A faculty member at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) since 1991, Melanie Fried-Oken, PhD, CCC-SLP, has had an incredible career as an internationally recognized expert in assistive technology, including application of brain-computer interface technology to facilitate communication. Serving as the OHSU UCEDD’s co-Director and research lead for the past eight years, she has held numerous leadership roles during her time at OHSU, including Interim Associate Director for both the UCEDD and the larger Institute on Development and Disability (IDD) and current leader of the IDD research mission. Throughout her tenure, she has mentored countless junior colleagues and learners, shaping the next generation of professionals.
“I was a member of the OHSU UAP (University Affiliated Program) since 1991. During my tenure, I watched the UAP develop into the UCEDD and I witnessed the startup and growth of AUCD,” says Melanie. “I have been honored to be an interim director or co-director of the OHSU UCEDD and work with people who have dedicated their careers to establishing policies, advocacy, new knowledge and interventions for people with disabilities. You all make this world a better place. Thank you.”
An active leader in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) research
In her decorated career as a clinical researcher and speech-language pathologist, Dr. Fried-Oken has obtained millions in funding from the NIH (National Institutes of Health), NIDILRR (National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research), US Department of Education, and many national and regional foundations to support her teamwork to promote effective expression for those with communication impairments. Clinically, she started the Child Development and Rehabilitation Center Assistive Technology Program and then moved to the Northwest Clinic for Voice and Swallowing to provide cutting-edge AAC services to many children, adults and families. She has received many awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oregon Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and has achieved fellowship status in national and international organizations, including being named a fellow of the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) at their biennial conference in July of 2023.
Driving change through participatory research that centers lived experience
Dr. Fried-Oken's career has been rooted in collaboration. Together with colleagues at OHSU and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Northeastern University in Boston, her research group was one of fewer than a dozen worldwide with unique expertise in brain-computer interface (BCI), a science that uses technology to detect changes in brainwaves that form choices, allowing patients to communicate despite not having the necessary motor skills. Fried-Oken has led her work with a passion for participatory research relying on the input of individuals living with severe speech and physical impairments, as well as their families and caregivers. Their experience and insight were considered at every stage of development and research.
This past year, Dr. Fried-Oken co-led the national AAC Peer Support Project in partnership with Communication First, alongside a consortium of AAC users, researchers, providers, and representatives from disability and self-advocacy organizations. This collaborative leadership team—grounded in the lived experiences of AAC users and their supporters—worked together to develop recommendations for a national plan to advance peer supports for individuals who need or use AAC to communicate.
Her contributions to the field of AAC, our UCEDD, and the broader AUCD network have been profound and far-reaching. She will officially retire on June 30, 2025.
