Bendix Labeit is a neurology physician and clinician scientist at University Hospital Duesseldorf in Germany. His research focuses on neuroscience, geriatrics, and rehabilitation, particularly addressing dysphagia (swallowing impairment) within these fields. He employs various scientific methods, including Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES), magnetoencephalography (MEG), functional MRI (fMRI), and bioimpedance (BIA), to conduct his studies. His commitment to advancing the field is reflected in his publications in leading journals, including Lancet Neurology, Neurology, Movement Disorders, Stroke, Nature Parkinson’s Disease, and the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. Through his work, he aspires to create a significant impact by reducing mortality rates and enhancing the overall quality of life for patients.

Gabi is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Alberta and a Manager in the Ministry of Advanced Education. With over a decade of clinical experience as a speech-language pathologist, she focused on treating resonance, speech, and swallowing disorders in head and neck cancer patients. Her clinical work led to her doctoral research, contributing to the development of Mobili-T, a mobile biofeedback system for swallowing exercises (now a True Angle product). Gabi co-founded and served as CXO of True Angle for five years, advocating for the commercialization of research. She has authored over 20 publications and taught courses in statistics, research design, and speech science. Gabi has received multiple awards, including the Michael Donovan NFOSD Innovation Award and the ACSLPA Honor of the College award.

Jaclyn Pederson is a system thinker and positive team builder With more than fifteen years’ experience in program development and nonprofit management. She uses transformational leadership principles to develop energized and efficient workgroups that influence significant organizational and systemic change for all affected by pediatric feeding disorder – such as the effort to create a stand-alone diagnosis code for PFD. Named in the 2017 Class of 40 under 40 by the Phoenix Business Journal, Jaclyn was elevated to the CEO position at Feeding Matters in 2020 after working for nearly 8 years to advance the system of care for children with PFD. Jaclyn serves as past president of the YNPN Phoenix Board of Directors and is a current member and chair of the Program Committee of the ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation’s Leadership Council.

Jo Puntil is a Board-Certified Specialist in Swallowing Disorders with extensive experience in building integrated patient focused rehab teams throughout the continuum of care, especially in critical care. She has lectured throughout the country and is a former Chair of the Council for Clinical Certification in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology. Jo is also an ASHA Fellow. 

Julie Blair, MA, CCC-SLP, BCS-S is a clinical speech pathologist at the Medical University of South Carolina and adjunct faculty at the College of Health Professions.  She specializes in voice and swallowing rehabilitation in head and neck cancer and holds Board Certification in Swallowing-Swallowing Disorders.

Dr. Kendrea Garand is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Science and Disorders at the University of Pittsburgh. She holds a Doctor of Clinical Science in Medical Speech-Language Pathology (CScD) from the University of Pittsburgh, and a PhD in Health and Rehabilitation Science from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). She then completed her post-doctoral fellowship at MUSC Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. She has been a practicing speech-language pathologist for over 15 years, and she is recognized as a Certified Brain Injury Specialist (CBIS) and Board Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders (BCS-S). She currently is the Vice Chair for the American Board of Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders and Editor of ASHA Perspectives of the Special Interest Groups (SIG 13, Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders). She has approximately 60 peer-reviewed publications.

Timothy (Tim) Stockdale has served as a speech-language pathologist (SLP) primarily in university and acute care settings. He has taught at the graduate level for several years, focusing on adult dysphagia and acquired communication disorders. He is the founding director of the 'Hard to Swallow: A Catalyst for Change in Dysphagia Management' conference at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions and started Gap Education, LLC. He has continued to practice clinically in multiple settings, which he believes helps him to maintain relevance and practicality. In January of 2023, he was appointed to ASHA's SIG-13 (Dysphagia) Professional Development Committee and serves this term through December 31, 2025. As for his own education, he received an undergraduate degree from West Virginia University, a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of South Florida, and a Doctorate in Speech-Language Pathology (SLPD) from Northwestern University.