Voice Disorders..

Christine Sapienza

Dr. Christine Sapienza, PhD, CCC-SLP, is a nationally recognized academic leader, researcher, and innovator in health care and higher education. She currently serves as executive vice president for partnerships and development at Jacksonville University (JU), following a transformative tenure as provost and founding dean of the Brooks Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences. Her leadership helped launch JU’s flagship graduate health programs, state-of-the-art simulation labs, and the foundation for a new College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Internationally known for her pioneering research on the interaction between voice and respiratory function, Dr. Sapienza has built a career advancing the science and clinical care of neurorehabilitation. She co-invented the Expiratory Muscle Strength Trainer, now used worldwide to improve respiratory and vocal function in clinical populations. Her work has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, US Department of Veterans Affairs, and other major funding agencies. She has authored over 125 peer-reviewed publications and the widely adopted textbook Voice Disorders.

Dr. Sapienza is also a dedicated educator and mentor, having guided dozens of doctoral students and received multiple honors for excellence in teaching and research. As cofounder of the Women’s Health Innovation Network, she champions women’s health through science, entrepreneurship, and cross-sector collaboration. She has served on numerous nonprofit boards, advancing health-care and education initiatives across the region.

Learn More

Bari Hoffman

Bari Hoffman, PhD, CCC-SLP, is an associate dean for clinical affairs and healthcare innovation in the College of Health Professions and Sciences and professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, with a joint appointment in internal medicine within the College of Medicine at the University of Central Florida. A nationally recognized academic leader, Dr. Hoffman brings extensive expertise in clinical practice, scientific inquiry, and strategic leadership across health professions education and health-care innovation.

Internationally regarded for her contributions to clinical voice care and voice/speech science, Dr. Hoffman’s work focuses on the acoustic, aerodynamic, and endoscopic analysis of voice and laryngeal function disorders, spanning professional voice users, individuals with head and neck cancer, complex neurologic conditions, and upper airway disorders. For more than two decades, Dr. Hoffman served as director of the Center for Voice Care and Swallowing Disorders at the Ear, Nose, Throat and Plastic Surgery Associates. In this role, she provided clinical care while demonstrating administrative and thought leadership, growing the center’s clinical reach and scholarly productivity.

Dr. Hoffman received her doctoral degree from the University of Florida in 2001. Her current research involves studying novel treatment technologies and biomechanical mechanisms for disorders of laryngeal function while defining the high impact on quality-of-life factors. She implements 3-D computer modeling of upper and lower airway function, coping strategies of individuals with dysphonia, and respiratory muscle strength paradigms in a variety of patient groups. Dr. Hoffman has a significant record of peer-reviewed publications, contributed to more than 25 book chapters, and coauthored two other textbooks: Cases in Head and Neck Cancer: A Multidisciplinary Approach and Respiratory Muscle Strength Training. She actively lectures nationally and internationally on these topics.

A trailblazer in health-care technology integration and higher education leadership, Dr. Hoffman has spearheaded efforts in immersive and AI-driven innovations, including extended reality platforms, smart clinical and home environments, and holoportation/hologram technologies to transform clinical training and interprofessional care. In recognition of her contributions to teaching, research, and service, she has received numerous awards within her university, state, and national associations, including fellowships from both the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the National Academies of Practice. Dr. Hoffman’s career reflects a sustained commitment to advancing translational research, pioneering health-care and education innovation, and shaping the future of clinical practice.

Learn More