Teplansky, K., Kurteff, G., Salman, R., Mau, T., & Wang, J. (2022). Fricative production in laryngeal, electrolaryngeal, and tracheoesophageal speech. Poster session presented at the biannual meeting of the Conference on Motor Speech, Charleston, SC.
• Kurteff, G., & Hamilton, L.S. (2021). Encoding of phonological features in intracranial recordings of human speech cortex during a dual perception-production task. Poster session presented at the Annual Meeting of Advances and Perspectives in Auditory Neuroscience, virtual meeting due to COVID-19. [slides]
• Kurteff, G., Martinez, A., Currens, N., Holder, J., Mercado, V., Truong, C., Huber, C., Pokharel, P., & Hamilton, L.S. (2020a; 2021b). Methods for investigating continuous speech production and perception with EEG. Poster session presented at a. the Annual Meeting of the Society for Neurobiology of Language; b. Texas Speech-Language Hearing Association, virtual meetings due to COVID-19. [pdf]
• Kurteff, G., Fox, N.P., Dronkers, N.F., Desai, M., Shafi, A., & Chang, E.F. (2019). Behavioral and neuroanatomical description of stimulation-induced speech arrest. Poster session presented at the Annual Meeting of the Cogntive Neuroscience Society, San Francisco, CA, USA. [pdf]
• Chang, E.F., Kurteff, G., & Wilson, S.M. (2017). Selective interference with syntactic encoding during sentence production by direct electrocortical stimulation of the inferior frontal gyrus. Poster session presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Neurobiology of Language, Baltimore, MD, USA. [pdf]
• De Witte, E., Piai, V., Kurteff, G., Cai, R., Berger, M.S., Chang, E.F., & Dronkers, N. (2016). Usability and validity of a phone battery to assess language functions in brain tumor patients undergoing awake surgery. Poster session presented at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Aphasia, Llandudno, Wales, UK and Society of Neurooncology, Scottsdale, AZ, USA. [pdf]

Research Experience

• UT Austin Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences (2018-present). PhD student studying speech production and perception. PI: Liberty S. Hamilton, PhD. Rotated in Jun Wang, PhD's lab Fall 2021. Reached candidacy Spring 2023. Exepected defense: June 2024.
• UCSF Department of Neurological Surgery (2016-2018). Research specialist studying aphasia found in postoperative neurosurgical patients. PI: Edward F. Chang, MD.
• UC Berkeley Department of Linguistics (2015). Undergraduate researcher studying coarticulation and individual variation of coda /r/ and /l/ using ultrasound vocal tract imaging. PI: Sarah Bakst.
• UC Berkeley Department of Linguistics (2015). Undergraduate researcher documenting and morphologically glossing Matsigenka, a highly polysynthetic Arawakan language. PI: Lev Michael, PhD.
• Golden Bear Sleep & Mood Research Clinic (2014-2015). Research assistant studying cognitive functioning in teenagers with poor sleep hygiene. PI: Allison Harvey, PhD.

Clinical Experience

• Ascension (2021). Graduate student clinician. Supervisor: Elizabeth Otterbein, M.S., CCC-SLP. MBSIMmP evaluation, beside swallow evaluation, gender-affirming voice therapy, TEP prosthesis maintenance, myofascial release.
• All Care Therapies of Georgetown (2020). Graduate student clinician. Supervisors: Holly Mouton, M.S., CCC-SLP; Lynzy Melzer, M.A., CCC-SLP. Early language intervention, phonological processes, articulation.
• Stony Point High School (2020). Graduate student clinician. Supervisors: Jeanette Fields, M.S., CCC-SLP; Vanessa Baca, M.S., CCC-SLP. Pull-in and push-out services for stuttering, autism, developmental language, and articulation.
• UT Speech and Hearing Center (2019-2020). Graduate student clinician. Supervisors: Nickole Hines-Staples, M.S., CCC-SLP; Jessica Franco, PhD, CCC-SLP; Kristy Armer, M.S., CCC-SLP. Pediatric: articulation, phonological processes; adult: autism, expressive aphasia.

Teaching Experience

• UT Austin (2019-2023). Guest lecturer for the departments of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Linguistics, and Natural Sciences. Lecture titles: "Introduction to EEG," "Broca and Wernicke are Dead," "Cortical Stimulation Mapping."
• UT Austin (2021). Primary instructor (AI) for SLH/LIN350 "Language and the Brain" Fall 2021.
• UT Austin (2019-2020). TA for CSD/LIN350 "Language and the Brain" Fall 2019 and Fall 2020 (virtual). Professor: Liberty S. Hamilton, PhD.
• UC Berkeley DeCal Program (2013-2015). Student instructor of two unit "Intro to 3D Modeling and Printing" class. Co-taught class on fundamentals of 3D modeling and 3D printing in Autodesk CAD software with three other student instructors for three semesters.

Honors and Awards

• UT Austin CARE Research Day (2024). Best Poster award. Award amount: $50.
• Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation (2024). International travel grant. Award amount: $1,700.
• William Orr Dingwall Foundation (2023-2024). Cognitive, Clinical, and Neural Foundations of Language fellow. Award amount: $40,000.
• UT Austin (2023). Graduate School Fellow. Award amount: $10,762 (declined due to extenuating financial circumstances).
• Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation (2023). President’s Research Endowment Fund recipient. Award amount: $1,375.
• Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (2022). Regeneron Scholarship recipient for Genetics & Neurobiology of Language course. Award amount: $1,750.
• Texas Speech-Language Hearing Association (2021 & 2022). 2x Audiology Research Symposium award winner. Award amount: $250 ea.
• The University of Texas at Austin (2019-2022). Moody Doctoral fellow. Award amount: $5,000.
• The University of Texas at Austin (2018-2019). Provost fellow. Award amount: $5,000.
• The University of California, Berkeley (2015). Dean's Honors.

Academic and Community Service

• Out in STEM (oSTEM; 2022-2024). Member.
• brainWaves podcast (2019-2020). Host.
• Yellow Bike Project (2019-2020). Volunteer bike mechanic.
• Society for Linguistics Undergraduate Students (SLUgS) (2014-2015). Officer.
• 3D Modeling Club (3DMC) (2013-2015). Founding member.
• FIRST Lego League (2012). Student mentor.

Contact

Email Me

kurteff [at] utexas [dot] edu

@ me

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