Academics

Mark Berardi's academic journey began in acoustical physics, with applications in music, speech, and architectural acoustics. He earned his PhD from Michigan State University's Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, where he developed models for aging voice, vocal effort related to communication demands, and vocal fatigue. Following his doctoral studies, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) in Germany. Working in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy's Vocal Control and Vocal Well-Being lab (VoCoWell), he investigated the neurobiological and psychological factors associated with vocal fatigue in primary school teachers. During this time, he expanded his research scope, collaborating with UKB researchers to apply speech science and computational linguistics to psychiatric disorders such as major depressive disorder and schizophrenia. 

Research Focus

A key focus of his work is the development of computational tools for large-scale speech and voice disorders research. By leveraging data science methodologies, he aims to advance more precise and personalized therapeutic care. His long-term research goal is to combine his diverse background in acoustics, computation, and neurobiology to deepen our understanding of the complexities of speech and voice production.