Australian Hearing Hub

AHH seminar: Personalized medicine in cochlear implantation: Microanatomical variations ...
2018-02-13 00:00 (Australia/Sydney)
Speaker: Professor Andrej Kral
Date: Tuesday 27 March
Time: 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Location: Level 1, Talavera Road, Macquarie University
Agenda:
2.00pm – 2.05pm – Welcome
2.05pm – 2.45pm – Presentation
2.45pm – 3.00pm – Q & A
3.00pm – 3.30pm – Networking & Refreshments
Abstract:
Outcomes of cochlear implantation are characterized by extensive variability. Part of this variability may be related to variations in the form of the cochlea. While the cochlear function is related to the biophysical properties of the basilar membrane, the cochlear microanatomy is characterized by extensive variation in size and form (1). This significantly influences the outcome of cochlear implantation, particularly the implantation forces and the resulting intracochlear trauma (2). However, current imaging technologies provide only very rudimentary information on the cochlear form and size. To overcome this difficulty, an analytical model of the cochlea is required that allows to approximate not only the size but also the detailed cochlear form out of the few parameters that can be obtained in human cochlear imaging. We analyzed the 3D cochlear form in 108 corrosion casts and 30 µCTs from human donors at microscopic resolution. Based on these data we developed an analytical 3D model of the human cochlea that can provide the information on the cochlear form out of only 4 measured parameters (3). The result was validated using the “leave one out” cross-validation and showed the high precision well within ±1 mm.
The outcome of this endeavor is not only of critical importance for clinical applications, but also for understanding of the origins of biological form. Our data demonstrate that the cochlear form cannot have an acoustic function, as previously speculated. Rather the individual variations of the form result from spatial constraints in the crowded human temporal bone (3).
Supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Exc. 1077) and Advanced Bionics European Research Center, GmbH.
References
(1) Avci E, Nauwelaers T, Lenarz T, Hamacher V, & Kral A, 2014: Variations in microanatomy of the human cochlea. J Comp Neurol 522:3245-3261.
(2) Avci E, Nauwelaers T, Hamacher V, & Kral A, 2016: Three-Dimensional force profile during cochlear implantation depends on individual geometry and insertion trauma. Ear Hear 38(3):e168-e179.
(3) Pietsch M, Aguirre Dávila L, Erfurt P, Avci E, Lenarz T, & Kral A, 2017: Spiral form of the human cochlea results from spatial constraints. Sci Rep 7(1):7500.
Bio:
Andrej Kral was born in Bratislava, studied general medicine at the Comenius University (MD 1993, PhD 1998). His first research position was at the Institute of Pathological Physiology (1992 – 1995). In collaboration with the Mathematical Institute (Prof. V. Majernik) he worked on computer models of neuronal networks. In 1995, at the Institute of Sensory Physiology, J.W.Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main (Head: Prof. R. Klinke) the focus of research moved to cochlear implants. He was appointed associate professor of physiology (“Priv.-Doz.”) at J.W.Goethe University in 2002. 2004-2009 he was Professor of Neurophysiology at the Institute of Neurophysiology, University of Hamburg. Since 2009 he has been Chair and Professor of Auditory Neurophysiology at the Medical University Hannover and the director of research of the ENT clinics. Andrej Kral leads the Dept. of Experimental Otology and the Joint Institute of AudioNeuroTechnology. Since 2004 he has been Adjunct Professor of Neuroscience and Cognition at The University of Texas at Dallas, USA and since 2017 member of the National Academy of Science Leopoldina. The focus of research includes neuroscience of deafness, cochlear implants, auditory development, brain plasticity, cross-modal reorganization and neuroprosthetic stimulation. The research has been published, among others, in New England Journal of Medicine, Science, Lancet Neurology, Nature Neuroscience, Trends in Neuroscience, Brain, Journal of Neuroscience and Cerebral Cortex, he gave more than 150 invited talks at international conferences and research institutions in US and Europe. Together with A.N.Popper and R.R.Fay he edited the volume of the Springer Handbook of Auditory Research on Deafness (vol. 47).
The lab has received funding from German Research Society (DFG), Common Scientific Conference Germany, State of Hamburg and State of Lower Saxony, NIH, EU and cochlear implant industry.

