Dear Colleagues,

It is a tremendous honor to serve as your DRS President for the upcoming year!  My focus is on creating fresh and meaningful engagement opportunities for our community, modernizing our awards program to optimize inclusivity and opportunity of all members, and ensure it reflects the incredible talent in our field. We plan to deliver an exceptional annual meeting experience that leaves you inspired and connected.

NEWS & UPDATES:

1. Dash for Dysphagia:
   Thank you to all who participated in the recent Dash for Dysphagia fundraising event.
   As a community, we raised an impressive  $10,996. These funds will help support the DRS Research Career Development Program annual travel awards. I would like to provide a special shout out to the following members and teams who went above and beyond in their fundraising efforts:
   
   
   
   
   
2. 2026 Annual Meeting   |  March 4-7, 2026
   Myself and our 2026 Co-Chair Dr. Brittany Krekeler have just returned from the conference site visit at the beautiful  Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center.
   
   As you can see by the photos from our visit below, this venue is truly spectacular and super accessible from the Denver airport. Our team is crafting a dynamic, forward-thinking meeting filled with cutting-edge content and multiple new opportunities for learning and networking including first-ever  freehands on learning labs and no-cost networking events to increase your value for attending.
   
   
   
   In response to member feedback, we have pushed the abstract submission deadline back by ~2 months to afford members a longer time interval to prepare new data submission (please note that the notification date will remain the same).
   
   2026 Meeting Abstract Submission Timeline :
   October 1, 2025 – Anticipated abstract submission opening
   November 3, 2025  – Abstract submission deadline
   December 15, 2025 – Author/presenter notifications sent
   
   
3. Revamping the DRS New Investigator Award
   I’m very excited to announce a change in the DRS New Investigator Award for next years conference. More detailed information will be provided on the DRS website and abstract submission site soon, but I did want to inform trainees and junior investigators within five years of their terminal degree who have not been a previous finalist of this award change that will expand access to more new investigators and increase inclusivity. For the 2026 meeting, there will be a New Investigator Panel that will include up to six finalists (instead of only two) with finalist selection based on the top scoring abstracts accepted for oral platform presentation. The New Investigator Finalist Panel will therefore be expanded to showcase our amazing junior talent and onsite final judging by the DRS Awards Committee. Be on the lookout for more detailed information!
   
   
4. Upcoming Joint Webinar with the American Bronchoesophageal Association (ABEA)
   
   Advanced UES Dysfunction Diagnostics and Management
   Dec. 10, 2025 | 8:00 p.m. ET
   An exciting new initiative is the DRS partnering with the ABEA with our first joint initiative being a Webinar this Fall. We hope to garner interest from ABEA members in dysphagia related topics.
   Registration information coming soon!

Your DRS Board is here for you so please feel free to share your ideas anytime. Again, it is truly an honor to serve the society and you – the members – and I hope to make this a year of connection, innovation, and growth!

Warm Regards,
Emily Plowman, PhD, CCC-SLP, F-ASHA
DRS President

Dear Colleagues,

It is just 10 days since we concluded our 33rd Annual Dysphagia Research Society meeting in Philadelphia. I trust that those of you who attended in person have all travelled home safely.

I want to express my personal thanks to everyone for a truly fabulous meeting! Your contributions to cultivating a positive, inclusive and supportive atmosphere were truly appreciated! We had more than 400 people attending in person, including participants from 27 countries and territories. We also had more than 70 people participating virtually, from all around the world.

This year’s meeting featured an outstanding keynote lecture by Dr. Kris Jatana on choking and ingestion hazards, a record-breaking number of scientific oral and poster presentations, and the annual Dodds Donner lectureship by Dr. Kate Hutcheson, entitled Harnessing the Power of Real-World Data: Bench to Bedside or Bedside to Bench? Invited panels at both the pre-conference and the main conference addressed the effects of aspiration on the lungs; grantsmanship and grant administration; advances in technology and AI; empowerment of patient voices in dysphagia research; the interaction of sensation, nutrition and swallowing across the lifespan; publication; advancing health equity in dysphagia research and clinical care; “functional” dysphagia; dysphagia after pediatric cardiac surgery; and oral health research. Firsts at this year’s meeting included the option of hybrid virtual participation; on-demand viewing of recorded content with auto-caption and auto-translation options, which will remain available until the end of April; and hands-on workshops on technical issues in videofluoroscopy, endoscopy and high-resolution pharyngeal manometry. The meeting abstracts will be published electronically in the Dysphagia journal shortly.

I would like to express my thanks to conference co-chair Dr. Emily Plowman who oversaw the abstract submission and review process, the entire team of abstract reviewers, and to Dr. Anna Miles, Dr. Angela Dietsch and members of the Scholarship and Awards Committee who coordinated the judging of abstracts for awards. Congratulations go to the DRS New Investigator 1st and 2nd place winners, Joanne Yee and Claudia Côté. We also congratulate the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place oral presentation winners, Nina Zhao, Maryann Krasko and Veena Kallambettu and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place poster presentation winners, Claire Crossman, Elizabeth Mormer and Rebecca Packer. A special highlight of this meeting included recognition of 3 leaders of our field with the prestigious DRS Gold Medal: Dr. Joan C. Arvedson, Dr. Kulwinder Dua and Dr. Susan Langmore.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Annual Meeting Planning Committee members who organized this exceptional meeting. I would also like to thank our sponsors and exhibitors for supporting the meeting and Affinity Strategies for their expert assistance in planning and executing the meeting. Finally, I would like to thank all DRS members for the privilege of serving as the 2024-2025 President.

Catriona M. Steele, PhD, CCC-SLP, S-LP(C), Reg. CASLPO, F-ESSD, ASHA Honors
2024-2025 President 

Dear Colleagues,

Our 33rd annual Dysphagia Research Society meeting in Philadelphia is now just under 3 weeks away, and the excitement is building! We have a fabulous program planned including a record number of abstracts accepted for presentation.

Here are a few key things for you to know: 

1. The deadline for reserving rooms at the Philadelphia Sheraton Downtown hotel at the special conference rate of $248 per night has been extended to March 11th, 2025. 
   
   
2. We still have spaces available for our new DRS Learning Labs, which will be held on Thursday, March 27th at 3:30 p.m. These are an extra ticketed item and are not included in the virtual option. Be sure to sign-up for these labs, which feature hands-on applied learning activities. To add this to your registration, please email drs@affinity-strategies.com.  
   
   
3. There are also a few spaces available for the Meet the Mentors luncheon on Thursday, March 27th, organized by the DRS Trainee Advisory Committee and generously sponsored by Bracco. This is an amazing opportunity to meet with and learn from experienced dysphagia researchers and clinicians. To add this to your registration, please email drs@affinity-strategies.com.
   
   
4. Please also plan to join us for this year’s Annual Society Awards Ceremony at the President’s Reception.  This will be a wonderful evening where we celebrate our Gold Medalists, the Dodds Donner Lectureship, and the recipients of our sponsored awards and the New Investigator competition. Tickets can be purchased by emailing drs@affinity-strategies.com.
   
   
5. Our Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday, March 28th at 12:30 p.m., in advance of our closing ceremony and conference awards presentations. Membership Renewals: Please remember to renew your membership in the society. As a reminder, in order to update our membership information, we are not using the auto-renewal process this year. The rates for 2025 are: $225 for full members; $75 for members from low- and middle- income countries, as defined by the World Bank; and $75 for trainees.

For those who are unable to join us in person in Philadelphia, please note that virtual registration is available, providing live-stream access to both the pre-conference and the main conference. In addition to the live-stream, all registrants (both those who attend in person and those who register virtually) will have on-demand access to the recorded conference sessions for 30 days. The recorded sessions will be available within 72 hours of live delivery, and we plan to provide auto-captioning and auto-translation features with the recorded content.

