Precision Decisions

This excerpt is from a story published in Envision magazine.

For children diagnosed with velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD), a disorder that causes air and sound to leak into the nasal passages, surgery provides the best opportunity for normal speech. But, for one in five of them, their first operation isn’t successful—and subsequent surgeries often fail too.

Kazlin Mason, assistant professor at the School of Education and Human Development, is looking to increase the odds of successful initial VPD surgeries. With support from The Hartwell Foundation, she is pioneering a collaborative and multifaceted approach to evaluate and treat children affected by VPD. By using new surgical techniques and more effective imaging tools to improve clinical decision-making, she hopes to ensure, as she puts it, “the right surgery for the right child at the right time.”

Mason received an Individual Biomedical Research Award from The Hartwell Foundation in 2025, which provides research support for three years at $100,000 direct cost per year. The foundation supports early-stage researchers pursuing biomedical research with the potential to benefit children.

“Professor Mason’s award-winning proposal represents early-stage, innovative, and cutting-edge technology in medicine and biomedical engineering,” said Fred Dombrose, president of The Hartwell Foundation. “If she is successful in identifying patient-specific indicators for successful speech and surgical outcomes, it will transform clinical care for children with craniofacial conditions by moving away from highly subjective judgments to empirical evidence-based decisions—changes that will improve their speech and ability to communicate effectively.”

Mason says the impact of The Hartwell Foundation’s support is considerable. “It gave me the freedom to pursue bold, early-stage ideas that will ultimately make a real difference for children’s health,” she said.

Read the full story in Envision.