Nicole Cruse, Ph.D.
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Nicole Cruse is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Disorders. She teaches courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in the areas of Neuroscience, Adult Neurogenic Disorders, and Research Methods. While working with students in the classroom is her true passion, she also is working to further the research on executive dysfunction for individuals living with traumatic brain injury. Her current research is focused on developing application software that can be used as an assessment tool for Speech Language Pathologists to assess cognitive deficits in this population.
Degrees & Certifications
- Ph.D. Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Connecticut (2021)
- Graduate Certificate in the Neurobiology of Language, University of Connecticut (2018)
- MA, Linguistics and Literature, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (2015)
- Graduate Certificate in Cognitive Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (2015)
- BA English, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (2012)
Teaching Responsibilities
Dr. Cruse teaches courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the areas of Neuroscience and Research Methods. Undergraduate courses include Neurological Basis of Communication and Swallowing and Introduction to Research in Health Sciences. Graduate courses include Adult Neurogenic Disorders, Research Methods and Capstone Project
Research Interests & Grants
Dr. Cruse’s research is focused on better understanding how traumatic brain injury impacts the executive functions, namely the ability to plan behavior, monitor behavior, and repair behavior. Deficits in these abilities impacts individuals in all areas of life, including their ability to participate in discourse. Currently, she is developing a computerized navigation-based game that is not only enjoyable for participants to play, but also assesses levels of executive dysfunction. Her work has been supported by the IGERT, National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant and not only serves to fill a gap in current methodology but informs clinical practice.
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