Finally, registrants can expect to receive information on accessing our conference app during the week of March 17th.

In closing, I would like to thank the conference planning committee, the Trainee Advisory Committee and the Affinity Strategies DRS support team for all their help in putting together an amazing conference for 2025. We look forward to seeing you there or interacting with you online!

Catriona M. Steele, PhD, CCC-SLP, S-LP(C), Reg. CASLPO, F-ESSD, ASHA Honors
2024-2025 President

Dear Colleagues,

Happy New Year! I trust that this finds you well, and that you are as excited as I am about the upcoming DRS conference in Philadelphia! We will be featuring a record number of 66 oral presentations and 170 posters, as well as an outstanding line-up of invited talks.

We are just two weeks away from February 6^th, 2025 which is an important deadline for the following:

• Voting in our DRS election will end on February 6^th, 2025. If you are a full member, be sure to exercise your right to vote for candidates to serve on the DRS Board of Directors.
• Early bird rates for our Pre-Conference and Conference will end on February 6^th, 2025. To access member rates, please be sure to renew your annual membership first.  

Please also be sure to book your hotel accommodation using the DRS conference rate. We are delighted to announce that the Philadelphia Sheraton Downtown has recently agreed to lower our conference rate to $248 per night (an additional saving of $21 per night). For those who have already booked, the lower rate will be automatically reflected on your reservation. Please book quickly…the room rate deal will expire on February 21^st. 

In addition, I wanted to bring your attention to two upcoming webinars: 

• On January 28, 2025 we will be hosting a webinar on “Global Perspectives on Implementing Cross-Cultural Dysphagia Practice: An Expert Panel Discussion”.  Be sure to register and join us for this event. As always, members receive free registration and have access to the recorded webinar in our online library after the event.

• On February 6, 2025 our Trainee Advisory Committee will be hosting a live chat event entitled “Gearing Up for DRS 2025”.  This event will feature two breakout sessions focusing on tips for delivering effective presentations at the conference, and tips for networking at the conference. Please register here. 

As always, please reach out to the office at drs@affinity-strategies.com with any questions.

Sincerely,

Catriona M. Steele, PhD, CCC-SLP, S-LP(C), Reg. CASLPO, F-ESSD, ASHA Honors
2024-2025 President

Dear Colleagues,

I trust this finds you all well. I am writing this President’s Message on December 12th – World Swallowing Day. Earlier today, I had the privilege of participating in a World Dysphagia Coalition webinar, hosted by the Latin American Society for Dysphagia. It was a wonderful opportunity to hear about the mission and vision of different dysphagia related societies around the world, and to discuss perspectives on the current hot topic: seeking consensus on a definition of dysphagia. 

As the end of December approaches, we are excited about the plans for DRS in 2025. Here are a few highlights for you to note: 

1. Membership Renewals: Please remember to renew your membership in the society. As a reminder, in order to update our membership information, we are not using the auto-renewal process this year. The rates for 2025 are: $225 for full members; $75 for members from low- and middle- income countries, as defined by the World Bank; and $75 for trainees. 
   
   
2. DRS Election: This year, we will be electing a new secretary-treasurer, and two councilors. The nominating committee has decided that one of these councilor vacancies will be reserved for a non speech-language pathologist, to ensure that we have a diversity of professional representation on our board of directors. Please watch for election materials at the beginning of January. The election will close on February 6, 2025.  
   
   
3. DRS Annual Meeting: We are very excited about our upcoming 33^rd Dysphagia Research Society Annual Meeting, to be held in Philadelphia from March 25-28, 2025. There are a number of exciting updates regarding the conference: 

1. We are thrilled to announce that we received a record number of abstracts this year: 25% more than last year! We are delighted to report that a total of 244 abstracts were accepted for presentation at the meeting, with 40% coming from 19 countries outside North America!
   
2. For those who are new to attending or presenting at the DRS Annual Meeting, our Trainee Advisory Committee will be offering a free webinar in February featuring tips and advice. Stay tuned for more information about the date and how to register.
3. Our pre-conference on March 25, 2025 will feature two parallel tracks of content and is not to be missed! We will also have parallel tracks for part of the main conference. 
4. A very key development this year is our decision to offer both live and virtual registration options. We really hope that a large number of people will attend in person. But, we recognize that distance and travel costs may be a barrier to in-person attendance for some people, particularly our international members. For those who choose to register for the virtual option, we will feature live-stream delivery. Additionally, we will be recording the keynote and invited lectures for on-demand access, with auto-captioning and auto-translation. The on-demand program will be available for 30 days after the meeting. For those who attend in-person, picking up additional professional development hours from the recorded on-demand content will be an option. 
5. We have prepared a promotional letter regarding the conference, which can be downloaded from our website. If you are in touch with colleagues, workplaces or other societies who may be interested in the meeting, we encourage you to share this letter.
6. Another key development this year is our decision to offer reduced registration fees to members from low- and middle-income countries. 
7. Our popular Meet the Mentors luncheon (organized by our Trainee Advisory Committee) will be returning on Thursday, March 27, 2025.  Be sure to register early for this optional event, which is sure to sell-out!
8. In addition to the pre-conference and main-conference, are excited to feature two new events at this year’s meeting:
   • We will be organizing drop-in networking opportunities over the 2-hour lunch breaks on March 26-27, 2025. These will focus on pediatric dysphagia research, international practice, and clinical decision making for challenging cases. 
   • Learning Labs, offering an opportunity for interactive, applied learning regarding videofluoroscopy, endoscopy, or high-resolution pharyngeal manometry will be offered as an optional add-on for in-person attendees on Thursday, March 27, 2025, from 16:00-17:30 hours. Space for these labs is limited.
9. Mark your calendars and be sure to register for this year’s President’s Reception and DRS Annual Awards Ceremony, to take place in the evening on March 26, 2025. In addition to recognizing our Dodds Donner Lecturer, Dr. Kate Hutcheson, I am delighted to announce that we will be presenting the DRS Gold Medal to three very deserving recipients this year: Dr. Joan Arvedson, Dr. Kulwinder Dua, and Dr. Susan Langmore. This event will also celebrate the first and second place winners of our DRS New Investigator award. Please plan to join us to celebrate these wonderful colleagues!

I hope this list of highlights leaves you as excited as I am about the meeting! Remember that the deadline for registering at early bird rates is February 6, 2025 and be sure to watch for additional details and announcements.

I wish you all the very best for the holiday season and for a happy New Year!

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to September! We have lots to update you on regarding DRS events and activities. 

First, excitement is building regarding our 33^rd annual meeting in Philadelphia (March 25-28, 2025):

1. ABSTRACTS: The deadline for abstract submissions is September 30, 2024. This deadline is expected to be final with no extensions. For tips on abstracts, please see this video from our recent Trainee Advisory Committee webinar. We have an outstanding team of abstract reviewers ready to begin their blinded review and expect to send decisions by mid-November.  
   • Please note one important change this year: we are willing to consider abstracts for material that has been (or will be) presented at other meetings within 12 months of the DRS meeting, provided that you can provide justification (e.g. a completely different audience) or explain how the content has evolved (e.g. analysis of additional cases). 
     
     
2. CONFERENCE PROGRAM AND REGISTRATION: We have a fantastic program planned for the annual meeting. Exciting new items for the 2025 program include:  
   • Two tracks for the preconference on Tuesday, March 25th, 2025.
   • Optional hands-on workshops on videofluoroscopy, endoscopy and high-resolution manometry on the Thursday afternoon. 
   • Celebration of our annual society award recipients at the President’s Reception on Wednesday, March 26th, 2025. 
   • On-demand virtual access to recordings of the conference talks via the meeting app with auto-captioning and auto-translation for registered conference participants. This material will be available for 30 days, with continuing education credits available for material viewed within the first 7 days. We hope this will enable participation by a larger international audience. 
   • Information regarding conference registration rates can be found on our website. Hotel reservations and registration will be opening soon. 
     
