Faculty/Staff/PhD
Academic Faculty
Brandimore, Alexandra E., Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Assistant Professor of Instruction
Phone: 813.974.2732
Office: PCD 3028
Dr. Alexandra Brandimore, Ph.D. CCC/SLP joined the ±«Óătv Communication Sciences and
Disorders department faculty in May 2017. She completed her doctoral studies at the
University of Florida where she also received her Master’s and Undergraduate education.
After obtaining her Ph.D in Speech-Language Pathology, Dr. Brandimore completed a
post-doctoral fellowship in the Laboratory for Upper Airway Dysfunction within the
Department of Biobehavioral Sciences at Teachers College, Columbia University. During
her post-doctoral work she established and coordinated the Clinical Research Neurorehabilitation
Center at Teacher’s College, served as co-investigator and/or study coordinator for
various large-scale NIH and MJ Fox funded projects, and provided mentorship and teaching
to Master’s level SLP students. As an academician, Dr. Brandimore interfaces her passions
for teaching, research, and clinic. Her primary research goals target the development
of evaluative techniques and therapeutic paradigms to improve upper airway dysfunction,
primarily dysphagia (disordered swallowing) and dystussia (disordered cough), in persons
with neurodegenerative diseases (i.e. Parkinson’s disease). Her clinical work has
mainly been in the area of Movement Disorders where she has evaluated and treated
the motor speech, voice, AAC, and airway protective needs of hundreds of patients.
She has participated in the collaborative, multidisciplinary ALS clinic within the
±«Óătv Health system to facilitate the complex needs of these patients. Dr. Brandimore
has teaching expertise in the areas of: respiratory physiology, cognitive-motor relationships,
neural/myogenic adaptations to exercise and training, with emphasis on the swallowing,
coughing and respiratory systems, and clinical disorders of motor speech, voice, and
airway protection. Dr. Brandimore’s teaching interests include dysphagia, voice disorders,
motor speech disorders, speech anatomy and physiology, neuroanatomy, and SLP management
of complex movement disorders.
Post-Doctoral Fellowship | Teachers College, Columbia University | 2016 |
Ph.D. (Speech-Language Pathology | University of Florida | 2015 |
M.A. (Speech-Language Pathology) | University of Florida | 2011 |
B.A. (Communication Sciences & Disorders) | University of Florida | 2009 |
Teaching
- Dysphagia (In-class and On-line)
- Voice Disorders (In-class and On-line)
- SLP Management of Complex Movement Disorders (In-class and On-line)
- Motor speech disorders
- Speech Anatomy & Physiology
- Respiratory physiology
- Adult language disorders
- Neurological basis for communication/Neuroanatomy
- Research Methods
Recent Scholarly Activity
- Borders, J., Brandimore, A., & Troche, M. (2020). Variability of voluntary cough airflow in healthy older adults and Parkinson’s disease. Dysphagia. Online ahead of print.
- Hegland, K., Troche, M., & Brandimore, A. (2019). Relationship between respiratory sensory perception, speech, and swallow in Parkinson’s disease. Mov Disord Clin Pract. 6 (3), 243-249.
- Brandimore, A., Hegland, K., Okun, M., Davenport, P., & Troche, M. (2017). Voluntary up-regulation of reflex cough is possible in healthy older adults and Parkinson’s disease. Journal of Applied Physiology.
- Troche, M., Brandimore, A., Hegland, K., Zeilman, P., Foote, K., & Okun, M. (2016). Tailored deep brain stimulation optimization for improved airway protective outcomes in Parkinson’s disease. Interdisciplinary Neurosurgery, 5, 3-5.
- Troche, M., Schumann, B., Brandimore, A., Okun, M., & Hegland, K. (2016). Reflex cough and disease duration as predictors of swallowing dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease. Dysphagia, 31(6), 757-64.
- Hegland, K., Davenport, P., Brandimore, A., Singletary, F., & Troche, M. (2016). Rehabilitation of swallowing and cough functions following stroke: An expiratory muscle strength training trial. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 97(8), 1345-51.
- Laciuga, H., Brandimore, A., Troche, M., & Hegland, K. (2016). Analysis of clinicians’ perceptual cough evaluation. Dysphagia, 31(4), 521-30.
- Brandimore, A., Troche, M., Huber, J., & Hegland, K. (2015). Respiratory kinematics of reflex and voluntary cough in healthy adults. Frontiers in Physiology, 9(6).
- Hegland, K., Troche, M., Brandimore, A., Okun, M., & Davenport, P. (2015). Comparison of two methods for inducing reflex cough in patients with Parkinsn’s disease: implications for neural control and clinical practice. Dysphagia, 31(1), 66-73.
- Hegland, K., Troche, M., Brandimore, A., Davenport, P., & Okun, M. (2014). Comparison of voluntary and reflex cough effectiveness in Parkinson’s disease. Parkinsonism and Related Disorders, 20(11), page 1266-30.
- Troche, M., Brandimore, A., Godoy, J., & Hegland, K. (2014). A framework for understanding shared substrates of airway protection. Journal of Applied Oral Science, 22(4), page 251-60.
- Troche, M., Brandimore, A., Okun, M., Davenport, and Hegland, K. (2014). Decreased cough sensitivity and aspiration in Parkinson’s disease. Chest, 146(5), page 1294-9.
- Troche, M., Brandimore, A., Foote, K., Morishita, T., Chen, D., Hegland, K., Okun, M. (2014). Swallowing outcomes following unilateral STN vs. GPi Surgery: A retrospective analysis. Dysphagia, 29(4),page 425-31.
- Troche, M., Brandimore, A., Foote, K., & Okun, M. (2013). Swallowing and deep brain stimulation in Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review. Parkinsonism and Related Disorders, 19(9), page 783-8.
- Rodriguez, C.S., Troche, M., & Johnson, A. (2012). Communication Needs of Hispanic Patients: Sudden Speechlessness Simulation. Open Communication Journal, 6, page 8.