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 register by Monday 19 March 2018 to louise.dodd@mq.edu.au

Seminar: BrainHearing – The ear is a gateway to the brain ...
2018-02-08 00:00
Speaker: Prof. Thomas Lunner, Oticon, Eriksholm Research Center
Date: 28 February 2018
Time: 2.00pm-4.00pm
Location: Denis Byrne Room, Level 4, Australian Hearing Hub
Abstract: The Framework for Understanding Effortful Listening (FUEL, Eriksholm Workshop) has outlined possible mechanisms for when listening is effortful or not. This talk outlines some studies investigating the impact of hearing loss on processing effort and the benefit of a NR scheme on speech recognition and effort. For example it will be shown that signal processing in hearing instruments and noise reduction schemes counteract the effect of noise and reduce the effort required for speech recognition in both adverse listening situations, but also under not so adverse listening situations. The results emphasize the relevance of measuring processing effort in situations where the traditional speech reception measures fail due to ceiling effects. Furthermore, the effect of increased working memory load on listening effort will be shown, as well as hearing instrument noise reduction to mitigate the increased effort.
Biography: Prof. Lunner is a Senior Scientist, Project leader and Research Area manager at Eriksholm Research Centre, Oticon A/S, Denmark. He is also Professor of Cognitive Hearing Science, Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden, since 2009 and Professor in Hearing Systems group, Danish Technical University, Denmark, since 2015. He received the M.Sc. degree in physics and electrical engineering in 1989 and the Ph.D. degree in Technical Audiology in 1997, both from Linkoping University. His research interests include the relationship between hearing and cognition, cognitive control of hearing aids, and the involvement of the internet in audiology service delivery and audiology research. He formulated, in cooperation with Technical Audiology in Linköping and Oticon, the digital signal processing scheme and fitting algorithms for the worlds first fully digitized hearing aid, which was presented in 1995, and received the European Unions prestigious technology prize IST Grand Prize in 1996. He has received various innovation prizes and including being awarded Alumni of the Year 2016, Linköping University. He was also awarded the first Fellow at William Demant, 2017. He has published more than 120 peer reviewed papers, and holds more than 20 patents. H-index 33.
Oticon Medical Neuro CI system and Outlook on future of Cochlear Implant Design & Care
Dr. Søren Riis, Oticon Medical, Research & Technology
This talk will start by a brief introduction to the latest Neuro CI system by Oticon Medical with an emphasis on how this differs from other solutions available on the market today and how we with this system address some of the key challenges in current CI designs and CI care. Through examples from our CI research portfolio, the talk will also illustrate visions for the future of CI design and care.
Biography: Dr. Riis completed his PhD in 1998 at the Technical University of Denmark. He joined Oticon in 2002 and transitioned to Oticon Medical in 2013 where he is heading Research & Technology activities at Oticon Medical across Cochlear Implants and Bone Anchored hearing devices. Dr. Riis is a member of the Oticon Eriksholm Research Board and Chairman of the Health Technology group in the Danish Academy of Technical sciences.
Oticon Medical Neural Stimulation Philosophy: a different paradigm
Dr. Pierre Stahl, Oticon Medical, Clinical Research
The way electrodes are driving electrical current and its impact on human hearing sensations have been widely studied in the cochlear implant (CI) field among the past decades. Although these efforts provided new insights and methodologies for more efficient or more focused stimulations (i.e., stimulation modes: bipolar, tripolar, current steering; regarding waveforms: multiphasic, pseudo-monophasic, ramps, etc.), none or only a limited of these findings are actually used in commercialized CI systems, which keep stimulating with gold-standard electrical parameters. The Oticon Medical neural stimulation paradigm build on fairly different characteristics. Low stimulation rate, loudness coding by pulse-duration, stimulation mode and pulse waveform are all parameters that can be considered Oticon Medical unique in the CI field. This presentation aims to highlight these differences based on literature knowledge, dedicated studies and our intrinsic philosophy.
Biography: Dr. Stahl was born in Marseille, France, on March 31, 1986. He received the M.Sc. degree in 2011 in Physics and Biological sciences, and the Ph.D. degree in Acoustic and Electric Psychoacoustics in 2015 from the Aix-Marseille University, France, under the supervision of Olivier Macherey and Sabine Meunier. He joined the Oticon Medical Neurelec Clinical and Research department in 2015.
If you have any questions, please contact Kelly Miles kelly.miles@nal.gov.au

