Dr. Jeff Small

Dr. Jeff Small is a Professor in School of Audiology and Speech Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC). He is also a Health Researcher in the Centre for Research on Personhood in Dementia at UBC. He obtained his PhD in applied linguistics at the University of Southern California, followed by postdoctoral fellowships in gerontology at the University of Kansas and Simon Fraser University. His primary research investigates how persons with Alzheimer’s disease and their care partners may benefit from using memory and communication strategies in their everyday interactions.  His secondary research is exploring how to appropriately meet the communication needs and preferences of persons who are hard of hearing or deaf residing in long-term care homes.

Research Interests: How persons with Alzheimer’s disease and their care partners may benefit from using memory and communication strategies in their everyday interactions; What are barriers to and strategies for improving communication in long-term care homes for residents who are hard of hearing or deaf?