Dr. Vallila Rohter studies learning in individuals with aphasia, with the hypothesis that predicting whether a patient will improve following therapy instruction depends upon their language ability and their learning ability.  In collaboration with Brigham and Women’s Hospital, she is also examining how language ability evolves in aphasia from the acute to chronic stages. 

Current projects address the following questions:

1. How do individuals with aphasia learn under implicit and explicit paradigms?  Dr. Vallila Rohter uses computer-based paradigms and eye-tracking to examine response and looking-patterns
2. How does feedback instruction impact therapy outcomes in aphasia?  Dr. Vallila Rohter is conducting a treatment study aimed at improving naming ability for individuals with aphasia
3. What are the neural substrates of learning in aphasia?
4. What is the progression of language ability in aphasia in the acute and subacute stages following stroke?