Olivia is a native Floridian and a graduate from the University of Florida. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in 2008 and her Master’s in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2017.
Olivia was a pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital before transitioning full time to research with the ARC lab. She specializes in neonatal and infant feeding and swallowing disorders and her research interests include feeding and swallowing outcomes in infants with congenital heart disease, infant and family centered care models, neurodevelopmental care, and aerodigestive disorders. Olivia has formal training in Flexible Endoscopic Evaluations of Swallowing (FEES), Video Fluoroscopic Swallow Studies (VFSS), and neonatal touch and massage.
During her free time, Olivia enjoys listening to music, biking, reading, going for walks with her dog, and spending time with her two children.