Dr. Ashwini Namasivayam-MacDonald, PhD, SLP(C), CCC-SLP, Reg. CASLPO

Dr. Ashwini Namasivayam-MacDonald, PhD, SLP(C), CCC-SLP, Reg. CASLPO

Assistant Professor and Speech Language Pathologist

Ashwini Namasivayam-MacDonald (McMaster University)

Profile

Current Activity
Ashwini’s overarching research goal is to develop a more comprehensive and collaborative approach to dysphagia management that unites the biomedical and psychosocial aspects of care, in order to improve health and quality of life within the individual and across the family system. Her current research focuses on: 1) understanding dysphagia in older adults with dementia; 2) developing multidisciplinary interventions to prevent impairment and maintain swallowing function in older adults; and 3) understanding dysphagiarelated caregiver burden in caregivers of older adults.

Areas of Interest

  • Caregiver support and education
  • Nutrition
  • Neurodegenerative diseases 
  • Exercise
  • Dementia 
  • Person-centred care

Approaches to Innovation

  • Evaluation 
  • Knowledge translation and exchange 
  • Resource and tool development

Networks

  • McMaster Institute for Research on Aging
  • Gilbrea Centre for Studies on Aging

Student Mentorship
Looking to supervise:

  • Master’s students
  • PhD students