סלע אושרת, ד”ר

דרגה ותפקיד: מרצה מסלול נלווה
כתובת דוא״ל: osella@univ.haifa.ac.il
טלפון:
שעות קבלה: בתיאום מראש
חדר:
אתר אישי:
שייכות לחוג / ביה”ס / יחידה:
 
סלע אושרת

Background

I am a researcher and a scholar in the field of Speech and Language Therapy, leading novel and cutting edge research projects in the field, with new and original interventions. I completed my PhD in University of Canterbury, New Zealand under the mentorship of Dr. Maggie-Lee Huckabee, focusing on skill versus strength in swallowing training, during which we created a computer software called BISSKIT that provides biofeedback from the submental muscles, aimed at either improving skill or strength during therapy.


I am also a Speech and Language Therapist. I work clinically in Reuth Rehabilitation Hospital with patients with neurological insults and in Ezra Lemarpe (clinical lead) with patients with Parkinson’s Disease. In addition, I am involved in training SLPs working in the area of dysphagia, providing workshops and invited lectures in numerous hospitals and rehabilitation centers all over Israel. I took part in leading the first in-depth dysphagia course (60 hours) for SLTs in Israel through The Israeli Speech Hearing and Language Association. I presented my research in conferences overseas and in Israel. I have a broad international network with leading dysphagia researchers, and I am involved in international research projects.     

I served as a committee member in MoH, Bituach Le’umi and The Israeli Speech Hearing and Language Association. I led the creation and writing of the first position paper and clinical guidelines in the management of ventilated patients, together with leading SLTs in Israel. I took part in writing the first position paper in dysphagia management.   

Research

Current research projects

  • Association between swallowing ability, nutrition, frailty and sarcopenia in older adults living in the community
  • Normative data for TOMASS (test of mastication and swallowing solids) and timed water swallow test
  • Translation and validation of DRIPs (Drooling infants and preschoolers scale)
  • Implementation of IDDSI (International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative) in health care settings in Israel
  • SLT competency in management of patients with tracheostomy and ventilated patients (with Dr. Aviah Gvion and Dr. Jackie Macrae)
  • Application of TOMASS and the timed water swallow test in PD

 

Current Master students projects:

*Auditory versus auditory-visual perception of voice quality among speech-language pathologists and otolaryngologists (Michael Finkelstein)

* The effects of enhanced sensation on swallowing safety and biomechanics

Publications

  1. Sella, O., Jones, R. and Huckabee, ML. (2014). Age and gender effects on submental motor evoked potentials. Age, 36(6), 9735
  2. Athukorala, R., Jones, R., Sella, O., Huckabee, ML. (2014) Skill Training for Swallowing Rehabilitation in patients with Parkinson’s Disease.Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation,  95(7), 1374-1382
  3. Huckabee, M. L., McIntosh, T., Fuller, L., Curry, M., Thomas, P., Walshe, M., McCague, E., Battel, I., Nogueira, D., Frank, U., van den Engel‐Hoek, L. & Sella-Weiss, O. (2018). The Test of Masticating and Swallowing Solids (TOMASS): reliability, validity and international normative data. International journal of language & communication disorders53(1), 144-156. 
  4. Pinkhusovsky, I. & Sella-Weiss, O. (2016) Feeding people with advanced dementia: a literature review. Dash Bareshet, 35, 1-24 (Hebrew). 
  5. Katz, D. H., Sella, O., Golan, H., Banai, K., Van Swearingen, J., Krisciunas, G. P., & Abbott, K. V. (2019). Buteyko Breathing Technique for Exertion-Induced Paradoxical Vocal Fold Motion (EI-PVFM). Journal of Voice.