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Associate Professor

Coordinator of Master’s Studies in Speech-Language Pathology

Office: Bondurant 3122

Campus Box: 7190

Phone: (919)-918-5928
Email: adam_jacks@med.unc.edu
CARD Website: http://www.med.unc.edu/healthsciences/sphs/card

Education

  • PhD, The University of Texas at Austin 2006
  • MA, The University of Texas at Austin 2000
  • BA, Duke University 1998

Certifications

License in speech-language pathology, State of North Carolina. (May 2009 – Present).

Certificate of Clinical Competence in speech-language pathology. (June 2002 – Present).

UNC Safe Zone Ally; Mental Health First Aid Trainee

Funding

NIH/NINDS R44 NS092144-01: Targeted transcranial electrotherapy to accelerate stroke rehabilitation – Exploratory trial on Aphasia (10/01/15—09/30/18); Role: Site PI.

Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars; Carolina Center for Public Service: Building clinical research collaborations in neurological communication disorders (08/15/14-08/15/16). Role: PI, program participan.

NIH/NIDCD R03 DC011881: Auditory masking effects on speech fluency in aphasia and apraxia of speech(07/01/12-12/31/15). Role: PI.

Research/Clinical Interests

  • Neural substrates of speech motor control
  • Apraxia of speech
  • Hypokinetic “parkinsonian” dysarthria
  • Speech Acoustics
  • Perception Life participation and mental health in communication disorders

Personal Statement

Dr. Jacks’s training background includes doctoral work in communication sciences and disorders at The University of Texas at Austin, postdoctoral research in behavioral neuroimaging at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and clinical experience in long term acute care and outpatient rehabilitation settings. His research focuses on understanding the link between neuropathology and behavioral manifestations of neuromotor speech disorders. Experimental methodologies used in this work include neuroimaging techniques (e.g. functional magnetic resonance imaging [fMRI]), acoustic and perceptual analysis of speech, testing of categorical perception abilities, and experimental perturbation of speech production and perception (e.g. bite block speech, pitch and formant shifting). By studying the operational characteristics of motor control in normal and disordered speech, Dr. Jacks hopes to contribute knowledge that enables better prediction of speech abilities in individuals with neurological injury or disease and development of more effective treatments for persons with motor speech disorders.

Courses Taught

  • SPHS 540 Speech Science
  • SPHS 744 Motor Speech Disorders

Professional Societies

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders and Sciences

Aphasia Access

Recent Publications

Haley KL, Cunningham KT, Eaton CT, Jacks A. 2018. Error Consistency in Acquired Apraxia of Speech: Effects of the Analysis Unit. J. of Speech-Lang-Hearing Res. 61:210-226. doi: 10.1044/2017_JSLHR-S-16-0381. Haley KL, Jacks A, Richardson JD, Wambaugh JL. 2017. Perceptually salient sound distortions and apraxia of speech: A performance continuum. Amer. J. Speech-Lang. Pathol. 26(2S):631-640. doi: 10.1044/2017_AJSLP-16-0103.

Haley KL, Shafer JN, Harmon TG, Jacks A. 2016. Recovering with Acquired Apraxia of Speech: The First Two Years. Amer. J. Speech-Lang. Pathol. 25(4S):S687-S696. doi: 10.1044/2016_AJSLP-15-0143. Harmon TG, Jacks A, Haley KL, Faldowski R. 2016. Listener perceptions of simulated fluent speech in nonfluent aphasia. Aphasiology 30(8): 922-942, DOI:10.1080/02687038.2015.1077925

Cunningham KT, Haley KL, Jacks A. 2016. Speech sound distortions in aphasia and apraxia of speech: Reliability and diagnostic significance. Aphasiology 30(4):396-413, DOI: 10.1080/02687038.2015.1065470

Jacks A, Haley KL. 2015. Auditory masking effects on speech fluency in apraxia of speech and aphasia: Comparison to altered auditory feedback. J. Speech-Lang-Hearing Res. 58:1670-1686, doi: 10.1044/2015_JSLHR-S-14-0277.

Haley, K.L., Jacks, A. 2014. Single word intelligibility testing in aphasia: Alternate forms reliability, phonetic complexity, and word frequency. Aphasiology, 28(3) 320-337, doi: 10.1080/02687038.2013.855702.

Haley, K.L., Jacks, A., Cunningham, K.T. 2012. Error variability and the differentiation between apraxia of speech and aphasia with phonemic paraphasia. Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research, 56, 891-905. doi:10.1044/1092-4388(2012/12-0161), PMID:23275417.

Haley, K.L., Jacks, A., de Riesthal, M., Abou-Khalil, R., Roth, H.L. 2012. Toward a Quantitative Basis for Assessment and Diagnosis of Apraxia of Speech. Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research, 55(5), S1502-S1517. doi:10.1044/1092-4388(2012/11-0318), PMID: 23033444.

Goldberg, S., Haley, K.L., Jacks, A. 2012. Script-training and Generalization for People with Aphasia. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 21(3), 222-238. doi:10.1044/1058-0360(2012/11-0056)

Haley, K.L., Roth, H., Grindstaff, E., Jacks, A. 2011. Computer-mediated intelligibility testing in aphasia and AOS. Aphasiology, 25(12), 1600-1620. doi:10.1080/02687038.2011.628379