She received her doctorate in speech language pathology from the University of Washington in Seattle, WA in 2000. Dr. Hickey's teaching focuses on motor speech disorders, augmentative and alternative communication, and the treatment of cognitive and language disorders in adults. Dr. Hickey's research focuses on topics in aphasia, dementia, traumatic brain injury, and communication and participation after brain trauma. She is a member of several ASHA special interest groups including Neurogenics and Neurophysiology, Gerontology, and Global Issues in Communication Disorders and Sciences.