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Contact Details

Email
sarah.perry@nzbri.org
Position
Research Fellow
Department
Department of Medicine (Christchurch)
Qualifications
PhD CCC-SLP
Research summary
Swallowing and cough
Teaching
I currently teach a course in Dysphagia Assessment, and have previously taught on the topics of Voice Disorders, Research Methods, Medical Speech-Language Pathology, Dysphagia Management, and Motor Speech Disorders.
Memberships
  • New Zealand Speech-language Therapists' Association - Full Member
  • American Speech-language Hearing Association - Full Member
  • International Society for the Advancement of Respiratory Psychophysiology - Board Member
  • Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders and Sciences - Writing Committee
Clinical
My primary clinical interests are in assessing and managing dysphagia in adults with neurological disease. I am also an expert advisor for the Broadway for Ataxia programme in New York, USA.

Research

I am a clinical researcher in speech-language pathology, with expertise in the areas of dysphagia (disordered swallowing), dystussia (disordered coughing), and dysarthria (disordered speech) in adults with neurological disease.

My current research focuses on improving ways to identify people at risk of airway protective (swallowing and cough) dysfunction, to improve outcomes for people with Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.

I am based at the New Zealand Brain Research Institute, and the UC Rose Centre for Stroke Recovery & Research in Christchurch.

Publications

Guiu Hernandez, E., Lewis, N., Perry, S., & Huckabee, M.-L. (2026). Evaluating a regression-based approach to norming the Test of Masticating and Swallowing Solids (ToMaSS): A comparison with traditional stratified methods. Dysphagia. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s00455-026-10949-0 Journal - Research Article

Perry, S., Myall, D., & Anderson, T. (2026). The relationship between clinical measures of dysphagia, self-reported symptoms, and cognition in people with parkinson's disease. Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1159/000551183 Journal - Research Article

Gray, L. T., Shune, S., Perry, S., Kosty, D., & Namasivayam-MacDonald, A. (2025). Dysphagia symptoms contribute to greater care partner burden in neurodegenerative disease. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 34(4), 2053-2061. doi: 10.1044/2025_ajslp-24-00529 Journal - Research Article

Shune, S., Gray, L. T., Perry, S., Kosty, D., & Namasivayam-MacDonald, A. (2025). Validation of the Caregiver Analysis of Reported Experiences with Swallowing Disorders (CARES) screening tool for neurodegenerative disease. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 34, 633-645. doi: 10.1044/2024_AJSLP-24-00253 Journal - Research Article

Dakin, A., Sevitz, J., Curtis, J. A., Perry, S., Hegland, K. W., & Troche, M. S. (2024). Treatment adherence during a randomized controlled trial of two airway protection rehabilitation interventions. Dysphagia, 39(Suppl. 1), (pp. S7). doi: 10.1007/s00455-024-10736-9 Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

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