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Paula Leslie PhD, CertMRCSLT

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    Title

    Associate Professor

    Office Location

    4033 Forbes Tower

    Office phone

    412-383-6748

Academic and Professional Appointments

  • Associate Professor

Professional Certification and Licensure

  • Health Professions Council (UK): 2001(inception)-present
  • Full Member (SL00361)
  • Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists (UK): 1995-present
  • Full Practicing Member (CertMRCSLT)
  • American Speech-Hearing Association (USA): 2007-present
  • Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP)
  • Pennsylvania Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs (USA): 2008–present
  • Pennsylvania State License–Speech-Language Pathology (SL-009103)  

Biographical Profile 

I am a dysphagia clinician, researcher & educator, interested in aging, ethics & end of life decisions in vulnerable populations. I am also interested in health professions' education and non-traditional routes to advanced clinical training. I was one of the designers of the world's first dysphagia research degree for SLPs & ENTs (UK) and I have now joined the implementation team for the Clinical Doctorate in Medical Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh.

Education

  • PhD, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 2004
  • BSc(Hons) (UK) Clinical Language Sciences, Leeds Metropolitan University, 1995  

Academic Interests

  • Swallow assessment & reliability
  • Ageing swallow
  • Quality of life, ethics & decision making in vulnerable groups & at end of life
  • Certification level and advanced clinical education
  • Evidence based practice education

Recent Publications: refereed articles

  • Papakonstantinou L, Leslie P, Gray J, Chadwick T, Wilson JA. “Laryngopharyngeal reflux: are we making the most of the symptoms?” Clinical Otolaryngology (in press)
  • Buswell C, Leslie P, Embleton ND, Drinnan MJ. “Oral-motor dysfunction at 10 months corrected gestational age in infants born less than 37 weeks preterm.” Dysphagia (2009)
  • Leslie P, Crawford H, Wilkinson H. “People with a learning disability and dysphagia: a Cinderella population?” Dysphagia (2009)
  • Coyle JL, Davis LA, Easterling C, Graner DE, Langmore S, Leder SB, Lefton-Greif MA, Leslie P, Logemann JA, Mackay L, Martin-Harris B, Murray JT, Sonies B, Steele CM. “Oropharyngeal dysphagia assessment and treatment efficacy: setting the record straight (response to Campbell-Taylor).” J Am Med Dir Assoc. (2009)
  • Vesey S, Leslie P, Exley, C. “I thought I was going for an X-ray - bit of a shock really": A pilot study exploring the factors that influence the decision to have PEG feeding in patients with progressive conditions.” Dysphagia (2008)
  • Kelly A, Drinnan MJ, Leslie P. “Assessing penetration and aspiration: how do videofluoroscopy and fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing compare?” Laryngoscope (2007)
  • Crawford H, Leslie P, Drinnan MJ. “Compliance with dysphagia recommendations by carers of adults with intellectual impairment”. Dysphagia (2007)
  • Leslie P, Drinnan MJ, Coyle JL, Zammit-Maempel I, Ford GA, Wilson JA. "Cervical auscultation synchronized with images from laryngoscopy swallow evaluations". Dysphagia (2007)
  • Zammit-Maempel I, Chapple CL, Leslie P. "Radiation Dose in Videofluoroscopic Swallow Studies". Dysphagia (2007)
  •  Bateman CL, Leslie P, Drinnan MJ. "Adult dysphagia assessment in the UK and Ireland: are SLTs assessing the same factors?" Dysphagia (2007)
  • Dyer J, Leslie P, Drinnan MJ. "Is Picture Archiving Communication Systems (PACS) a useful tool for measuring valleculae residue?" Dysphagia (2007)
  • Roe J, Drinnan MJ, Leslie P. "Oropharyngeal dysphagia: prevalence and quality of life in non-head and neck cancer patients receiving palliative care". Palliative Medicine (2007)  

Recent Publications: Book Chapters and Other

  • ASHA Leader “Complex decisions involving PEG feeding tubes: when you’re never right or wrong” with James L Coyle, Pittsburgh (in press)
  • Embedding EBP in Speech and Language Therapy: International examples from clinical practice: “Promoting clinical effectiveness with postgraduate students” with James L Coyle, Pittsburgh, book chapter (in press)
  • Evidenzentwicklung in der Dysphagiologie: Von der Untersuchung in die klinische Praxis: “Zervikale Auskultation: Hören oder sehen wir?” book chapter, (2009)
  • Dysphagia in Rare Conditions: "Hyoid Bone Fracture” with Roger D Newman, Preston, UK, book chapter (2009)
  • Scott Brown's Otolaryngology VII: "The Physiology of Swallowing" with Stephen McHanwell, Newcastle, book chapter, (2009)
  • ASHA Special Interest Division 13 " Food for Thought: How do our patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis decide about having a PEG? Has anyone ever asked them?” Pittsburgh, 2008

Key Publications

  • Kelly A, Leslie P, Beale T, Payten C, Drinnan MJ. "Fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing and videofluoroscopy: does examination type influence perception of pharyngeal residue severity?" Clinical Otolaryngology (2006)
  • Leslie P, Drinnan MJ, Ford GA, Wilson JA. "Swallow respiratory patterns and aging: presbyphagia or dysphagia?" Journal of Gerontology (2005)
  • Leslie P, Drinnan MJ, Ford GA, Wilson JA. “Swallow respiratory patterns and aging: presbyphagia or dysphagia?” Journal of Gerontology (2005)
  • Leslie P, Drinnan MJ, Finn P, Ford GA, Wilson JA. “Reliability and validity of cervical auscultation: a controlled comparison using videofluoroscopy.” Dysphagia (2004)
  • Leslie P, Carding P, Wilson JA. “Investigation and management of chronic dysphagia.” BMJ (2003)
  • Leslie P, Drinnan MJ, Ford GA, Wilson JA. “Swallow respiration patterns in dysphagic patients following acute stroke.” Dysphagia (2002)  

Courses Recently Taught

  • CSD 1230 Introduction to Communication Disorders
  • CSD 2061 Clinical Interviewing and Counseling
  • CSD 2062 Clinical Interviewing
  • CSD 2064 Introduction to Clinical Decision Making
  • CSD 2505/6/7 Clinical Writing Series
  • CSD 2510 Complex and Ethical Decisions Making
  • CSD 2511 Oral Dissemination
  • CSD 2520 Clinical Mentored Experience
  • CSD 2521 Case-based Clinical Education

Service

  • Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists, National professional clinical advisor (dysphagia)
  • ASHA Special Interest Division 13 (Swallowing & Disorders): Research Committee
  • Research project reviewer: Northern Ireland Department of Health R&D Office, Scottish Government Office of Health Services Research, Action Research UK, Dunhill Medical Trust
  • Peer reviewer: Dysphagia, International Journal of Communication Disorders, Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing, CME Bulletin Otorhinolaryngology, ENT News, Clinical Rehabilitation, Journal of Applied Physiology
  • Council of Academic Programs in Communicative Sciences and Disorders: CSD Centralized Applications Service Advisory Board