In 2021, Bill Goodrich went to the doctor with what he described as a “raspy throat.” The symptoms persisted, and eventually he was referred to Blake Simpson, M.D., Abroms Professor of Otolaryngology in the UAB Department of Otolaryngology and co-director of the UAB Voice Center. Dr. Simpson diagnosed him with throat cancer.

In fall 2025, two speech-language pathologists in the UAB Voice Center received Distinguished Early Career Professional (ECP) Certificates from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

In summer 2025, the UAB Department of Otolaryngology received additional funding to support the SPEAK OUT!® Therapy Program. This initiative of the Parkinson Voice Project allows the UAB Voice Center to offer free speech therapy to eligible individuals living with Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s disease can lead to dysarthria and dysphonia, which are difficulties with speech and voice, respectively. That is because Parkinson’s can impact respiration, the use of the voice box, and the precise movements of the tongue and throat muscles required for clear speech.

In mid-2024, researchers in the UAB Department of Otolaryngology received a five-year, $50,000 grant to support voice therapy for patients with Parkinson’s disease.

The UAB Medicine Otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat, or ENT) Clinic provides complete management of allergy conditions involving the ears, nose, sinuses, mouth, throat, and neck. The state-of-the-art center also is focused on researching new ways of diagnosing and caring for voice, swallowing, and airway disorders, as well as training the next generation of physicians […]