Northern Illinois University
College of Health and Human Sciences

Title:	Associate Professor
Division:	Allied Health and Communicative Disorders
Unit:	Speech-Language Pathology
Office Location:	Wirtz Hall 338
Office Phone:	815-753-1484
Office Fax:	815-753-9123
Email:	jmayer1@niu.edu

Courses Taught

• COMD 330: Neuroscience of Communication and Associated Behaviors
• COMD 674: Cognitive-Communicative Disorders in Adults with Neurological Impairments
• COMD 680: Medical Speech-Language Pathology
• COMD 688: Treatment of Cognitive-Communicative Disorders Associated with Brain Injury

Education

• Ph.D., Indiana University, Speech and Hearing Sciences
• M.A., Indiana University, Speech and Hearing Sciences
• B.A., Indiana University, Speech and Hearing Sciences 

Certifications

• CCC-SLP

Licensure

• SLP license in the state of Illinois

Research Interests

• Interactions between cognitive and linguistic processes in the generation and treatment of adult neurogenic language disorders.
• Aphasia assessment and treatment.
• Gerontology
• Enhancing communication and quality of life for individuals with dementia.

Research Projects

• Attention Process Training after stroke.
• Treatment of reading skills in stroke survivors.
• The efficacy creative arts for maximizing communication, affect and quality of life for individuals with dementia.
• The use of music to augment communication, cognition and quality of life in acquired neurogenic communication disorders.

Community Programs

Please email jmayer1@niu.edu or call 815-753-1484 for more information about these programs. 

• Stroke Support Group – Our stroke support group, for stroke survivors and/or caregivers, meets at the NIU Speech, Language, and Hearing Clinic on the first Thursday of each month, from 2-3:30 p.m.
• Bridges Choir - The Bridges choir is specifically designed for individuals with acquired cognitive or communicative difficulties associated with stroke, brain injury, or progressive illness (e.g., dementia); although any individual wishing to participate is welcome to join. Rehearsals are held every Monday at Oak Crest; each semester culminates in a small choir performance at Oak Crest or within the DeKalb area.
• Music and Memory - The NIU Music and Memory Student Association, launched in fall 2017, is working on bringing the Music and Memory program (personalized music for individuals with dementia) to DeKalb area long-term care facilities. The program has been piloted at Pine Acres Nursing Center and has received glowing reviews from patients, staff, and student volunteers. 

Selected Publications

• Mayer, J. F., Mitchinson, S. I., and Murray, L. L. (2016). Addressing concomitant executive dysfunction and aphasia: Previous approaches and the new Brain Budget protocol. Aphasiology, 31(7), 837-860.
• Murray, L. L., and Mayer, J. F. (2016). Extralinguistic cognitive considerations in aphasia management. In: I. Papathanasiou and P. Coppens (Eds.), Aphasia and related neurogenic communication disorders (2nd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett.
• Mayer, J. F., and Murray, L. L. (2012). Measuring working memory deficits in aphasia. Journal of Communication Disorders, 45, 325-339
• Mayer, J. F., Bishop, L. A., and Murray, L. L. (2012). The feasibility of a structured cognitive training protocol to address progressive cognitive decline in individuals with vascular dementia. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 21, 167-179
• Mayer, J. F., and Murray, L. L. (2003). Functional measures of naming in aphasia: Word-retrieval in confrontation naming versus connected speech. Aphasiology, 17 (5), 481-498
• Mayer, J. F., and Murray, L. L. (2002). Treatment of alexia in chronic aphasia. Aphasiology, 16 (7), 727-743