Educated in linguistics, cognitive neuroscience, neuroimaging, and speech-language pathology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cornell University, the National Institutes of Health, and Temple University, Dr. Postman is pursuing two major avenues of research. The first involves stakeholder-informed cultural and linguistic adaptations of group therapy for medically underserved and traditionally marginalized/minoritized older adults at risk for mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Her work on culturally and linguistically responsive modifications to the standard Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) protocol in accordance with specific characteristics of a group of Black older adults in North St. Louis has resulted in participants’ significant cognitive gains, deeper insights into their functional deficits, enhanced mood and self-esteem, and greater confidence in their communication of age-related health concerns with their caregivers and healthcare providers. At DePaul University, she seeks to replicate and expand upon this adaptive approach through campus-community partnerships throughout the greater Chicago metropolitan area, with the goal of developing a model for speech-language pathologists to overcome barriers to care for Black and other diverse older adults across the United States who are at risk for cognitive-communicative decline. Her second avenue of research involves experimental investigations to recover motor-speech and linguistic capacities in cases of more rare neurogenic cognitive-communicative disorders such as pure apraxia of speech secondary to stroke; apraxia combined with distinct types of dysarthria in cases of fronto-temporal degenerative diseases such as Primary Progressive Aphasia, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, and Cortico-Basal Degeneration; and flaccid dysarthria, dysphonia and dysphagia in late-onset Myasthenia Gravis co-morbid with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. Her experimental investigations to be conducted in the DePaul Speech and Language Clinic include applications of imaging techniques such as real-time ultrasound intra-oral visual feedback, state-of-the-art tablet-based therapies, high-tech augmentative and alternative communication devices, and telemedicine interventions.
Education
Postdoctoral Intramural Research Training Award Fellow, National Institute on Deafness & Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
Ph.D. in Linguistics with Minors in Cognitive Studies & Southeast Asian Studies, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
M.A. in Communication Sciences & Disorders, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
B.Sc. in Linguistics & Philosophy, Art & Architecture Minor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
H.S. Dip. from the Lycee Francais de New York, Baccalaureat Francais, Serie B
Licensures and Certifications
Certified American Speech–Language–Hearing Association (ASHA) Clinician, ID #14042784
Registered Bilingual Service Provider, ASHA Office of Multicultural Affairs
Illinois License in Speech-Language Pathology #146017070
Missouri License in Speech-Language Pathology #2016034814
Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT LOUD®) certified administrator
Professional Organizations
National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Special Interest Groups 2, 8, & 15, Neurogenic Communication Disorders, Public Health Audiology, & Gerontology
Academy of Neurological Communication Disorders and Sciences
Haitian Caucus of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Courses Taught
- SLP 101: Introduction to Communication Sciences and Disorders
- SLP 410: Research Methods
- SLP 484: Clinical Practicum IV
Service
Editor of the National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing (NBASLH)'s Resound))) quarterly publication and Chair of NBASLH's Resound))) Committee.
Selected Publications
Postman, W.A., Fischer, M., & Leisure, K. (2022). Cognitive group tackles racial disparities in dementia prevention. The ASHA Leader, May-June issue, 6-8, and The ASHA LeaderLive.
Postman, W.A., Fischer, M., Dalton, K., Leisure, K., Thompson, S., Sankey, L., & Watkins, H. (2022). Coupling hearing health with community-based group therapy for cognitive health in low-income African American elders. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, SIG-8 on Public Health Audiology 7:387-399.
Oberle, A., Postman W.A., & van den Berk-Clark, C. (2021). Novel, neuroscience-informed approaches to trauma care in community clinical settings. Missouri Medicine - the Journal of the Missouri State Medical Association 118:358-362.
Postman, W.A., Rosenthal, S., Thompson, S., Sankey, L., Leisure, K., Ferron, R., Slay, T., & Fischer, M. (2021). Forging community partnerships to reduce health disparities in low-income African American elders of North St. Louis at risk for dementia. Journal of the National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing 16:57-67.
Das, S., Postman, W.A., Haboubi, M., Akca, O., Remmel, K., Carter, A., & Zazulia, A. (2021). A case of aphemia following non-dominant sub-insular stroke: Unveiling the Foix-Chavany-Marie phenomenon. Neurocase 27:281-286.
Postman, W.A. & Slay, T. (2020). Leveraging the history of Black excellence in medicine to promote health equity for Black elders at risk for dementia. Journal of the National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing 15:45-52.
Ball, A. & Postman, W.A. (2020). Written language usage with pen and technology in adults across generations. Communication Disorders Quarterly 43:84-95.
Postman, W.A. (2016). Computer-mediated cognitive-communicative intervention for residents with dementia in a special care unit: An exploratory investigation. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups 1:68-78.
Turkeltaub, P.E., Goldberg, E.M., Postman, W.A., Palovcak, M., Quinn, C., Cantor, C., & Coslett, H.B. (2014). Alexia due to ischemic stroke of the visual word form area. Neurocase 20:230-5.
Postman, W.A. (2011). Some critical concerns for adapting the Bilingual Aphasia Test to Bahasa Indonesia. Special issue of Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics 25:619-627.
Postman, W.A., Birn, R., Pursley, R., Butman, J., Solomon, J., Picchioni, D., McArdle, J., & Braun, A. (2010). Single-trial fMRI shows contralesional activity linked to overt naming errors in chronic aphasic patients. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 22:1299-1318.