Speaker: Karen Gordon
Date: Thursday 3 November 2016
Time: 3.00pm – 4.30pm
Location: Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1, Lecture Theatre

Abstract: Our aim is to promote binaural hearing in children which supports listening in most social and academic settings.  Studies of children using cochlear implants unilaterally, bilaterally or in combination with hearing aids (bimodally) reveals: 1) delayed access to bilateral hearing results in an aural preference syndrome which deters binaural hearing; and 2) bilateral input with minimal delay supports expected responses from auditory cortices; but also that 3) binaural integration is not yet achieved by two independent auditory prostheses.

Bio: Karen Gordon, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology and a Graduate Faculty Member in the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto.  She is Director of Research in Archie’s Cochlear Implant Laboratory and holds the Bastable-Potts Health Clinician Scientist Award in Hearing Impairment and Cochlear Americas Chair of Auditory Development. Karen’s research focuses on auditory development in children who are deaf and use auditory prostheses including cochlear implants.  The following questions are asked: 1) What aspects of auditory and vestibular development are arrested in children with hearing loss; 2) What changes in the auditory and vestibular system occur during the period of deafness; 3) To what extent can auditory and vestibular plasticity and development be promoted by cochlear implant use?; and 4) what compensatory mechanisms in development can be exploited to make up for deficits in input from auditory prostheses? To answer these questions, we use both behavioural and electrophysiological measures and are interested in innovations in cochlear implant design and programming which seek to improve the resilience of the device as well as to preserve residual hearing and binaural cues.

Who should come:  hearing, speech and language researchers and clinicians, cognitive scientists, psychologists, researchers in aging health and health care professionals.
Network: Learn from one another and see what collaboration opportunities are available.
Registration:  Entry is free and open to the public.  Please email louise.dodd@mq.edu.au to register by  12.00pm Tuesday  1 November 2016