     
3. CONFERENCE BURSARIES are available, in several categories (e.g. physicians, SLPs, trainees, newcomers). These are awarded based on a random draw of eligible applicants.The application deadline is September 30, 2024.
   
   
4. RESEARCH CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM: This important DRS program is available for early career investigators who are experiencing a current mentorship gap or have an unmet mentorship need. Applications are open and due by October 14, 2024. Successful candidates will be notified by mid December. More information is available in this YouTube video.
   
   
5. SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS: Several of our awards require applications, due by December 1, 2024. For more information, please see this YouTube video.
   
   
6. 2026 CONFERENCE: The location and dates for our 34th annual meeting have been confirmed. We will be meeting in Aurora, Colorado (just outside Denver) from Wednesday, March 4 to Saturday, March 7, 2026. Please note the change from our usual Tuesday-Friday schedule and protect the time in your calendars now!

WEBINAR: We are pleased to announce our upcoming DRS webinar on the Developmental Physiology of Chewing: Research Background and Future Clinical Focus. The webinar will be held on September 18, 2024 at 1:00pm-2:00pm ET. As a reminder, DRS Members have access to our entire library of webinars through the DRS website.

CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS FROM 2022, 2023 and 2024: After a long delay, we are thrilled to announce that the conference abstracts from our 2022, and 2023 annual meetings are published in the Dysphagia journal. The 2024 abstracts should be published soon. As a DRS member, you have free access to the Dysphagia journal through our website.

MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS: We will be launching our annual membership renewal process soon. In order to update our records, we will NOT be using the auto-renewal process this year. Membership rates for 2025 will be $225 for full members and $75 for trainee members. As a step towards facilitating access and inclusion of dysphagia researchers and clinicians from around the world, we are very pleased to announce that members from low- and middle-income countries (as defined by the World Bank) will be offered a discounted membership rate of $75. Members from these countries will also be able to register for the annual meeting at a discounted rate.

As always, if you have questions, please feel free to reach out to me at catriona.steele@uhn.ca.

In the meantime, as we count down to the deadline, we look forward to receiving your abstracts by the end of this month (18 days to go!). 

Dear Colleagues,

We are 3 months into our new DRS year and I am writing to provide a few updates! 

1. Dash4Dysphagia: Thank you to everyone who participated in our recent Dash4Dysphagia fundraising campaign as part of Dysphagia Awareness Month.  
   • Together, we were successful in raising $8,890 for our scholarship and mentorship programs. 
   • Special thanks go to our top individual fundraiser Jocelyn Hamilton, and the top fundraising team the Miami Dysphagia Dashers. 
   • If you haven’t already seen the clever and inspiring social media posts, check them out on our Instagram page!
     
     
2. Webinars: Thank you to Hanne Massonet and Emma Wallace, who delivered outstanding presentations in our joint June webinar with the ESSD.  
   • For members who missed this event, you can access the recording at https://www.dysphagiaresearch.org/page/Webinars.
   • Stay tuned for upcoming information on a series of webinars planned for later this year. 
     
     
3. Dr. Bronwyn Jones Professorship: Those of you who attended our 2023 conference in San Francisco will remember the tribute to the late Dr. Bronwyn Jones, a trailblazing radiologist and a founding member and former president of DRS. On July 10, 2024 a special ceremony will be held at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, recognizing Dr. Jones’ contributions and dedicating a Professorship in her memory.  The ceremony will take place beginning at 4 p.m. EDT in the William H. Welch Medical Library West Reading Room, at 1900 East Monument Street in Baltimore, and will also be livestreamed at https://video.ibm.com/FJHM-Events.
   
   
4. DRS Member Survey: Please watch your email inboxes for an important DRS Survey. This survey will collect critical information to guide our upcoming strategic planning for the next 5 years. Responses are requested by July 21. If you do not receive a survey, please reach out to the office drs@affinity-strategies.com to request a link.
   
   
5. Code of Conduct: The DRS board has recently approved revisions to our society code of conduct. This important document establishes the conduct expected of DRS members and other participants in DRS activities; and identifies disciplinary action that may be taken when participants’ conduct does not align with these expectations. Please take moment to review the new policy at Code of Conduct - Dysphagia Research Society
   
   
6. 2025 Conference: Planning is well underway for next year’s conference, to be held March 25-28 at the Sheraton Downtown in Philadelphia. Here are some highlights:
   • We have an exciting program planned, including two parallel tracks of symposia for the preconference day on Tuesday, March 25, and the addition of three hands-on workshops, which will be offered in the late afternoon on Thursday, March 27. 
   • We will be celebrating the recipients of the society’s most prestigious awards during the President’s Reception on the evening of Wednesday, March 26.  Please mark your calendars and plan to join us. 
   • The call for abstracts will open by August 1, 2024, with a deadline of September 30, 2024. This year, we will be considering abstracts for presentations that have been or will be presented at other conferences within 12 months of the DRS meeting, with appropriate disclosure.
   • Our Trainee Advisory Council will be hosting a webinar on August 15, 2024 at 4 p.m. providing tips on abstract submission and awards applications. Stay tuned for registration information.

As always, if you have questions, please feel free to reach out to me at catriona.steele@uhn.ca   

Catriona M. Steele
PhD, CCC-SLP, S-LP(C), Reg. CASLPO, F-ASHA
2024 -2025 President

June 1 kicks off Dysphagia Awareness Month in the US.

On September 27, 2008, the US Congress passed a bipartisan statute which declared June as National Dysphagia Awareness Month. Dysphagia Awareness Month provides an excellent opportunity to raise awareness about what dysphagia is, its symptoms, causes, available treatments, and the roles of the various professionals who can help those with dysphagia. Please help us embark on the mission to spread dysphagia awareness by sharing the information provided below. 

What is dysphagia? Put simply, dysphagia is swallowing difficulty (Logemann, 1998). However, the act of swallowing is extremely complex. It is estimated to involve at least 30 pairs of muscles and multiple nerves. And we do it often! We swallow about 600 times a day and don’t even think twice about it. And yet, swallowing is something we all take for granted – that is, until a problem occurs. 

How many people have dysphagia? Dysphagia is a serious medical condition that affects between 300,000 and 700,000 individuals in the United States each year (Patel et al, 2018; Peery et al, 2019). Although 1 in 6 adults report experiencing dysphagia, only 50% had discussed their difficulty with a clinician (Adkins et al, 2019). It is likely that you or someone you know will experience dysphagia. 

How do I know if I or a loved one has dysphagia? Common signs and symptoms of dysphagia include, but are not limited to: difficulty with weight gain (in children), unintentional weight loss (in adults), coughing during or after meals, recurrent lung infections, liquid/food coming out of nose/mouth, liquid/food coming back up into mouth or throat after its been swallowed (regurgitation), avoiding foods once enjoyed, and feeling of food remaining “stuck”. 

What causes it? Dysphagia is a symptom caused by various diseases/conditions, including congenital and developmental disorders (e.g., cleft lip/palate, Down syndrome), head and neck cancers, pulmonary conditions (e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and a variety of congenital or acquired neurologic conditions such as stroke, dementia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease), Parkinson's disease, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, and many more. Since it is a common symptom in these diseases and may develop gradually over time, dysphagia often goes unnoticed and is underreported. 

