Birgitta Sahlén (BS) is Professor in Speech Pathology at the Department of Clinical Sciences, Logopedics, Phoniatrics and Audiology, Lund University, Sweden. BS is research group leader for the group Communication and Cognition. The research focus is on cognition and communication in children with language disorder and/or hearing loss. Currently she studies the interaction of adverse listening conditions e.g. how teachers’ voice quality influence children’s listening comprehension, effort, motivation and learning in relation to children’s cognitive capacity.  BS is also heading comprehensive intervention projects aiming at improving children’s narrative writing by observational learning, and teacher’s language learning interaction techniques in the class-room.

Societal impact: BS is strongly involved in cross-disciplinary national and international collaboration with other faculties and universities both nationally and internationally and has taken a leading role e.g. PI, coordinator and core group member in two Linnaeus’ environments (see link CCL) and (see linkHEAD) and networks. She is constantly active as presenter and organizer of conferences (e.g. see link UR.play). Of societal importance is the development of clinical guidelines for children with language disorder, the development of tests/assessment procedures and intervention programs for teachers and children with language disorder and hearing impairment.

Projects (fundings since 2008)

• The Linnaeus Centre for Cognition, Communication and Learning- Thinking in Time (CCL), Lund University.

• The Linnaeus Centre for Research on Hearing and Deafness (HEAD), Linköping University.

• Uhlén, Sahlén, Lyxell, Ors: Neurophysiological prerequisites for hearing, cognition and reading development in children with severe and profound hearing impairment with hearing aids or cochlear implants. (FAS,)

• Öka skrivlusten! Tangentbordsloggning och kamratobservation, nya verktyg i skrivintervention för barn. Marcus och Amalia Wallenbergs stiftelse

• Skriftliga redogörelser: Intervention för universitetsstuderande med och utan hörselskada, Margot Wibel Foundation

• Pausmönster och arbetsminne i skriftliga berättelser hos barn. Sunnerdahl 's Disability Foundation.

• Teaching and learning in diverse and noisy class-rooms: Taking knowledge from the lab to implementation in teacher education, Marcus and Amalia Wallenberg Foundation.
  
  
• Effektiv interaktion för optimal språkutveckling och lärande i klassrummet. Lärare och barn i en randomiserad kontrollerad studie (Skolforskningsinstitutet).

BS is since 1978 active as teacher at the Speech and Language Pathology Program at Lund University and at the Audiology Program since 2009.