Welcome to the Walden Voice Laboratory
Advancing the practice of speech-language pathology through innovative research.
About the Lab
The Walden Voice Laboratory, under the direction of Patrick R. Walden, Ph.D., CCC-SLP and faculty collaboration with Susan Pattay, Ed.D., CCC-SLP, is housed in the Monmouth University Center for Speech and Language Disorders in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, NJ. We are dedicated to the study of clinical practice around the human voice, how we perceive it, and how we help those with disorders of phonation. Our research focuses on making clinical voice work more effective and efficient. We combine principles from speech-language pathology, vocal pedagogy, and human perception to improve the lives of individuals with voice problems.
Our Research
Perceptual Voice Qualities Database
Funded by The Voice Foundation, Dr. Walden developed the Perceptual Voice Qualities Database (PVQD). The PVQD is a freely available database of voice samples ranging in severity from normal voices to severely dysphonic voices.
Clinical Practices in Voice Assessment
Exploring and refining how voice clinicians evaluate disordered voices
Teaching about Voice
Exploring how to better teach pre-service SLPs about voice science and voice disorders
Meet the Team
2025-2026 Student Position Open
Graduate Research Assistant
Previous Graduate Assistants and Student Collaborators
Jessica Rostron
Beau Braun
Sarah Incorvaia
Emily Kania
Maggie Davis
Selected Publications
Walden, P.R. (2025 online first). Severity Cut-Off Ranges for Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation Using Visual Analog Scales. Journal of Voice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2025.01.018
Cantor-Cutiva, L.C., Ramani, S.A., Walden, P.R., Hunter, E.J. (2023 online first). Screening of voice pathologies: Identifying the predictive value of Voice Acoustic Parameters for Common Voice Pathologies. Journal of Voice. https://doi.org//10.1016/j.jvoice.2023.12.005
Walden, P. R. (2024). Learning Acoustic Assessment of Voice: An Action Research-Based SoTL Project. Journal of Voice, 38(4), 966.e1-966.e7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2021.11.015
Walden, P.R. & Rau, S. (2022). Individual Voice Dimensions' Prediction of Overall Dysphonia Severity on Two Auditory-Perceptual Scales. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 65(8), 2759-2777. https://doi.org/10.1044/2022_JSLHR-21-00689
Walden, P.R. (2022). Perceptual Voice Qualities Database (PVQD): Database characteristics. Journal of Voice, 36(6), P875.E15-875.E23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2020.10.001
Walden, P. R., & Khayumov, J. (2022). The Use of Auditory-Perceptual Training as a Research Method: A Summary Review. Journal of Voice, 36(3), 322–334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2020.06.032
Bensoussan, Y., Pinto, J., Crowson, M., Walden, P. R., Rudzicz, F., & Johns III, M. (2021). Voice gender identification using convolutional neural networks: Proof-of-concept for treatment outcome in gender-affirming voice care. The Laryngoscope, 131(5), E1611-E1615. https://doi.org/10.1002/lary.29281
Selected Presentations
Rostron, J., & Walden (2025, May). The Use of Maximum Phonation Time as a Measure of Voice. Poster presented at the 2025 Annual Symposium of the Voice Foundation, Philadelphia, PA.
Rostron, J., & Walden, P.R. (2025, March). Maximum Phonation Time’s Relationship to Grade and Breathiness Perception. Poster presented at the 2025 Annual Convention of the New Jersey Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Atlantic City, NJ.
Walden, P.R. (2024, October). Recent Findings on Clinical Voice Assessment Methods. Poster Presentation at the 2024 Fall Voice Conference, Phoenix, AZ.
Braun, B., Incorvaia, S., & Walden, P.R. (2024, May). Relationship of Cepstral Peak Prominence and Auditory-Perceptual Judgments of Severity in Varied Phonetic Contexts. Presentation at the 2024 Annual Symposium of The Voice Foundation, Philadelphia, PA.
Braun, B., Incorvaia, S., & Walden, P.R. (2024, April). Gender Differences in CAPE-V Sentence Prediction of Overall Perceptual Severity. Poster presented at the 2024 Annual Conference of the New Jersey Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Atlantic City, NJ.
Walden, P.R., (2023, June). Introducing the Perceptual Voice Qualities Database (PVQD). Session Presented at the 2023 Annual Symposium of The Voice Foundation (TVF), Philadelphia, PA.
Ramani, S.A., Walden, P.R., Sutiva, L.C., & Hunter, E. (2023, June). Which Voice Parameters Differentiate Pathology Types in the Perceptual Voice Qualities Database (PVQD)? Session Presented at the 2023 Annual Symposium of The Voice Foundation (TVF), Philadelphia, PA.
Davis, M., Kania, E., & Walden, P.R. (2023, June). Severity Range Values for Overall Severity, Breathiness, Roughness, and Strain on a Visual Analogue Scale Using the Perceptual Voice Qualities Database (PVQD). Poster Presented at the 2023 Annual Symposium of The Voice Foundation (TVF), Philadelphia, PA.
Walden, P.R., Davis, M. (2023, April). Choosing the Best Voice Treatment Approach for Your Client. 1.5-hour peer-reviewed presentation at the 2023 Annual Conference of the New Jersey Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Long Branch, NJ.