What are the effects of dysphagia? The consequences of dysphagia can be dire, including malnutrition (poor nutrition), pneumonia (lung infection), and even death (Blanař et al, 2019;Tagliaferria et al, 2019). But, it doesn’t end with effects on health – dysphagia can impact quality of life as well. So many life events involve eating and drinking. As a result, those with dysphagia may avoid social interaction and suffer from depression and social isolation (Ekberg et al, 2002). Additionally, clinically relevant symptoms of anxiety are present in almost 40% of individuals with dysphagia (Verdonschot et al, 2013). 

In hospitalized patients, patients also with dysphagia stay longer, have higher costs, and are more likely to have worse outcomes (Patel et al, 2018). Higher costs contribute to substantial economic and societal burden. Dysphagia is responsible for an estimated $7 billion in additional hospital costs per year (Patel et al, 2018). Despite the extensive impact dysphagia has on health and quality of life, unfortunately, not everyone seeks treatment. In fact, evidence supports that only about 1/2 of individuals with dysphagia seek treatment (Adkins et al, 2019). 

How do healthcare professionals help those with dysphagia? Diagnosis and treating dysphagia often requires interdisciplinary efforts, including (but not limited to) speech-language pathology (SLP), dietary/nutrition (RD), primary care, gastroenterology (GI), otolaryngology (ENT), and nursing (RN). Additional healthcare professionals involved in dysphagia treatment may include occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), neurology, pulmonary and critical care, and palliative medicine.

Assessment of swallowing to determine if dysphagia is present frequently includes a clinical assessment and an instrumental assessment. A clinical (bedside) swallow assessment is most frequently performed by a SLP. It can assist in describing current swallowing difficulties and help provide recommendations for additional testing and referrals, as well as to help guide appropriate treatment. The two most common instrumental assessments are fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) and modified barium swallow study (MBSS). FEES uses a camera inserted through the nose to directly visualize the pharynx (throat), while the individual swallows various liquids and foods provided. An MBSS, also called a videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS), is a real-time X-ray procedure, often completed with radiology professionals. An individual may be asked to swallow various liquids and food mixed with barium, which is a substance that allows the clinician to observe how the swallowed material travels from the mouth into the esophagus (tube connecting throat to stomach). 

Once a diagnosis of dysphagia has been made, the healthcare team determines the most appropriate plan for treatment based on nature and cause of dysphagia, specific swallowing impairment(s) present, and severity of dysphagia. Dysphagia treatment may involve medical/surgical intervention(s) by a physician and/or behavioral intervention(s) by an SLP, including exercises. The focus of any dysphagia treatment is to optimize the swallow to be as safe and efficient as possible to improve health and quality of life. 

Why should I help raise dysphagia awareness? 

• To support those with dysphagia and their caregivers/loved ones
• To help with earlier identification in those who have dysphagia to prevent poor outcomes
• To help those with dysphagia seek appropriate care 
• To help educate the community about dysphagia
• To help fund research efforts 

How can I help spread dysphagia awareness?

• Follow  and engage with DRS on Twitter (@official_DRS), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/DysphagiaResearchSociety/), and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/dysphagiaresearch/)
• Share our dysphagia mythbusters (coming soon!) 
• Learn more about dysphagia through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website: (https://www.asha.org/public/speech/swallowing/)
• Follow the National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders (https://swallowingdisorderfoundation.com/)
• Using hashtag #dysphagiaawareness when posting on social media about dysphagia
• Donate to the Dysphagia Research Society (https://www.dysphagiaresearch.org/donations/)

Thank you for your support! Because swallowing is a function that happens so often and easily for most people, it is often overlooked or dismissed. However, there is a community of researchers, clinicians and individuals who are working tirelessly to make swallowing less difficult for affected individuals. 

Take some time this June to reflect on the impact dysphagia has for those affected by it, the professionals who work to diagnose and treat it, and the researchers who are continuously working towards improving the lives of patients with dysphagia.

Thank you for helping us to eventually end this silent epidemic and give dysphagia a voice. 

References 

Adkins C, Takakura, W, Spiegel B.M.R., Lu, M., Vera-Llonch, M., Williams, J, Almario, C.V. (2019). Prevalence and characteristics of dysphagia based on a population-based survey. Clinical Gastroenterology & Hepatology, pii: S1542-3565(19)31182-6. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2019.10.029

Blanař, V., Hödl, M., Lohrmann, C., Amir, Y., & Eglseer, D. (2019). Dysphagia and factors associated with malnutrition risk: A 5‐year multicentre study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 75(12), 3566–3576. DOI: 10.1111/jan.14188

Ekberg, O., Hamdy, S., Woisard, V., Wuttge–Hannig, A., & Ortega, P. (2002). Social and psychological burden of dysphagia: its impact on diagnosis and treatment. Dysphagia, 17(2), 139-146. DOI: 10.1007/s00455-001-0113-5

Logemann, J. A. (1998). Evaluation and treatment of swallowing disorders (2nd ed.). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.

Patel, D. A., Krishnaswami, S., Steger, E., Conover, E., Vaezi, M. F., Ciucci, M. R., & Francis, D. O. (2018). Economic and survival burden of dysphagia among inpatients in the United States. Diseases of the Esophagus, 31(1), 1-7. DOI: 10.1093/dote/dox131

Peery, A. F., Crockett, S. D., Murphy, C. C., Lund, J. L., Dellon, E. S., Williams, J. L., Jensen, E. T., Shaheen, N. J., Barritt, A. S., Lieber, S. R., Kochar, B., Barnes, E. L., Fan, Y. C., Pate, V., Galanko, J., Baron, T. H., & Sandler, R. S. (2019). Burden and cost of gastrointestinal, liver, and pancreatic diseases in the United States: Update 2018. Gastroenterology, 156(1),254-272.e11. DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2018.08.063

Tagliaferria, S., Lauretanib, F., Peláa, G., Meschiab, T, & Maggioa, M. (2019). The risk of dysphagia is associated with malnutrition and poor functional outcomes in a large population of outpatient older individuals. Clinical Nutrition, 38(6), 2684-2689. DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2018.11.022

Verdonschot, R. J., Baijens, L. W., Serroyen, J. L., Leue, C., & Kremer, B. (2013). Symptoms of anxiety and depression assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale in patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 75(5), 451–455. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2013.08.02

Dear DRS Members,

In 1996, at the suggestion of Dr. Susan Langmore, I attended my first Dysphagia Research Society meeting. I was instantly hooked and have not missed a meeting since! It is, therefore, a true privilege and honor to be writing to you now as the incoming President of our Society.  

My sincere thanks to our outgoing President, Dr. Mark Nicosia for his leadership over the past year, which culminated in our very successful annual meeting in Puerto Rico.  Almost 400 attendees were present, and we enjoyed an outstanding program of invited sessions, oral presentations, and posters. Congratulations to all of our presenters and award winners! We are extremely grateful to our generous sponsors and exhibitors, and also to our social committee, comprising several members with close ties to the beautiful archipelago of Puerto Rico. Several inspirational talks describing projects addressing issues of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in Puerto Rico were a true highlight of the conference! 

Looking ahead, I am excited to welcome our new Board and committee members. Over the next year we will focus on the society’s 5-year strategic plan. At this time, I’d like to share with you highlights for the coming year!

• Dash for Dysphagia (June, 2024)
• A joint webinar with the European Society of Swallowing Disorders
• Additional webinars throughout the year (details to follow)
• A series of Career development, Networking, and Mentorship events for trainee members
• Annual Meeting in Philadelphia (March 25-28, 2025)!

Stay tuned for details regarding the program, abstract submission and awards applications. 

As I begin my term as President, I look forward to working with our Board of Directors and volunteers to enhance, promote, and support dysphagia research that is interdisciplinary, inclusive and equitable. I value all members of the society and welcome your input and feedback throughout the year!
 
