Nicole Schaen-Heacock, MS, CF-SLP

Graduate Student

Nicole Schaen-Heacock, MS is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2017 with a B.A. in Communication Sciences and Disorders, and earned her M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2019. Nicole has a deep passion for working with patients diagnosed with Head and Neck Cancer. Previously, she conducted a retrospective study assessing the deglutition pressures in patients with both Radiation- and Late Radiation-Associated Dysphagia (RAD and LRAD), utilizing High Resolution Manometry (HRM). Findings obtained from this study inspired her to conduct further research at the basic science/translational level. Her primary research interests involve: studying the relationship between chemotherapy/radiation and dysphagia -- more specifically, the effects of radiation fibrosis on swallow function in the rat model, as well as intervention methods as related to dysphagia management -- with future aims of translating these findings to clinical research. In her free time, Nicole enjoys hiking, painting, and spending time with her husband at the terrace!