The STARS Speak Podcast

This episode features Pierpaolo Busan, PhD, a Tenure-Track Researcher at the University of Trieste and STARS Scientific Advisor, whose work focuses on the neurophysiological mechanisms of stuttering and rehabilitation approaches through neuromodulation, EEG/MEG, and neurofeedback.

This episode features Maura Miles, a Special Education teacher in Southern California and STARS Community Advisor whose perspective on stuttering is both personal and professional. Informed by her own lived experience as a person who stutters, Maura brings a uniquely powerful voice to conversations about stuttering in children and young adults. She shares her personal journey with stuttering and explores what educators, families, and communities can do to better support young people who stutter and why every voice deserves to be heard. In this episode, Maura discusses: Her personal journey growing up and living as a person who stutters What teachers and educators should know about supporting students who stutter […]

This episode features Per Alm, a researcher and lecturer whose work sits at the intersection of neuroscience and speech science, dedicated to advancing our understanding of the neurological mechanisms behind stuttering. Per shares his journey into the field and explores what science has revealed about the complexity of stuttering — and what remains to be discovered. Through his commitment to rigorous research and collaboration, he offers meaningful insights that have the potential to shape how clinicians, researchers, and the broader community understand and support people who stutter. In this episode, Per discusses: How his personal and academic path led him to the study of stuttering and the brain What research has […]

This episode features Farah Al Qaissieh, founder of The Stutter Community in the UAE, as well as an advocate, speaker, and coach dedicated to supporting people who stutter. Farah shares her personal journey with stuttering and explores how advocacy, leadership, and community can foster greater understanding, and belonging. Through her work creating spaces for connection and support, she continues to amplify the voices and experiences of people who stutter and their families. In this episode, Farah discusses: How her personal experiences with stuttering shaped her voice, purpose, and leadership The importance of building supportive communities for people who stutter and their families Her hopes for a more inclusive future in advocacy, awareness, […]

This episode features Gonçalo Leal, SLP, co-founder and Clinical Director of the Speechcare & iStutter Center. Gonçalo is an internationally recognized speech and language pathologist, educator, and mentor who works to advance the understanding and treatment of fluency disorders through clinical practice, research, and global collaboration. In this episode, Gonçalo discusses: His journey into the field of fluency disorders and what first inspired his work with people who stutter How global clinical experience and cultural perspectives shape approaches to stuttering treatment What he hopes clinicians, researchers, and the public better understand about the lived experience of stuttering

In this episode, Dr. Gerald Maguire speaks with Dr. Lisa LaSalle about the complexity of stuttering, the importance of individualized support, and what progress in research and clinical care means for people who stutter at every age.