Respectfully,
 
Catriona M. Steele, PhD, CCC-SLP, ASHA Fellow
DRS President

On behalf of the DRS Nominating and Executive Committees, I am happy to announce the results of the 2024-2025 DRS Elections.
 
The newly elected officers of the Society are:

• 2024-2025 Secretary-Treasurer: Ashli O’Rourke, MS, MD
• 2024-2026 Councilor 1: Gokul Balasubramanian, MD
• 2024-2026 Councilor 2: Rebecca German, PhD
• 2024-2026 Councilor 3: Marlís González Fernández, MD, PhD
• 2024-2026 Councilor-in-Training: Isuru Dharmarathna

 
Congratulations! The formal induction will occur during the Annual General/Business Meeting of DRS during the 32^nd Annual DRS Meeting next week.
 
We wish all elected officials all the best and we look forward to their continued service to the Society. Further, we thank all the candidates for their service and count on their important continued support. We are so grateful for everyone’s dedication to our Society.
 
We also extend a special thank you to the Nominating Committee, led by Immediate Past President Georgia Malandraki, the Website, Communications, and Public Relations Committee, led by Mario Landera and Lexy Myres, and the Affinity Strategies team for the excellent organization and execution of this highly important activity.
 
Finally, we are very grateful to the membership for participating in this third open DRS election.
 
Thank you all very much for your support to our DRS family.
 
We look forward to working with everyone to continue our Society’s growth and mission!
 
Respectfully,
 
Mark Nicosia, PhD
2023-2024 DRS President

Proclamation of March 2024 Dysphagia Awareness Month in Puerto Rico

Dear DRS Members and Friends,

I hope this message finds you all well and having a wonderful summer!  I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your hard work so far this year, and to share some DRS news.

Dysphagia Awareness Month
We want to thank you for embarking on the mission with the Dysphagia Research Society (DRS) to spread dysphagia awareness by participating in the activities that have occurred over the month of June. I would like to particularly thank Dr. Catriona Steele and the rest of the committee that organized the Dash for Dysphagia.  This event, originally called the “Run for Research” was rebranded to better represent more ways of engaging in physical fitness activities.  Thanks to all of you, we raised approximately $13,000 for the society!

DRSIE Fall Conference
The Dysphagia Research Society Institute for Education (DRSIE) is hosting the annual DRSIE Fall Conference again this year (September 14-15, 2023).  This event is an exciting blend of state-of-the-science from leading experts along with career mentoring for the next generation of scientists in our field.  This year, the conference focuses on Cerebral Palsy and Head and Neck Cancer. The deadline for applications from early career clinicians and scientists has been extended to July 10, 2023.  Click here for details.

2023 Monthly Continuing Education Webinars
July 27, 2023 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Central (Chicago) Time. 
Speakers: Heather M. Starmer, MA CCC-SLP; BCS-S and Kate Hutcheson, PhD
Topic: Lymphedema and the swallow in head and neck cancer survivorship
Click here to register.

Save the Date!
The DRS Annual Meeting will be held March 12-15, 2024 at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico (details will be posted here). The program committee, chaired by Drs. Mark Nicosia and Samantha Shune, is putting together an excellent preconference and conference program.   Please keep an eye out for the call for abstracts, which will open later this summer.

In Memoriam
We recently learned of the passing of Dr. Nick Diamant, a DRS past-president and beloved scholar, colleague, and mentor by many in the DRS community.  Please see this link for a tribute to Dr. Diamant.


Respectfully yours,

Mark Nicosia
2023-2024 DRS President

February 2023 Message from the President

Dear DRS Members and friends,  
Preparations are in full speed for the upcoming 3^rd WDS (World Dysphagia Summit) and the 31^st Annual DRS Meeting in San Francisco in March!
 
I hope you have taken the time to see the detailed Programs of both our extraordinary March events and the highlights on our social media! The DRS leadership and our Planning Committees are so excited to welcome you all in San Francisco in less than a month!
 
At the same time, we are preparing for the leadership transition and several more exciting future events and initiatives. Read below for all the exciting news:
 
3^rd WDS and 31st Annual Meeting Announcements

• Registration is still open and early bird registration ends tomorrow – Tuesday February 14^th. To register click Dysphagia Research Society
• The agendas for both the 3^rd WDS and the 31^st Annual Program are now fully detailed and available, along with the course descriptions. Click here to review all the information: https://www.dysphagiaresearch.org/page/2023-annual-meeting
  • Don’t miss the chance to earn up to 3.45 ASHA CEUs or 34.5 CMEs of advanced and evidence-based dysphagia content.
• Hotel registration with special DRS pricing is also still open. Click here and choose Reserve Now to make your reservation TODAY – Rooms are almost full https://www.dysphagiaresearch.org/page/2023-save-the-date
• Do you want to know what else to do for fun while in San Francisco? Click here: https://www.dysphagiaresearch.org/page/2023-annual-meeting-san-francisco

As the 2022-2023 leadership year comes to an end, make sure you also participate in the following NEW opportunities to help our Society continue to thrive:

DEI Training for DRS Members

• In alignment with our efforts to best serve the needs of all DRS members and improve inclusivity within our Society, DRS has been developing a DEI training. Stay tuned for the release of this training and more DEI focused initiatives led by the DRS DEI Committee and the DRS Executive Committee, in collaboration with Uplifting Impact.

Leadership Transition

• To prepare for a successful leadership transition:
  1. Dr. Mark Nicosia (incoming DRS President) and I will host a final - for this term – “Coffee Chat with the President” in late March/early April, and welcome feedback for this past year and ideas for the new year from all members. Don’t miss your chance to get involved.
  2. IMPORTANT: If you are interested in serving DRS, we anticipate several vacancies of volunteer positions in eligible committees. This is the ideal time to complete the volunteer form and let us know about your qualifications!
     • To learn more about all Committees: https://www.dysphagiaresearch.org/page/committees
     • To read the requirements and complete the volunteer form:
       https://www.dysphagiaresearch.org/page/CommitteeInterest

New and upcoming

• DRSIE webinars: Stay tuned for the 2023 webinar series that DRSIE is organizing. The first one will be at the end of March – Details will be announced soon!
• DRS Newsletter: DRS is working on releasing a Newsletter which will highlight different committees’ work, articles, and initiatives. The first Newsletter for 2023 will focus on the 2022–2023-year review, and the second will highlight articles by the Pediatric SIG Group, led by Drs. Lefton-Greif and Viswanathan.

What an exciting time to be part of the DRS family!
Thank you again for your all your support.
 
Respectfully yours,
Georgia A. Malandraki, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, ASHA Fellow
2022-2023 DRS President

DRS 2023-2024 Election Announcement

Dear DRS Members and friends, 

On behalf of the DRS Nominating and Executive Committees, I am happy to announce the results of the 2023-2024 DRS Elections.  

The newly elected officers of the Society are: 

• 2023-2024 Secretary-Treasurer: Dr. Emily Plowman 
• 2023-2025 Councilor 1: Dr. Maggie Kuhn 
• 2023-2025 Councilor 2: Dr. Heather Bonilha 

Congratulations! The formal induction will occur during the Annual General/Business Meeting of DRS during the 31st Annual DRS Meeting in March 2023.  

We wish all elected officials all the best and we look forward to their continued service to the Society. Further, we thank all the candidates for their service and count on their important continued support. We are so grateful for everyone’s dedication to our Society. 

We also extend a special thank you to the Nominating Committee, led by Immediate Past President Jacqui Allen, the Website, Communications, and Public Relations Committee, led by Nogah Nativ and Mario Landera, and the Affinity Strategies team for the excellent organization and execution of this highly important activity. 

