Haley Dresang, Ph.D.

Introduction Video

Waisman Center Profile

Neuroscience of Language and Neurological Disorders (NeuroLAND)

Education

B.S., University of Wisconsin-Madison
Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh
Post-Doctoral Fellow, Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute
Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania

Courses Taught

CS&D 210 Neural Basis of Communication
CS&D 503 Neural Mechanisms of Speech, Hearing, and Language
CS&D 704 Acquired Language and Cognitive-Communication Disorders in Adults

Research Statement

Dr. Dresang investigates the neuroscience of language and neurological disorders that affect communication. Her research advances our understanding of the brain and how treatments can improve language following stroke, brain injury, and neurodegenerative conditions.

The mission of her lab is to improve the lives of individuals with communication difficulties by investigating questions like these:

1. How does the brain perform cognitive and linguistic functions?
2. How do brain systems change and adapt following neurological injury or dysfunction?
3. How can we improve clinical assessments and treatments to facilitate recovery and improve performance?

Representative Publications

Search PubMed for the most recent articles by Dr. Dresang.

Olson, H.A.,* Yeh, F.C., & Dresang, H.C. (2025). Distinct neural pathways associated with conceptual and lexical verb retrieval priming in aphasia. NeuroImage: Clinical. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nicl.2025.103867

Dresang, H.C., Dalton, S.G., McCreary, E.,* Pittman, E.,* & Stark, B.C. (2025). Iconic gesture use during discourse production in latent aphasia. Aphasiology. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02687038.2025.2511215

Dresang, H.C., Harvey, D.Y., Vnenchak, L., Parchure, S., Cason, S., Twigg, P., Brecher, A., Faseyitan, O., Maher, L.M., Hamilton, R.H., & Coslett, H.B. (2024). Semantic and phonological abilities inform efficacy of transcranial magnetic stimulation on sustained aphasia treatment outcomes. Neurobiology of Language, 1-78. https://doi.org/10.1162/nol_a_00160

Dresang, H. C., Warren, T., Hula, W. D., & Dickey, M. W. (2024). Rational adaptation in word production: Strong conceptual ability reduces the effect of lexical impairments on verb retrieval in aphasia. Neuropsychologia, 201 (108938). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2024.108938

Dresang, H. C., Williamson, R., Kim, H., Hillis, A. E., & Buxbaum, L. J. (2024). Gesture profiles distinguish primary progressive aphasia variants: A preliminary study. Aphasiology, 38 (11), 1853-1868. https://doi.org/10.1080/02687038.2024.2326449

Quique, Y. M., Dickey, M. W., & Dresang, H. C. (2023). Preliminary investigation of semantic memory assessments in Colombian adults with and without post-stroke aphasia. Neurology Perspectives, 4 (1), 100139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurop.2023.100139

Stoll, H., Brecher, A., Coslett, H. B., Dresang, H. C., Faseyitan, O., Hamilton, R., Harvey, D., Kelkar, A., Medaglia, J., Sacchetti, D., & Turkeltaub, P. (2023). Changes in right pars triangularis network role and naming errors in post-stroke aphasia. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 38 (7), 1451-1451 doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acad067.290 †

Dresang, H. C., Wong, A. L., & Buxbaum, L. J. (2023). Shared and distinct routes in speech and gesture imitation: evidence from stroke. Cortex, 162, 81-95. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2023.01.010

Dresang, H. C., Harvey, D. Y., Xie, S. X., Shah-Basak, P. P., DeLoretta, L., Wurzman, R., Parchure, S. Y., Sacchetti, D., Faseyitan, O., Lohoff, F., & Hamilton, R. H. (2022). Genetic and neurophysiological biomarkers of neuroplasticity inform post-stroke language recovery. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 36(6), 371-380. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/15459683221096391

Dresang, H. C., Hula, W. D., Yeh, F. C., Warren, T., & Dickey, M. W. (2021). White-matter neuroanatomical predictors of aphasic verb retrieval. Brain Connectivity, 11(4), 319-330. doi: https://doi.org/10.1089/brain.2020.0921

Dresang, H. C., Warren, T., Hula, W. D., & Dickey, M. W. (2021). Rational adaptation in using conceptual versus lexical information in adults with aphasia. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 589930. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.589930

Hula, W. D., Panesar, S., Gravier, M. L., Yeh, F. C., Dresang, H. C., Dickey, M. W., & Fernandez-Miranda, J. C. (2020). Structural white matter connectometry of word production in aphasia: an observational study. Brain, 143(8), 2532-2544. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awaa193

Warren, T., & Dresang, H. C. (2020). Event‐predictive cognition: Underspecification and interaction with language. Topics in Cognitive Science, 13(1), 248-251. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/tops.12499

Dresang, H. C., Dickey, M. W., & Warren, T. C. (2019). Semantic memory for objects, actions, and events: A novel test of event-related conceptual semantic knowledge. Cognitive Neuropsychology, 36(7-8), 313-335. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02643294.2019.1656604 

Dresang, H. C., & Turkstra, L. S. (2018). Implicit causality bias in adults with traumatic brain injury. Journal of Communication Disorders, 71, 1-10. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomdis.2017.12.003