Current Issues in Child Bilingual Development
2018-02-08 00:00

Perspectives on the diagnosis and remediation of auditory processing disorders. ...
2018-01-30 00:00
Title: Perspectives on the diagnosis and remediation of auditory processing disorders.
Speaker: Harvey Dillon
Date: Tuesday 20 February
Time: 11:00am – 12:15pm
Location: Tutorial room 1.620, Level 1, AHH
This talk will review the problem of correctly diagnosing various forms of auditory processing disorders, including the difficulties involved in separating auditory deficits from attention, memory and language deficits. Successful and unsuccessful examples will be given, and a general solution outlined. The talk will include a description of several lines of potential future research that should materially improve the accuracy of diagnosis and effectiveness of remediation for auditory processing disorders.
Dr Dillon is a Senior Research Scientist at NAL, an Adjunct Professor at Macquarie, and Visiting Professor of Hearing Science at the University of Manchester.
If you have any questions, please contact Pamela.Jackson@nal.gov.au

Beginner's Introduction and Induction to Magnetoencephalography (MEG)
2018-01-29 00:00

AHH seminar: A neurophysiological based coding strategy for cochlear implants ...
2018-01-18 00:00
Speaker: Dr Waikong Lai
Date: Thursday 8 February
Time: 10.00am – 11.30am
Location: Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1, Lecture Theatre
Agenda:
10.00am – 10.05am – Welcome
10.05am – 10.45am – Presentation
10.45am – 11.00am – Q & A
11.00am – 11.30am – Networking & Refreshments
Abstract:
The reduced channel capacity of a cochlear implant necessitates that sound information be efficiently encoded for maximum transmission. With one of the bottlenecks being the capacity of the neural coding, a novel coding strategy based on a model of the excitability state of the target neural population was developed. The algorithm estimates the refractory behavior of the stimulated neural populations to compute the excitability state after the presentation of each stimulus, and uses this excitability state in the selection of the next stimulus. The Excitability Controlled Coding (ECC) strategy’s algorithm was implemented as a Matlab Simulink xPC model, and executed in real-time on a Speedgoat (hardware) system with analog (microphone) input. The output is configured for real-time streaming to Nucleus implants using a Cochlear StimGen RF encoder hardware. ECC was then compared against an ACE implementation on the same hardware system using a spectral ripple test as well as adaptive sentences (OLSA) in noise. Assessments were made by 4 experienced adult CI listeners. Initial testing comparing ACE vs ECC shows marginal improvements with ECC for the spectral ripple test as well as for OLSA sentences in noise. However, these may not be the optimal tests for determining the advantages of ECC and further considerations are needed. ECC is a coding strategy for cochlear implants that attempts to account for the capacity of the neural interface in transmitting encoded information. Initial results are promising, showing marginal improvements over the current ACE strategy even without much optimization and training.
Bio:
Waikong Lai, PhD, is a senior research scientist at the Sydney Cochlear Implant Centre (SCIC) which is part of the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children (RIDBC). Dr Lai’s extensive experience stems from his previous roles in research and engineering at the CSIRO department of Applied Physics (B.Elec.Eng.), Monash University (M.Eng.Sci.), University of Melbourne (Ph.D) and Zurich University Hospital (Postdoc Research Fellow). Some of these include the development of the NRT Nucleus Response Telemetry system and software now used routinely on a clinical basis for cochlear implant fitting and management, research and development of novel bio-inspired signal coding strategies, as well as development and management of the Swiss Cochlear Implant database.
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 register by Monday 5 February 2018 to louise.dodd@mq.edu.au