Finally, we are very grateful to the membership for participating in this second open DRS election. 

Thank you all very much for your support to our DRS family. 

We look forward to working with everyone to continue our Society’s growth and mission! 

Respectfully, 
Georgia A. Malandraki, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, ASHA Fellow 
2022-2023 DRS President    

Dear DRS Members and friends,

Happy New Year! Thank you all for your support and patience during this past transition year. As 2023 begins, we are thrilled to welcome the new year with several exciting announcements about our Society and the upcoming extraordinary 3rd WDS (World Dysphagia Summit) and the 31st Annual DRS Meeting in San Francisco in March!

I hope you will consider joining us in these important activities:

Elections - Reminder

• Election period ends on January 31st, 2023. An email via SurveyMonkey from Affinity Strategies has been sent out individually to each eligible member's profile email and reminder emails are going out weekly. I highly encourage ALL our Full Members to participate in this important process and exercise their right and responsibility to choose the next leaders of the Society! 
• We have excellent candidates this year as well. Click here to view the Candidate Information: http://www.dysphagiaresearch.org/page/2023DRSElection

REGISTRATION for both the 3rd WDS and the Annual Meeting is OPEN! 

• Click here to join us at these incredible events: https://www.dysphagiaresearch.org/page/2023-annual-meeting
  • NOTE: Remember to sign in as a member to use the member rates OR become a member before registering to save significantly on registration and enjoy all the benefits of DRS membership: https://www.dysphagiaresearch.org/page/membership 
• See the DETAILED PHENOMENAL programs of both the 3rd WDS and the 31st Annual DRS Annual Meeting. You DO NOT want to miss this year’s Meetings!
• Hotel registration with special DRS pricing is also open. Click here and choose Reserve Now to make your reservation TODAY – Rooms are going fast!

As the 2022-2023 leadership year comes to an end, make sure you also participate in the following new opportunities to help our Society continue to thrive:

DEI Training for DRS Members

• In alignment with our efforts to best serve the needs of all DRS members and improve inclusivity within our Society, DRS has been developing a DEI training. Stay tuned for the release of this training and more DEI focused initiatives led by the DRS DEI Committee and the DRS Executive Committee, in collaboration with Uplifting Impact. 

Leadership Transition

• To prepare for a successful leadership transition:
  • Dr. Malandraki (current DRS President) and Dr. Nicosia (incoming DRS President) will host a final - for this term – “Coffee Chat with the President” in late March/early April, and welcome feedback for this past year and ideas for the new year from all members. Don’t miss your chance to get involved.
  • Finally, if you are interested in serving DRS, we anticipate several vacancies of volunteer positions in eligible committees. This is the ideal time to complete the volunteer form and let us know about your qualifications!
    • To learn more about all Committees: https://www.dysphagiaresearch.org/page/committees
    • To read the requirements and complete the volunteer form: https://www.dysphagiaresearch.org/page/CommitteeInterest 

Once more, Happy 2023 to all!
Thank you for your attention and dedication to our Society. 

Respectfully yours,
Georgia A. Malandraki, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, ASHA Fellow
2022-2023 DRS President

On behalf of the DRS Board of Directors

As we approach the end of a very challenging but extremely productive and rewarding year, I want to reflect on the incredible work we, the DRS Board, Chairs, Committees, Management, & Members have done together.

Your efforts have helped DRS continue to thrive, helping enhance dysphagia research, support new investigators from diverse background, increase multidisciplinary engagement, & open new opportunities for collaboration nationally & internationally.

I am proud of the work that we've done, and I know we can count on all of you to keep advancing our society and the field of swallowing & aerodigestive sciences in the new year.

I sincerely thank you for all you do & wish you a happy and healthy holiday season!

Georgia A. Malandraki
2022–2023 DRS President

Dear DRS Members and friends,

The past few months have been full of amazing and busy work from so many volunteers and our management staff. I am so grateful to our BOD, Committee Chairs and members, sponsors, and our new Affinity Strategies family for their tireless work and dedication.

With this, I hope you are as thrilled as I am to read the following exciting announcements:

2023 DRS Annual Meeting and 3^rd World Dysphagia Summit (WDS) News!

REGISTRATION for both the 3^rd WDS and the Annual Meeting is now OPEN! Click here to join us at these incredible events.

• NOTE: Remember to sign in as a member to use the member rates OR become a member before registering to save significantly on registration and enjoy all the benefits of DRS membership.

Abstract notifications were sent early this week. Congratulations to all 2023 DRS Annual Meeting oral and poster presenters! We can’t wait for you to share your science in March!

See the programs at-a-glance for both meetings here. The full programs will be announced in December. Stay tuned!

The Awards applications are now also available. Visit this page for eligibility criteria and to apply, if appropriate. Application deadline is: December 31st, 2022 at 11:59pm EST

Hotel registration with special DRS pricing is also open. Click here and choose Reserve Now to make your reservation TODAY – Rooms are going fast!

Membership Renewal, Upcoming Webinar & Coffee Chats!

It is membership renewal time!

§  NOTE: As you complete your membership renewal process this year, you will see that we have added profile questions about several demographic variables, including gender identity, racial and ethnic categories, specialty information and more. This is in alignment with our efforts to better understand the demographic make-up of our membership base in order to best serve the diverse needs of all DRS members and improve inclusivity in our Society. Some of these categories conform to current US Census reporting terminology required for US-based funding agencies from which DRS may seek funding to support its activities. We are fully aware of the limitations of these terms and the potential for these categories to not align with the diversity of our members in terms of national origin, lived sociocultural experiences, and personal self-identification. You will see in the renewal form that we invite members to self-identify using the “Prefer to Self-Identify” option as appropriate so that we may better understand the make-up base of our membership. Finally, members can choose “Prefer not to disclose” for any of the questions as well. Thank you for helping us as we strive to do better and improve inclusivity in our Society.

To renew your membership, please click here.

November 30^th - DRSIE Webinar

§  You will not want to miss the last DRSIE webinar for 2022 on November 30^th at 10am CDT, titled: “Building a Multidisciplinary Swallow Center”, featuring an excellent multidisciplinary panel: Dr. Maggie Kuhn (ENT), Dr. Bonnie Martin-Harris (SLP, adults), Dr. Donna Scarborough (SLP, peds), Dr. Bill Ravich (GI), Heidi Ganzer (RD), & Mrs. Marta Kazandjian (SLP, Integrative/Palliative). It will be spectacular! Register here!

Coffee with the President & Special Guests

§  December 1st: Coffee with The President & Special Guests: A discussion with DRS Trainees. In this second “Coffee with the President” virtual (Zoom meeting) chat, the DRS President Elect, Mark Nicosia, and our brilliant Trainee Advisory Council members will join me in welcoming DRS trainee members and answering their questions!

§  Registration is free but is required and is limited to first 30 participants per chat/meeting (we offer two at different times to accommodate as many members as possible), to allow for active participation and live interactions. More slots/chats will be added if interest exceeds capacity. Full members are welcome to register, but priority will be given to trainee DRS members for this specific chat. Register for any of the two events here.

New DRS Research Career Development Program

Stay tuned for an amazing NEW DRS Research Career Development Program that has been developed by the Mentorship and Research Career Development Committee.

A formal announcement about this program and the application form will be made available by next week!

What a fantastic time to be a DRS member! We hope you will consider joining us in these invigorating events/activities!

Thank you for your continued support of our Society.

