Listening and Language in Children Lab – Kelsey Klein, AuD, PhD, CCC-A

Overview

Research in the LiLaC Lab focuses on the effects of hearing loss on listening and language skills in school-age children with hearing aids and cochlear implants. The overarching goals of this research are to improve real-world functional outcomes and inform intervention approaches for children with hearing loss. In the LiLaC Lab, we take several approaches to understanding how children with hearing loss process speech, especially under challenging listening conditions. Using eye-tracking technology, we investigate the time course of children’s real-time lexical and semantic activation during spoken word recognition. This allows us to better understand how children with hearing loss utilize specific cognitive processes to understand spoken language. We also use clinical audiologic and language assessments to examine how factors such as auditory access and vocabulary support real-world listening skills. Finally, we are interested in understanding how children’s hearing history and auditory environment influence their ability to effectively learn, process, and understand spoken language. Taken together, our research draws from basic psycholinguistic research methods to address important clinical questions in pediatric audiology.

Contact: kklein@hifla.org

Galvin Lab – John Galvin, PhD 

Overview

The primary aim of the Galvin Lab is to improve outcomes for cochlear implant users. We approach this in a number of ways, including understanding limits of perception, optimization of cochlear implant processing, and auditory training. Most recently, the Galvin Lab has been studying how acoustic and electric hearing are combined for speech and music perception. As residual acoustic hearing becomes more commonplace in cochlear implant patients, it is important to optimize cochlear implant signal processing to integrate the very different stimulation patterns with acoustic hearing and the cochlear implant.

Contact: jgalvin@hifla.org

Hearing Science Accelerator

Overview

The House Institute Foundation Hearing Science Accelerator (HSA) is an initiative to advance biomedical research for hearing disorders for which there has long been a need for new treatment options. The program brings together experts from within the field of hearing science along with thought leaders from other disciplines. For each disorder, the HSA identifies research questions that will advance the science related to the disorder. The aim is to foster collaboration and change the approach to hearing research from iterative to innovative. The House Institute Foundation is committed to facilitating and funding research priorities identified through the HSA process.

Contact: hsacoordinator@hifla.org

Active Studies

Overview

Here you can explore and engage with the latest ongoing research studies within the House Institute Foundation. This page serves as a dynamic hub, providing detailed information about current research projects that are actively recruiting participants and/or seeking collaborators.