Agnieszka Dzioba headshotAgnieszka Dzioba, M.Sc.

Doctoral Candidate, Rehabilitation Sciences

Elborn College Room 2200
T: 519.661.2111 x 80583 | F: 519.850.2469

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Research Interests:  Craniofacial anomalies, communication apprehension and social impact of speech disorders, velopharyngeal insuffciency




Agnieszka is a fourth year PhD student in the Rehabilitation Sciences program.  She obtained her undergraduate and masters degrees from the University of Western Ontario, graduating with an Honors Bachelor of Health Science, and a Master of Science (M.Sc.).  Agnieszka’s research interests include investigating quality of life issues in individuals with speech and voice disorders.  Throughout her masters and PhD work, she has collaborated on several projects covering the following broad areas:  conceptualization of disability by medical students, quality of life issues following total laryngectomy, and limitations in social communication in adolescents diagnosed with a speech resonance disorder. 

Thesis Work

Agnieszka’s M.Sc. research investigated the social communication of adolescence with speech and resonance disorders.  Her M.Sc. thesis entitled “An Evaluation of Communication Apprehension in Adolescents with Velopharyngeal Insufficiency” involved assessing the construct of communication apprehension (CA).  Specifically, CA can be defined as the level of fear or anxiety that individuals experience during real or anticipated speaking situations including talking in small groups or dyadic interactions.  This construct was evaluated in adolescence diagnosed with velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI), a voice/resonance disorder that is created when oral air leaks through the nose during speech production.  The goal of this investigation sought to identify whether individuals with VPI are compromised in their social functioning, a functional domain that has potential implications for their overall quality of life.  Her PhD thesis work will continue to investigate psychosocial issues in this clinical population.

Research Projects

In addition to her thesis work, Agnieszka was involved in several other research projects over the course of her graduate career.  She participated in research addressing the voice-related quality of life of individuals who have undergone a total laryngectomy.  In the first year of her M.Sc. program she also collaborated on a study with her colleagues exploring how medical students conceptualize disability using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) as a framework to describe health and disability.  Furthermore, she was also involved in participating in the initial development of a research project through a research assistantship; this work focused on issues related to falls in seniors.  Finally, a recent project that she is involved in includes evaluating the acoustic properties of speech productions in pediatric voice disorder populations including VPI and vocal cord paralysis.  These projects have led to a broad array of research concerning the quality of life and social functioning of individuals with voice disorders.  Her continued work in the Voice Production and Perception Laboratory will elaborate on these areas of research.

Conference Presentations

Dzioba, A., Husein, M., Dworschak-Stokan, A., & Doyle, P.C. Communication Apprehension in Adolescents with VPI:  Is it Related to Speech?  [Abstract].  Paper presented at the American Cleft Palate - Craniofacial Association Conference, March, 2010, Fort Worth, Texas. 

Dzioba, A., Husein, M., Dworschak-Stokan, A., Matic, D., & Doyle, P.C. Acoustic Analysis of Speech Stimuli and Listener Assessment of Severity Level in Children with Velopharyngeal Insufficiency. [Abstract].  Paper presented at the American Academy of Pediatric Otolaryngology Conference, April, 2010, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Dzioba, A., & Skarakis-Doyle, E. A Review of Childhood Quality of Life Tools Spanning the Ages of 0 to 6 Years [Abstract].  Poster presented at the Childhood Quality of Life Conference, Niagara-on-the-Lake, May, 2009.

Dzioba, A., Husein, M., Dworschak-Stokan, A., & Doyle, P.C. Evaluation of Communication Apprehension in Adolescents with Velopharyngeal Insufficiency [Abstract]. Presented as a Junior-Investigator at the American Cleft Palate Association Annual Conference, Scottsdale, Arizona, April, 2009. 

Dzioba, A., Day, A.M.B., Rasmussen, S., Beaudin, P., & Doyle, P.C. Quantifying Voice-Related Quality of Life Following Total Laryngectomy [Abstract]. Poster presented at the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology National Conference, Winnipeg, MB, May, 2007.

Dzioba, A., Husein, M., & Doyle, P.C.  Evaluation of Communication Apprehension in Adolescents with Velopharyngeal Insufficiency.  [Abstract].  Poster presented at the Health and Rehabilitation Science Research Forum, London, ON, March, 2008.

Dzioba, A., Day, A.M.B., Rasmussen, S., Beaudin, P., & Doyle, P.C.  Assessing Voice-Related Quality of Life Following Total Laryngectomy. [Abstract].  Poster presented at the Annual Western Research Forum, London, ON, March, 2008.

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