Respectfully yours,

Georgia A. Malandraki, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, ASHA Fellow

2022-2023 DRS President

Message from the President

Dear DRS Members and friends,

This past month was one of the busiest and most productive months of the current year! In addition to hosting the extraordinary 2^nd DRSIE Fall Conference in Milwaukee, WI, organizing one of our most popular webinars of the year, representing DRS at the excellent Congresses of the European Society for Swallowing Disorders and the Japanese Society for Dysphagia Rehabilitation (see photos below), we also finalized the management transition and continued intensively all other operations, including heated preparations for the 3rd World Dysphagia Summit and the 2023 Annual DRS Meeting! We are very grateful to all our leaders and volunteers, our sponsors, and our management companies’ staff who helped with the September events and to those of you who participated.

Dear DRS Members and friends,

We are delighted to inform you that the 2^nd DRSIE Fall hybrid conference conducted in Milwaukee, WI, on Sept 8^th and 9^th was a grand success! A total of 100 participants from around the globe attended (36 in-person scholars, 44 virtual attendees, 20 faculty) and there were 12.50 hours of ASHA CEUs and 11.25 CME hours earned.

To see the full program, which highlights the syllabus and recognizes all the faculty, planning committee, and advisory council, please visit this page. 

Below, enjoy some highlights and photos from this unique educational and mentoring event:

• The 2-day DRSIE Fall conference focuses on invited scientific presentations, mentorship, and close interactions between all participants. To achieve this goal, each faculty mentored a maximum of 3 mentees throughout the event to allow for day-long opportunities for discussions and interactions on how to be motivated, overcome barriers, and succeed.
• 20 faculty representing a wide range of disciplines, such as pediatric and adult GI, pediatric and adult otolaryngology, neonatology, neurology, nutrition science, speech language pathology, and basic science gave outstanding scientific presentations and grand round sessions challenging the audience and highlighting the critical importance of transdisciplinary care for our patients with dysphagia. The presentations were themed after three domains: “Be Inspired”, “Be Successful”, and “Be Motivated” and were equally cherished by mentees and mentors/faculty. Several of the invited faculty that were not DRS members will be joining our Society after participating in this unique event.
• In addition to the faculty, the mentees also represented a range of disciplines and career stages ranging from PhD students to clinical scientists, post-doctorate fellows, residents, or early career MDs or SLPs. 25% of mentees were physicians.
• NEW this year! For the first time, Dr. Jadcherla led a special mindfulness session, reminding us of the critical importance of self-care. Some immediate reflections after this session were: A) “I felt so relaxed that almost slept while seated. I wish it was longer”, B) “I was having tense moments, but that mindfulness session eased me”, C) “Can this be done at the DRS Meeting too for a longer duration”? D) A distinguished faculty member said, “This needs to be done at all conferences. It’s so refreshing”.
• In the words of several mentors/faculty and mentees, the meeting was “uplifting”, “unique”, “needed”, and “so beneficial” for both mentees and mentors alike.

This exceptional event would not be possible without the vision and support of:

• The dedicated Fall Conference Planning Committee Co-Chairs, Drs. Sudarshan Jadcherla, Heather Bonihla and Caryn Easterling who were instrumental in planning, candidate selection, execution, coordination, and attention to detail.
• The DRSIE Advisory Council and DRSIE subcommittees, that have done a phenomenal job with both Fall Conferences and the DRSIE webinars in the past 2 years.
• All the esteemed faculty and all the mentees.
• The WCPRC committee that helped publicize the event extensively in prior months and the DRS Mentorship and Research Career Development Committee that participated in several mentoring activities.
• Reckitt/Mead Johnson Nutrition who granted DRS an unrestrictive Independent Medical Education Grant for a second year in a row. We are beyond grateful for their continuous support.
• Badger Bay Management Company, especially Karen Schneider, Jessica Trippler, Darling Vang, and Eric Ostermann for the excellent organization and all their support the past few years.

These types of initiatives help DRS reach new heights of education and mentorship and we hope to continue and keep them growing in the years to come.

Thank you for your attention.

Warmest regards,

Georgia A. Malandraki, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, ASHA Fellow
2022-2023 DRS President

It is with immense sadness that we share that Professor Art J. Miller, Past DRS President and 2018 Gold Medal recipient, passed away last week. We are beyond grateful for Dr. Miller’s extraordinary influence on our field, his unparalleled positivity and humility, and all his generosity and service to our Society and our field. This is another irreplaceable loss for our DRS family.

DRS will be honoring Dr. Miller during the 2023 Annual DRS Meeting.

On behalf of DRS, Dr. Bonnie Martin-Harris shares the following tribute, and comments from several other leaders follow.

A SUBTLE BEACON OF BRILLIANCE

Professor Art J. Miller, eminent scientist, scholar, teacher, and friend passed away on August 24, 2022, in a manner in which he lived his professional life – with tremendous impact and little fanfare.

For those of us who knew Art, it is not surprising that his career in science developed during a spiritual journey as he began pursuit of a career in the ministry. His passion for inquiry and discovery led to an undergraduate degree in biology and chemistry and eventually a Ph.D. from UCLA. Art described his research interests and endeavors in “neurophysiological parameters underlying the brain stem reflex of swallowing as a life-long development” originating while a trainee at the Brain Research Institute at UCLA in 1970. The original research papers he produced on the sensory mechanisms of swallowing in various animal models during this early stage of his career are classics in the field of neuroscience and dysphagia. Art was a translational scientist before the term was coined, and he made the results of complex, basic neurophysiologic studies make sense to those of us pursuing careers in clinical science of swallowing and swallowing disorders. Following his 1982 review, Deglutition, and his later review in 1986, The Neurophysiological Basis of Swallowing, the reader was motivated to revisit and understand the original works which he so carefully and brilliantly synthesized.

As students and early-stage consumers of his research and writings, we could only imagine a well-earned intimidating persona consistent with the stature of his work. We were so wrong. Professor Miller was kind, approachable, and always curious about our work. It didn’t matter if anyone knew our name, our title, our rank, our institution – he focused on all that was good, while graciously challenging the potential limitations of the work and providing brilliant wisdom to consider in our next approach.

Art was a team scientist, evident in the fruitful regional and international collaborations he developed during 35 years at UCSF where he was a tenured full professor in the Division of Orthodontics. He applied his knowledge of the brain stem and neuromuscular system to the craniofacial region in rhesus monkey model and in humans. Art collaborated with clinicians such as dentists, orthodontists and eventually speech language pathologists in areas such as mastication and oropharyngeal swallowing function. Together with his colleague, Dr. Kuotaro Maki, from Showa University in Tokyo, he developed innovative imaging methods, including volumetric 3-D analysis with cone beam computed tomography. Art’s collaborations extended to Johns Hopkins University and the Medical University of Wisconsin where he was sought after for involvement in the Dysphagia Research Society. Fortunate for us, Art served on the executive board and resided as DRS President from 2006-2007 where he hosted the annual meeting in the lovely international city of Vancouver, BC. Art received the 2018 DRS Gold Medal Award in recognition of his sustained and unusually distinguished service and contributions to the society.

We will forever miss Professor Miller’s presence at our meetings and conferences, but his powerfully modest brilliance lives on in our work and serves as model for each of us to emulate and encourage in the future generations of swallowing scientists.

Bonnie Martin-Harris

Many DRS Leaders Remember Dr. Miller

Susan Langmore

“Art is irreplaceable. Everyone who knew him - as a leader in DRS, as a mentor to many of us, and as a friend and devoted family member  - are feeling a void;  an emptiness that will be hard to replace.   Art was brilliant and creative while still remaining humble and approachable.  He viewed everyone and every idea as more than worthy. We were lucky to have Art as a leader of DRS.”

Barbara Sonies

“I am so saddened by his passing as Art was a true scholar, scientist and proponent of the study of dysphagia…he was a kind, giving, and thoughtful person. We had many hours of thoughtful discussion over the years, and he will be truly missed.”

