George W. Barber, Jr., Foundation Professor
Co-Director, UAB Voice Center
Director, Otolaryngology Speech and Hearing Services

Schedule Appointment: 205-801-7801 (option 1)

Administrative Support: 
Alice Rhodes
P: 205-801-7919 | M: 205-801-7801 (option 3) | F: 205-801-7802 

Board Certification

American Speech, Language and Hearing Association, 1981

Areas of Interest

• Interprofessional care of voice and upper airway disorders

• Instrumental assessment of voice and upper airway disorders

• Behavioral treatment of voice and upper airway disorders

• Developer of Phonation Resistance Training Exercises (PhoRTE™), evidence-based voice therapy for aging voice

• Interprofessional treatment of voice related dystonias and essential voice tremor

• Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease associated voice disorders with the Lee Silverman Voice Therapy (LSVT™) and SPEAK OUT!®️ Therapy Program

• Myofascial release and instrument assisted MFR/Rock Blades for voice disorders

Graduate

PhD, Speech and Hearing Science, Vanderbilt University, 2003

Postdoctoral Training

VA Medical Center, Atlanta, GA, Speech Language Pathology Research Fellowship, 1998

VA Medical Center, Nashville, TN, Speech Language Pathology Research Fellowship, 1996

VA Medical Center, St. Louis, Mo Speech Language Pathology Graduate Student Traineeship 1980-1981

VA Medical Center North Chicago Illinois, Undergraduate Student Traineeship, 1980-1981

Awards & Honors

• Fellow of the American Speech Language and Hearing Association

• Convention Co-Chair, American Speech Language and Hearing Association

• Board of Directors, American Speech Language and Hearing Association

• Scholar of the Year, Emory University Department of Otolaryngology

• Distinguished Fellow Speech Language Pathology, National Academies of Practice

• Scholar of the Year, Emory University Department of Otolaryngology

• Travel grant winner, Fall Voice Conference, National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association

• Best Poster, The Voice Foundation Annual Symposium on Care of the Professional Voice, The Voice Foundation

• Honor Award, American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery

• Kathleen Quigley Lectureship Annual Meeting, Society of Otolaryngology Nurses 

• Clinician of the Year Award, Georgia Speech Language and Hearing Association

• Outstanding Alumnae, University of Missouri

• Volunteerism Service Award, Georgia Speech Language and Hearing Association

• Volunteerism Award, Yul Brynner Head and Neck Cancer Foundation Georgia Chapter

• Best Poster Award, Florida Association of Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists

Selected Publications 

1. Ziegler A, Verdolini KT, Johns MM, Klein AC, Hapner ER. Preliminary data on two voice interventions in the treatment of dysphonia. Laryngoscope. August 2014; 124 (8): 1869–1876, DOI: 10.1002/lary.24548

2. Hapner ER. Wise JC. Results of a large scale head and neck cancer screening of an at risk population. Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. July, 2011; 25 (4). 480-83.

3. Hapner ER, Bauer KL, Wise JC. The impact of a community based oral head and neck cancer screening for reducing tobacco consumption. Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. November 2011; 145 (5): 778- 782. doi:10.1177/0194599811415804

4. Shoffel-Havakuk H, Marks KL, Morton M, Johns MM 3rd, Hapner ER. Validation of the OMNI vocal effort scale in the treatment of adductor spasmodic dysphonia. Laryngoscope. 2019; Feb; 129 (2). 448-453 doi: 10.1002/lary.27430.

5. Ziegler A, Hapner ER. Vocal dose in older adults with presbyphonia: An analytic, cross-sectional study. J Voice. 2019; (18)20230-5. doi:10/1016/j.jvoice.2018.09.005.