Students conduct research on normal swallowing function and disordered swallowing (known as dysphagia) under the supervision of a faculty member, focusing on the measurement of biomechanical and functional aspects of swallowing. Activities may include a literature review, learning laboratory techniques, collecting data, coding data, and statistical analysis. At the end of the semester, students complete a written report about a research project they worked on or give an oral presentation about the project at a lab meeting.