Georgia Malandraki

Professor, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences

Courtesy Appointments

Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering

Areas of Expertise

swallowing physiology & neurophysiology
aerodigestive interactions
dysphagia neurorehabilitation
telehealth/telepractice
wearables in swallowing rehabilitation
neurogenic dysphagia across lifespan

HHS Signature Research Area(s)

Developmental Health and Wellness
Healthy Lifestyles and Vital Longevity

Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences Research Area(s)

Speech, Swallowing and Voice Science; Speech, Swallowing and Voice Disorders

Biography

Georgia A. Malandraki, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, ASHA Fellow, is a Professor at the Purdue Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences with a courtesy appointment in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, and the Research Director of the I-EaT Swallowing Research Laboratory and Clinic. She is a certified Speech-Language Pathologist and a Board Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders. Further, she is a faculty associate of the Purdue Center for Aging and Life Course and one of the founding members of the Purdue CEREBBRAL Center. The primary aim of Dr. Malandraki’s research is to uncover the central and peripheral neural mechanisms of swallowing function, in an effort to inform clinical decisions and develop neurophysiologically-driven treatments for children and adults with dysphagia. Dr. Malandraki is also one of the pioneers in the area of dysphagia telehealth, leading the effort to establish evidence-based teledynamic approaches for the rehabilitation of dysphagia in underserved populations in the US. Finally, she is an active advocate for the field of dysphagia in her home country, Greece.

Dr. Malandraki’s academic and research contributions have resulted in multiple honors and awards through the years. More recently, Dr. Malandraki was awarded the 2019 NIH NIBIB R21 Trailblazer Award, as well as the Purdue University 2019 College of Health and Human Sciences Early Career Research Achievement Award. In 2021 she was inducted as one of the 2021 Fellows of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and her team won the prestigious 2021 JSLHR Editor’s Award (Speech section). In 2022 she was awarded Honors of the Indiana Speech Language Hearing Association.

Dr. Malandraki is also dedicated to high quality instruction and has been repeatedly recognized for her teaching. Since joining Purdue (in 2014), she has won seven departmental teaching awards, and in 2018 she was awarded the Purdue College of Health and Human Sciences Patsy J. Mellott Teaching Innovation Award.

She was also instrumental in establishing the Purdue I-EaT clinic on campus. She has served on the Editorial Board of leading ASHA Journals (JSLHR, SIG13), and is now serving as one of the Editors for the American Journal of Speech Language Pathology (2021-2023). Finally, she is currently the President of the Dysphagia Research Society, the leading international Society for the study of swallowing disorders.

Education

Post Doctorate, 2011, University of Wisconsin, Madison
PhD, 2008, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
MA, 2004, Ohio University
BS, 2001, Technological Educational Institute of Patras, Greece
CCC-SLP licence, 2010-to date; BCS-S certification, 2014-to date

Websites

I-EaT Swallowing Research Lab

Social Media Accounts

Current Courses

SLHS 539 - Dysphagia
SLHS 619 - Advanced Topics in Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing
SLHS 303 - Anatomy & Physiology of the Speech Mechanism

Selected Publications

Malandraki, G.A., Mitchell, S.S., Hahn Arkenberg, R., Brown, B., Craig, B.A., Burdo-Hartman, W., Lundine, J.P., Darling-White, M., & Goffman, L. (in press). Swallowing and motor speech skills in unilateral cerebral palsy: Novel findings from a preliminary cross-sectional study. Journal of Speech, Language, & Hearing Research.
Malandraki, G.A., Hahn Arkenberg, R.H., Mitchell, S., & Bauer Malandraki, J.L. (2021). Telehealth for dysphagia across the life span: Using Contemporary Evidence and Expertise to Guide Clinical Practice during and after COVID-19. American Journal of Speech Language Pathology, 30(2), 532-550.
Malandraki, G.A., & Hahn Arkenberg, R. (2021). Advances in swallowing neurophysiology across pediatric development: Current evidence and insights. Curr Phys Med Rehabil Rep https://doi.org/10.1007/s40141-021-00334-3.
Kantarcigil, C., Kim, M. K., Chang, T. Smith, A., Craig, B., Lee, C.H., & Malandraki, G.A. (2020). Validation of a novel wearable electromyography patch for monitoring submental muscle activity during swallowing: A randomized crossover trial. Journal of Speech, Language, & Hearing Research, 63, 3293–3310.
Fujiki, R.B., Oliver, A., Bauer Malandraki, J., Wetzel, D., Craig, B.A., & Malandraki, G.A. (2019). The Recline and the Head Lift Exercises: A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Biomechanical Swallowing Outcomes and Perceived Effort in Healthy Older Adults. Journal of Speech, Language, & Hearing Research, 62(3), 631-643.

Selected Honors/Awards

Honors, Indiana Speech Language Hearing Association (ISHA) - April, 2022
Faculty Engagement Award, College of Health and Human Sciences, Purdue University - April, 2022
Fellow, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) - November, 2021
2020 Editor’s Award (Speech section) of the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research (JSLHR) - November, 2021
Early Career Research Achievement Award, College of Health and Human Sciences, Purdue University - October, 2019

Selected Grants

Co-Investigator (Purdue PI), Rehabilitation of Airway Protection in Parkinson's Disease: Comparing In-Person and Telehealth Service Delivery Models. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01 pending). Michelle Troche (PI). 5 years; pending final approval. Total requested: $3.7 million
M-PI, Development of mechanically compliant wearable monitoring systems for swallowing function and disorders. National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (Trailblazer R21 1R21EB026099-01A1). Malandraki & Lee (M-PIs). Period: 07/01/2019 – 03/31/2023. Total: $563,357
PI, Neuroplastic adaptations of swallowing and speech in children with unilateral cerebral palsy. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (R21 1R21DC015867-01A1). Malandraki (PI). Period: 07/01/2017 – 06/30/2021. Total: $449,169
PI, Neuroplastic adaptations of swallowing and speech in cerebral palsy: A 2-center study to identify new treatment targets. American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine and Pedal-with-Pete Foundation (Pilot research grant). Malandraki (PI). Period: 03/01/2017 – 09/30/2019. Total: $24,984

Professional Affiliations

President (2022-2023), Dysphagia Research Society
Co-Chair, Telehealth Taskforce, ISHA
Affiliate, Center for Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University
Advisory Council Member, CEREBBRAL Center, Purdue University