Planning & Implementing Hearing Healthcare: From Global to Local Solutions ...
2018-01-18 00:00
Planning & Implementing Hearing Healthcare: From Global to Local Solutions
Led by Professor Andrew Smith
Date: Tuesday 6 March – Friday 9 March 2018
Time: Tuesday-Thursday 9am – 5pm, Friday 9am – 1pm
Location: Australian Hearing Hub
Following World Hearing Day, this 4-day instructional course led by Professor Andrew Smith, will provide a platform to align knowledge and discuss avenues towards transforming and integrating hearing healthcare within public health. Bringing together researchers, clinical decision makers and policy makers it aims to familiarise participants with the principles of global public health approaches to ear and hearing care, with an emphasis on effective local planning and implementation. This includes disadvantaged and remote communities and the indigenous population.
Professor Andrew Smith is a world-renowned public health expert at the International Centre for Evidence in Disability (ICED), London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and was responsible for the Prevention of Deafness and Hearing Impairment at the World Health Organisation from 1996 to 2008.
A detailed article regarding the course can be found here – ENT & Audiology News – Andrew Smith: Public health planning for hearing impairment
This course is hosted by the Centre for the Implementation of Hearing Research, Macquarie University and the Australian Hearing Hub.
REGISTER NOW
We have opened up day-only registration. The daily registration rates are:
– Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday: $150
– Friday (half day): $100
If you would like to register for one (or two) days please contact me on sally.piper@mq.edu.au ext. 8709.
Event opening session on Tuesday 6 March, 9.00am – 10.30am (which includes morning tea) will be open and free to the public. You are all warmly invited to attend this session, whether you have registered for the rest of the course or not. Please email sally.piper@mq.edu.au to register.

DRAFT SCHEDULE: PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING HEARING HEALTHCARE: FROM GLOBAL TO LOCAL SOLUTIONS
6-9 March 2018

Tuesday 6
Wednesday 7
Thursday 8

Friday 9

AM
Chair: Prof Catherine McMahon

Introduction
DVC Research Prof Sakkie Pretorius

Keynote Speech – TBC

The state of hearing research, services, and impact for the Australian population
Prof Catherine McMahon

Course Day 1
Prof Andrew Smith
Introduction: purpose, overview, learning objectives, teaching methods
Hearing awareness exercise (over morning tea)

Public hearing health
Strategies/exercise for prevention

Course Day 2
Prof Andrew Smith
Primary Ear and Hearing Care (PEHC), and role of CBR
Links to Aboriginal hearing health
Samantha Harkus
Research study design/ population-based methods, WHO survey methods, rapid assessment
Early detection for early intervention
Planning: Set objectives and priorities
Group work: determine priorities, objectives, activities.

Course Day 3
Prof Andrew Smith
WHO Global programme on Prevention of Deafness and Hearing
Dr Shelly Chadha (TBC)
National Programme for control of Hearing loss & Deafness
Barriers to hearing aids
Raising awareness & advocacy
Health economics
Group work: finalise project proposals

Chair: Prof David McAlpine

Presentation of group projects

Hearing Health and strategy implementation
Prof Catherine McMahon and Prof Frances Rapport

Course summary and Q&A
Prof Andrew Smith and Prof Catherine McMahon

Close

PM

Global Programmes – are they necessary?

Principles of planning
Group work: Define target population, situation analysis, aim of group project

AHH seminar: Innovation in Audiology and Hearing Aid Technology
2018-01-18 00:00
Speaker: Dr Brent Edwards
Date: Thursday 5 April
Time: 10.00am – 11.30am
Location: Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1, Lecture Theatre
Agenda:
10.00am – 10.05am – Welcome
10.05am – 10.45am – Presentation
10.45am – 11.00am – Q & A
11.00am – 11.30am – Networking & Refreshments

Abstract:
Hearing technology and their distribution methods are changing faster than at anytime in the history of amplification. Hearing aids are converging with consumer electronics with their integration of made-for-iPhone technology, while “hearables” are taking on features normally only found in hearing aids. Novel fitting methods are being developed that enhance the capabilities of hearing healthcare professionals, while other hearing devices and fitting methods are being developed to try to eliminate the professional from the distribution channel. Diagnostics and outcome measures are being developed that redefine patient needs and help better understand the benefit that new technology provides hearing aid wearers. Each of these technological and scientific advances has implications for people with hearing impairment and for those who treat them. This talk will provide a perspective on how all of these developments will shape the future of hearing technology, hearing healthcare professionals, and the lives of people with hearing impairment.
Bio:
Brent Edwards, Ph.D., is the Director of the National Acoustic Laboratories in Sydney, Australia. For over 22 years he has lead research and development teams at major hearing aid companies and Silicon Valley startups that have developed innovative signal processing algorithms, fitting procedures, diagnostics and outcome measures, wireless technologies, transducers and other technologies that have benefitted hearing aid wearers and dispensers worldwide. Dr. Edwards founded and developed the Starkey Hearing Research Center that is currently a leading site for research in hearing impairment and cognition. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and is a frequent invited speaker at international scientific conferences. Dr. Edwards is a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America, a Fellow of the International Collegium of Rehabilitative Audiology, and Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham’s School of Medicine. Dr Edwards received his B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, his M.S. and Ph.D. in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of Michigan and was a Postdoctoral Fellow in psychology at the University of Minnesota.
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 register by Monday 2 April 2018 to louise.dodd@mq.edu.au

