ABout the founder.
My name is Madeleine. I grew up with a stutter.
For much of my childhood, something as simple as saying my name could feel overwhelming. Moments that most people move through without thinking, such as introducing myself, answering a question in class, or speaking to a stranger, carried a sense of anxiety and embarrassment. I became deeply aware of how easily speech differences could be misunderstood, and how damaging the resulting stigmas can be.
What made these experiences even more difficult was how little people seemed to understand about stuttering. Many assumed it was caused by nervousness, a lack of confidence, or that my "brain thinks too fast for my mouth". The lack of accessible research on stuttering led me to begin to believe those things as well. I felt powerless for much of my life, letting other people tell me what was "wrong" with me. In reality, stuttering is a complex neurological condition involving the brain systems responsible for speech production, planning, timing, and motor coordination.
Those early life experiences sparked a curiosity that eventually led me to study the brain.
Academic & Professional Background
I studied neuroscience at Boston College, where I became particularly interested in how the brain produces speech and language. After obtaining my Bachelors of Science, I worked in Alzheimer's clinical research for nearly two years where I was a senior CRC leading medication-based clinical trials. During my academic and research experiences, I developed a deeper appreciation for the complex neural networks that allow us to transform thoughts into fluent speech.
At the same time, I realized that much of the scientific knowledge about speech and stuttering remains largely confined to research settings and academia. Many students, families, and educators never encounter the neuroscience behind speech disorders.
This gap between scientific understanding and public awareness became the motivation for creating Neurofluency.
Why the NeuroFluency Initiative Exists
The Neurofluency Initiative was created to make the neuroscience of speech more accessible.
While research on stuttering and speech production continues to advance, these discoveries rarely reach the people who could benefit from them most. Students who stutter often grow up hearing explanations that oversimplify their experience or place responsibility on anxiety or personality.
Understanding the neurological foundations of speech can change how we view stuttering. It can help reduce stigma, foster empathy, and empower students with knowledge about how their brains process speech.
Neurofluency aims to bridge the gap between scientific research and public understanding.
.
Looking Forward
Neurofluency hopes to engage more closely with local schools in order to help students, families, and educators better understand the biological foundations of speech disorders in order to promote a more accurate and accessible understanding of them. We also hope to collaborate with researchers who study stuttering and speech disorders to gain novel insight on new and upcoming research.
​