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Nicole Li-Jessen, Ph.D.

Academic title(s): 

Associate Professor, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Personalized Medicine of Upper Airway Health and Diseases

Academic Lead (Faculty Development and Engagement), Office of the Provost and Executive VP (Academic)
Former Graduate Program Director (2024-2026)
 

Associate Member, Departments of Otolaryngology and Biomedical Engineering
Research Member, Quantitative Life Sciences, McGill Regenerative Medicine Network
Associate Investigator, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre
Regular Member, CAMBAM, CRBLM, AIRS

Nicole Li-Jessen, Ph.D.
Contact Information
Email address: 
nicole.li [at] mcgill.ca
Phone: 
514-398-5933
Degree(s): 

BSc Honors Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Hong Kong
MPhil Voice Physiology, University of Hong Kong
PhD Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh
Post-doctoral Fellow Vocal Fold Tissue Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Professional activities: 

Chair, Widening Participation Committee, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (2018 - 2024) 
Mentor, Provost's Faculty Mentorship Network, McGill University (2021 - present)
Associate Editor (2021 - 2024), Section Editor (2024 - present) PLOS Digital Health; Editorial Board Member (2025 - present) Scientific Reports

Link(s): 
Voice and Upper Airway Research Lab
Research areas: 
Healthy adults
Swallowing / dysphagia
Voice
Current research: 

Prof. Li-Jessen’s laboratory tackles complex challenges in voice and upper airway health (VUA) using advanced computational and engineering technologies. Their core innovation is the VUA Digital Health Twin, a virtual replica of a patient’s laryngeal system built on four synergistic and interconnected research themes.

  • Theme 1 focuses on computational modeling as the foundation, simulating biological processes underlying vocal fold tissue injury and repair with high fidelity through optimized CPU and GPU computing.
  • Theme 2 develops tissue engineering solutions that generate critical validation data using customized vocal fold organ-on-chip technology. This work also creates novel biomaterials and drug carriers that the Digital Twin evaluates and refines.
  • Theme 3 employs digital wearables to collect real-world patient data for personalized modeling.
  • Theme 4 broadens the Twin beyond tissue simulation to encompass complete healthcare journeys and measure how stigmatization affects patient care-seeking behaviors.

Through this unique framework, the VUA Digital Twin can reliably design and optimize therapeutics with unprecedented precision, driving the critical transition to individualized VUA healthcare. 

Funding source: CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC, CRC, NIH, FRQS

Selected publications: 

Google Scholar
Research Gate
PubMed Listing

Awards, honours, and fellowships: 

Research Scholars Senior Award, Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec (FRSQ, 2026)
Canada Research Chair (tier 2) in Personalized Medicine of Upper Airway Health and Diseases (2021)
Delegate, Science Meets Parliament, Canadian Science Policy Center (2021)
Visiting Professorship, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany (2019)
Principal's Prize for Excellence in Teaching (Assistant Professor Category), McGill University (2018)
Rosemary Wedderburn Brown Prize, McGill University (2018)
Canada Research Chair (tier 2) in Personalized Medicine of Voice Disorders (2017)

Media coverage:
http://voice.lab.mcgill.ca/media.html

Group: 
Core and Clinical Faculty
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