Restoring speech communication in individuals that can’t speak or have difficulty speaking (e.g., individuals with ALS) is an important challenge that could benefit many. While many solutions have been proposed that have various limitations, recent progress in machine learning methods (e.g., transformers) open new opportunities. This project aims to decode the intended speech of individuals that are moving their mouth without uttering the speech, simulating a task that can be carried out by part of the population with impaired speaking. The goal is to decode (and play back) the speech that the individual was attempting to produce. Some pilot data is available. The project might also involve collecting more data. The project is suitable for Master’s students.
You will join a research team composed of the principal investigator, a postdoctoral researcher, and six PhD students. The team meets weekly to discuss exciting ongoing work from within and outside the team, which is also an opportunity for Master’s students to experience research life and hear about the latest advances in brain research (especially speech, language, and music processing).
Lab website: https://diliberg.net