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Communication Sciences and Disorders

Faculty

Melcher Life Sciences
3871 Holman St. Room M242
Houston, TX 77204-6018

Phone: 713.743.2897
Fax: 713.743.2926  

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Margaret Lehman Blake, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Blake

Professor and Department Chair
Phone: (713) 743-2894
Email: mtblake@uh.edu
Office:  Melcher Life Sciences M166J
Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Blake is the current Chair of the UHComD department. Her expertise is in cognitive-communication disorders associated with right hemisphere brain damage (RHD). She has been researching and teaching in this area for over 20 years and is the author of The Right Hemisphere and Disorders of Cognition and Communication.

Education

  • Ph.D., Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
  • M.S., Speech and Hearing Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
  • B.S., Communication Disorders, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

Teaching

  • Research and Critical Thinking (COMD 6261)
  • Neuroscience for Communication Disorders (COMD 4333)

Research Interests

The right side of the brain plays an important role in communication, primarily in expressing and understanding intended meaning within a given context. Apragmatism is a disorder of cotenxt-dependent communication associated with damage to the right side of the brain (RHD). Dr. Blake’s research focuses on (a) operationally defining RHD disorders including characteristics of specific impairments and patterns of co-occurrence and (b) examining the incidence and effects of Theory of Mind (the ability to understand that other people have knowledge, thoughts, beliefs, feelings and emotions that are different from your own) in acute through chronic stroke.

For more information, view Dr. Blake’s research page.

 

Research Grants

(past 5 years)

  • 2022-2027 National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Deafness and Communication Disorders (NIH/NIDCD) R01DC019828. Recovery of Language and Theory of Mind after Stroke, Role: co-PI with Tatiana Schnur (Baylor College of Medicine)

Selected Publications

(For a full list of publications, see CV)

  • Minga, J., Sheppard, S., Johnson, M., Hewetson, R., Cornwell, P., & Blake, M. L. (2023) Apragmatism: The renewal of a label for communication disorders associated with right hemisphere brain damage. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 58, 651-666. DOI 10.1111/1460-6984.12807
  • El Husseini, N., Katzan, I. L., Rost, N. S., Blake, M. L., Byun, E., Pendlebury, S. T., ... & American Heart Association Stroke Council; Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing; Council on Cardiovascular Radiology and Intervention; Council on Hypertension; and Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health. (2023). Cognitive impairment after ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke, 54. DOI: 10.1161/STR.0000000000000430.
  • Stockbridge, M. A., Sheppard, S. M., Keator, L. M., Murray, L. L., & Blake, M. L. (2021). Aprosodia subsequent to right hemisphere brain damage: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 1-27. doi:10.1017/S1355617721000825
  • Minga, J., Johnson, M. Blake, M. L., Fromm, D. & MacWhinney, B. (2021). Making sense of right hemisphere discourse using RHDBank. Topics in Language Disorders, 41, 99-122 doi: 1097/TLD.0000000000000244
  • Ramsey, A., & Blake, M.L. (2020). Speech-Language Pathology practices for adults with right hemisphere stroke: What are we missing? American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 29(May), 741–759. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-19-00082

Honors

  • Fellow, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
  • University of Houston Teaching Excellence Award (2015-16)

Professional Activities

  • International Cognitive-Communication Disorders Conference Co-Chair (2023-2024)
  • Founding member of the International Right Hemisphere Collaborative (2021)
  • Co-creator of www.RightHemisphere.org