JoAnne Robbins

“Art’s gentle generous manner with which he shared his scholarly work was always a pleasure…. a gift to the recipients in our field and many others… Art’s unique loving spirit will be found in those of us who will honor him by emulation.”

Tim McCulloch

“Art was the heart of DRS. He was supportive of everyone who reached out to him. Always ready with a smile and kind word.  Totally irreplaceable.”

Maureen Lefton-Greif

“One of the attributes is Art’s positivity – he looked for the best in each of us and helped to change the fiber of the society when it was not viewed in a positive light.  Words that come to mind are mentor and role model.  He was able to impart his messages to individuals and society, while caring for his family so deeply.”

Jadcherla Sudarshan

“This is a great loss to the society at large. His kindness, scholarly and thoughtful work impacted the world of dysphagia, and he has touched the lives of many through DRS and all the swallowing societies. His legacy lives on, and for all of us to emulate. May his soul Rest in Peace.”

Gary McCullough

“One of the kindest people ever. Which is really what matters. He was much more, of course.”

Cathy Lazarus

“Aside from his brilliance and humility, he was such a sweet man. May he rest in peace.” 

Rosemary Martino

“Art was truly a gentleman and oh so wise. It’s sad that the world/we have lost him.”

Dear DRS Members and friends,

I hope you all have had an enjoyable and restful August! Thank you to all who participated in our August events, webinars, and virtual coffee chats. As you know, July and August have been busy with the management changes and all our committees’ work. I am so grateful to all DRS leaders for their hard work and commitment and to our management companies’ staff for their support during this transition time.

With this message I wanted to first reassure you that our management transition is in full speed and going well, and send you reminders for several exciting upcoming events: 

•   In a just a few days, we will be hosting the DRSIE Fall conference, sponsored by an Independent Medical Education Grant from Reckitt/Mead Johnson Nutrition on September 8^th and 9^th 2022 in Milwaukee, WI! Although in person attendance is closed/complete currently, virtual attendance is still open to ALL interested registrants. Do not miss the opportunity to participate in this excellent event and earn CEUs and CMEs! To learn more and to register, click here: https://www.dysphagiaresearch.org/general/custom.asp?page=DRSIE_Fall_Conference

• There is also still time to apply (and encourage others to apply) for several $500 Conference Bursaries that will directly support trainees, physicians, other clinicians, and first-time conference attendees! The deadline to apply has been extended to September 15^th. To learn more and apply, click here: https://www.dysphagiaresearch.org/page/ConferenceBursaries

•  The preparations for the 2023 Annual Meeting and the 3^rd World Dysphagia Summit which will be jointly held in San Francisco, CA the week of March 13^th, 2023, are in full swing! Please remember that the abstract submission site will be open until September 30th, 2022, at 11:59pm ET. Don't miss your chance to present your research at this extraordinary meeting! Click here to learn more about how to submit your abstract: https://www.dysphagiaresearch.org/page/2023AbstractSubmissionUse

• Hotel registration with special DRS pricing is now open. Click here and choose Reserve Now to make your reservation TODAY: https://www.dysphagiaresearch.org/page/2023-save-the-date

• You asked, and we listened! Do you want to know more about the World Dysphagia Summit? Click here: https://www.dysphagiaresearch.org/page/2023-wds  

• Upcoming September webinar: Eating, Drinking & Swallowing: Ethical Subtleties and Solutions by Paula Leslie, PhD and Steven Leuthner, MD. Another exceptional webinar will be presented on Wednesday, September 21^st. Don’t miss it! For more information and to register visit:  https://www.dysphagiaresearch.org/page/DRSIE_Webinar_Series

Further, in this Message, I wanted to highlight the following efforts:

• The DRSIE webinar series subcommittee led by Martin Brodsky & Maggie Kuhn (co-chairs) has done an exceptional job with our 2022 webinars (partially supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Abbott Nutritional Health Institute). Thus far, more than 580 people have participated in these webinars, representing more than 20 countries!

• The WCPRC committee (led by Nogah Nativ & Mario Landera) in collaboration with BadgerBay have done a remarkable job updating our website, developing new webpages, and increasing our presence on social media!

• Our Awards & Scholarships Committee (led by Samantha Shune) & our Membership Committee (led by Sonja Molfenter) have initiated great new outreach efforts to help spread the word for the conference bursaries and the 2023 Annual Meeting!

And COMING SOON:

• The announcement of the tentative schedules for both the WDS and the 2023 Annual Meeting!

• A NEW DRS Research Career Development Program being developed by the Mentorship and Research Career Development Committee!

• Another upcoming DRSIE webinar before the end of the year!

• More “Coffee Chats with the President” in upcoming months!

Thank you for your support and I hope you will take advantage of these upcoming opportunities.

Respectfully yours,

Georgia A. Malandraki, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, ASHA Fellow

2022-2023 DRS President

I am so proud of how our community came together to celebrate June as both Dysphagia Awareness and DRS's birthday month!

Here are some highlights:

• DRS participated in the NFOSD-sponsored exhibitors’ event on June 9th
• The 2nd Run for Research fundraiser was a success. Our community helped DRS raise over $15,000!
• DRS was once more awarded an Independent Medical Education Grant from Reckitt/Mead Johnson Nutrition to support the 2nd DRSIE Fall Conference!
• Preparations started for the 2023 Annual Meeting and 3rd World Dysphagia Summit! Mark your calendars for the week of March 13th, 2023 and stay tuned!

Georgia A. Malandraki, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, ASHA Fellow

2022-2023 DRS President

It is with immense sadness that we announce that Dr. Bronwyn Jones, one of our Society's founders, a true trailblazer, outstanding leader, researcher, mentor, teacher, physician, and all-around wonderful friend and colleague, has passed away.

DRS will be honoring Dr. Jones during the 2023 Annual DRS Meeting and Dr. Shaker will be writing a tribute in her honor in the Dysphagia journal.

We are extraordinarily grateful for her enormous transdisciplinary contributions to our field, her tremendous mentorship and support of so many trainees and colleagues, and her extraordinary service to our Society, our field, and thousands of patients with swallowing disorders.

We will miss her greatly, but we know that the lasting impact of her legacy and contributions will continue to influence the field and patients forever.  

Read the full tribute by clicking here. 

We are thrilled to announce that the second annual DRS 5K Walk/Run for Research will take place from June 19^th-25^th! We invite you to participate by walking/running any 5K route anywhere (in the world) at any date or time during this week.

This effort will help DRS raise funds in order to:

1. support early investigators from across the globe through travel scholarships offered for our 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting, and
2. support the DRS Research and Education Fund which will help establish future scholarships and grants to our members

I ask you to consider supporting this important annual effort by registering to walk/run as an individual or by supporting/sponsoring a team or an individual who has already registered.

To register visit:  DRS Run for Research (runsignup.com).  If you are registering as a team, click “Team” to create or select an existing team.

If you participate, please do not forget to take photos before, during, and after your walk/run and share them on social media using the hashtag #DRSrun2022 and tagging DRS (Facebook tag: @DysphagiaResearchSociety; Twitter tag: @Official_DRS; Instagram tag: @ dysphagiaresearch), and/or send us your photos at drs@badgerbay.co

We look forward to seeing your photos and posts and celebrating with all our members from around the globe.

By participating, you will not only help us celebrate June as Dysphagia Awareness and DRS’s birthday month, but, more importantly, you will help us support the next generation of international dysphagia scientists!

Thank you very much for your support and dedication to our Society.

Warmest regards,

Mark Nicosia, Ph.D. and Nicole Rogus-Pulia, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, BCS-S
2022 DRS Run for Research Co-Chairs