Our doctoral student, Thomas Christensen has been recognized by the Arnold School of Public Health to share his story of his passion in pursuing a Ph.D in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Thomas Christensen is interested in helping people with developmental disabilities continue living in familiar settings, such as their own homes or care facilities, for as long as possible while maintaining their independence. With a background as a speech-language pathologist, Thomas works to enhance patient independence by developing tailored communication strategies and environmental modifications. This has informed his research with Dr. Jessica Klusek’s Family Experiences Lab, centering on supporting families affected by autism and fragile X syndrome. Thomas has many achievements, including his being the Randi J. Hagerman Summer Scholarship from the National Fragile X Foundation to support his project exploring how social determinants of health impact symptoms of the FMR1 premutation in women.

You can read his story here! You can also show your support for Thomas on social media here at Instagram, Twitter/X, Facebook, and Linkedin!