Shanika is a second-year Ph.D. student in cognitive neuroscience at Duke University, with a clinical background as a licensed medical speech-language pathologist. Her research focuses on advancing theoretical models of the cognitive mechanisms that support language production to improve diagnostic tools and treatment for neurogenically compromised populations. She is particularly interested in apragmatism following right hemisphere stroke, aiming to bridge gaps between cognitive theory and clinical practice.

Before beginning her doctoral studies, Shanika served as the acute rehabilitation neuroscience diagnostic specialist at Moses Cone Memorial Hospital and as a clinical research speech-language pathologist in Duke’s Minga Right Hemisphere Communication Lab. She also contributed to research on executive function in children, bilingual language acquisition, and laryngeal cancer treatment through roles at New York University, the Yeled V Yalda Research Institute, and Oakwood University. Her interdisciplinary experience informs her commitment to inclusive, translational research that advances both scientific understanding and clinical impact.