“…small anatomical differences can have major effects on speech.”
Alaska WWAMI medical student Maille Moriarty recently received the Western Society for Pediatric Research Prolacta Research Award. Moriarty was one of 11 Alaska WWAMI students to present abstracts at the Western Student and Resident Medical Research Forum (WSMRF) January 16 – 18, 2025. Moriarty’s abstract is titled, “Impact of Muscular Asymmetry on Velopharyngeal Function in Children with Craniofacial Microsomia (CFM): A Pilot Study.”
“To have this abstract recognized is incredibly special,” Moriarty, a second-year medical student, said. “It’s a reminder that curiosity and hard work can lead to progress in understanding complex conditions.”
MRI scans examined 20 children with CFM, a condition where the face is uneven, and how it relates to a speech problem called velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). VPI is a speech issue where a person’s voice sounds overly nasal. The study also explored whether there was a connection between the unevenness of a muscle (the levator veli palatini or LVP) that helps close the palate and the likelihood of having VPI. The results showed that most of the children studied had significant unevenness in the LVP. Additionally, the prevalence of VPI in this population was increased with certain measures of palatal region.
“It was eye-opening to discover the challenges kids with CFM encounter, both physically and in terms of communication,” Moriarty said. “It was amazing to learn how such small anatomical differences can have major effects on speech. I feel like I’m contributing something meaningful to the field of pediatric healthcare.”
Other abstracts presented by Alaska WWAMI students include:
- Cardiac Function of Proteasome Mutant Zebrafish Embryos (mutations)
- Factors Influencing Intraoperative Language Mapping Success During Awake Craniotomy
- Lower Level of Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Among American Indian/Alaska Native People Who Use Drugs: Is This Example Explained by Adverse Experiences with Healthcare?
- Reducing Tuberculosis Cases in Children Using the Bacillus Calmette Guerin Vaccine in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta
WSMRF is an annual research conference held in Carmel, CA for students, residents, and faculty of medical schools across the western United States. Eighty-six second- and third-year University of Washington School of Medicine students were selected from across the five-state WWAMI region to submit abstracts for oral or poster presentations.