Natalie Pak, PhD, CCC-SLP, assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, is part of a newly funded research team working to improve early language development among Din茅 (Navajo) toddlers.
The project, titled "Language is Medicine: A Caregiver-Implemented Language Intervention to Prevent Developmental Delay in Din茅 Toddlers,鈥� is supported by a $3.16 million grant from the National Institutes of Health鈥檚 National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). The multi-year project is led by Joshuaa Dominic Allison-Burbank, PhD, CCC-SLP, CPH, at Johns Hopkins University.
Pak will contribute her expertise in speech-language pathology and early communication to help develop and evaluate a culturally grounded, caregiver-implemented intervention aimed at preventing developmental delays. The program centers on empowering caregivers as active partners in fostering children鈥檚 language growth while honoring Navajo language and cultural traditions.
The project runs from September 2025 through June 2029 and includes a clinical trial component and data-sharing initiative to enhance transparency and promote future research in Native child development and language preservation.