About Us
The Oral Health and Swallowing Research Lab team, currently led by Rebecca Affoo, investigates oral health, and swallowing. This includes the interrelationships between oral health, swallowing, and other factors such as frailty. While we are housed in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, our interprofessional focus means we collaborate with researchers and clinicians with expertise in dentistry, medicine, nutrition, and nursing. Our lab team aims to go beyond the physiology of swallowings processes to investigate the impact of oral health and swallowing on quality of life, and social vulnerability. Patient partners, community healthcare organizations, and the wider community are integral to our research activities.
Our Values
Collaborative
We believe in conducting research that includes the perspectives from members of the interprofessional team, members of our community, and members of the public who are impacted by the work we do.
Community
We believe that research has a greater impact when we prioritize the wants and needs of our community and include community members on our research team.
Impactful
We strive to conduct impactful research that contributes to improved health and quality of life for older adults.
Education
We understand the importance of integrated knowledge translation and disseminating research results in a format that benefits those who will ultimately use those findings. As such, we are committed to sharing knowledge with our community and anyone else who might benefit.
Gallery
Our Team
Who We Are
The OHSRL team is a diverse, interprofessional group with a broad range of expertise and experience. It would not be possible to do the work we do without our passionate team members!
Dr. Rebecca Affoo (she/her)
Primary Investigator
Shauna Hachey (she/her)
Primary Investigator
Shauna Hachey is a registered dental hygienist and an Assistant Professor at Dalhousie University in the School of Dental Hygiene, Faculty of Dentistry. She is a scholar with the Healthy Populations Institute (HPI) and co-lead of the HPI flagship project, Putting' Oral Health is Health' into Action. Shauna is a Board Member and Treasurer of the Canadian Society for Disability and Oral Health, and Vice Chair of the NCOHR (Network for Canadian Oral Health and Research) Disability and Oral Health Working Group. Shauna’s research interests include the integration of oral health into primary and continuing care settings, and novel community-led oral health promotion and knowledge translation.
Keara Boyce (she/her)
Clinical Research Coordinator
Keara Boyce, MSc., SLP(C)-Reg is a clinical speech-language pathologist and clinical research coordinator with the Oral Health and Swallowing Research Lab (OHSRL). Keara joins the OHSRL with research and teaching experience at McMaster University, as well as clinical experience with adult dysphagia, language, and voice management (e.g., acute care in neurosurgery, trauma, head and neck cancer, and ICU; outpatient swallowing and voice clinics). Her research interests include dysphagia rehabilitation across the lifespan, health equity and access, and community knowledge translation. Keara has presented at various conferences locally and internationally, and has co-authored several papers on dysphagia rehabilitation, swallowing profiles, and dysphagia equity and access. As a former Dalhousie graduate from the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Keara feels fortunate to be returning to join the research team at OHSRL.
Joelle Safatli (she/her)
Research Assistant & Thesis Student
Joelle Safatli BSc (Hons), is an incoming Master of Science student in Speech-Language Pathology at Dalhousie University. She recently completed her Honours degree in Psychology, where she developed a strong interest in rehabilitation and intervention, oral health, frailty, communication, patient care, and dementia. Joelle is grateful to be part of the Oral Health and Swallowing Lab team and looks forward to continuing her learning alongside such a supportive, wonderful group. She is excited to begin her Master’s studies this fall and to complete her thesis under the supervision of Dr. Rebecca Affoo.