Nadine Connor, PhD
Director, Career Enhancement Program
Dr. Connor’s program is focused on critical functions of the head and neck; namely, speech, voice and swallowing disorders. Her interests center on physiological and structural properties of cranial muscles and the manner in which diseases (such as head and neck cancer) and treatment (such as surgery and radiotherapy) affect muscle function, and consequently, quality of life. She has a track record of funded research in areas very relevant to the Wisconsin Head and Neck Cancer SPORE as well as a substantial history of training and mentoring at all levels.
She has collaborated with Dr. Paul Harari for many years on cross disciplinary, translational research in the area of head and neck cancer treatment, co-edited a book with him, Medical Radiology: Functional Preservation and Quality of Life in Head and Neck Radiotherapy, and served on the executive committee planning and facilitating the Wisconsin Head and Neck Cancer SPORE. She has had 15 years of continuous funding for my translational research program from the VA and NIH. She currently holds four active R01 grants from the NIH as PI or MPI. One of these R01 grants is a clinical trial with patients who have thyroid cancer. Her qualifications as co-leader of the CEP are based on her training and mentoring history. She has actively mentored junior faculty members, postdoctoral fellows, doctoral students, veterinary surgery residents and resident physicians at the UW–Madison since 1997. Dr. Connor has been the sponsor or co-sponsor of four NIDCD F31/F32 fellowship trainees, was PI/PD of a NIDCD P30 ARRA grant “Voice and Swallow Neuroscience Research Core” with the goal of mentoring a junior faculty recruit (Dr. Michelle Ciucci; completed in 2012) and is a co-director of the UW Voice Research Training Program (NIDCD T32, PI: Bless). Thus, she has a track record of funded research in areas very relevant to the Wisconsin Head and Neck Cancer SPORE as well as a substantial history of training and mentoring at all levels.
Education
PhD, University of Wisconsin, Neurophysiology (1997)
MA, University of Maryland, Speech-Language Pathology (1982)
BA, University of Maryland, Speech & Hearing Science (1979)
Academic Appointments
Professor, Surgery, Communication Sciences and Disorders (2014)
Affiliate Faculty, Biomedical Engineering (2010)
Associate Professor, Surgery, Communicative Disorders (2009)
Assistant Professor, Surgery, Communicative Disorders (2004)
Research Director, Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery (2000-pres.)
Selected Honors and Awards
2012 Academic Faculty Member of the Year, 2012, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, UW-Madison
2011 Award for Best Oral Presentation (First Place) at the 19th Annual Meeting of the Dysphagia Research Society
2010 Fellow, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
2009 United States Patent 7479124
2008 KayPentax Lecture at the 2008 (November 21, 2008) Annual Convention of the American Speech Language Hearing Association, Chicago
2008 Journal of Voice Best Paper Award for 2008, Speech-Language Pathology/Vocal Pedagogy
Boards, Advisory Committees and Professional Organizations
2012-2014 Committee Chair, Translational Research applications, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communicative Disorders (NIDCD), National Institutes of Health
2008-2010 Committee Chair, Translational Research applications, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communicative Disorders (NIDCD), National Institutes of Health
2012-pres. Chair, UW School of Medicine and Public Health Animal Care and Use Committee
2008-pres. Editorial Board, Journal of Voice
2001, 2004 Special Emphasis Panel Member for R03, K01 & F31, R01 Clinical Trial applications