Workshop: How to teach multi-syllabic word reading and spelling
2018-01-18 00:00

Public Lecture - Professor Jean Decety
2017-11-26 00:00

AHH seminar: Debi Vickers & John Deeks
2017-11-06 00:00
Speakers: Professor Associate Professor Debi Vickers & John Deeks
Date: Thursday 16 November
Time: 10.00am – 12.30pm
Location: Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1, Lecture Theatre
Agenda:
10.00am – 10.05am – Welcome
10.05am – 10.45am – Optimizing outcomes for hearing impaired listeners – Debi Vickers
10.45am – 11.00am – Q & A
11.00am – 11.45am – Temporal pitch perception by cochlear implant users – John Deeks
11.45am – 12.00pm – Q & A
12.00pm – 12.30pm – Light lunch & Networking
Please see below the abstracts and biographies
Who should come: hearing, speech and language researchers and clinicians, cochlear implant researchers and clinicians, cognitive scientists, psychologists, people interested in objective measures, paediatric deafness and speech perception.
Network: Learn from one another and see what collaboration opportunities are available.
Registration: Entry is free and open to the public.
Please register by Monday 13 November 2017 to louise.dodd@mq.edu.au
Funding acknowledgements: John Deeks trip has been funded by a Macquarie University Visiting Fellow grant and Debi Vickers trip has been funded by the Cochlear Macquarie University Partnership.

Optimizing outcomes for hearing impaired listeners – Debi Vickers
Abstract:
This research is concerned with interventions and assessments that can support optimization of speech perception outcomes for hearing-impaired listeners.
The first study concerns the detection of hearing problems in babies, and looked at the impact of introducing the measurement of cortical responses, using HearLab, into the newborn hearing screening pathway. A retrospective analysis of two consecutive cohorts (2008-2011 and 2011-2015) was conducted. The first cohort was prior to the introduction of cortical measurements and the second cohort underwent the cortical measurement protocol as part of their audiological management. This showed that the introduction of HearLab resulted in an earlier average hearing aid fitting age for babies with mild-moderate losses. When reviewing the reasons it showed that the use of unaided and aided cortical measurements for speech sounds helped parents to have a better understanding of the speech detection abilities of their children and also it gave audiologists greater confidence for prescribing hearing aids.
The second study examined development of cortical responses to sound following cochlear implant activation, using the electrically evoked auditory change complex (eACC). A significant relationship was found between the emergence of the eACC to changes in electrode stimulation, behavioural electrode discrimination and speech understanding. Such a measure could be helpful in informing clinical fitting and training interventions, particularly important for adults with early onset of deafness and late implantation.
The final study developed and assessed a spatial speech in noise measure for evaluating ‘real-world’ hearing with bilateral cochlear implants using a more challenging assessment than currently used clinically. The ‘spatial speech test’ was developed to simultaneously assess speech perception and the perception of relative location of a target sound in the presence of noise. We have shown with our latest implementation that bilateral cochlear implant users were able to perform above chance in both speech perception and relative localization judgements in the presence of noise, although they did not demonstrate spatial release from masking they demonstrated benefit from the second side implant for relative localization judgements.
Biography:
Debi Vickers is an Associate Professor of Speech and Hearing Sciences at University College London (UCL). Her doctoral work looked at optimizing the delivery of fricatives in hearing aids for profoundly deaf adults and her post-doctoral research was in psychophysics, speech perception and dead regions, based in the Hearing Laboratory at the University of Cambridge. The majority of her research over the past decade at UCL has looked at optimizing outcomes for cochlear implant users, more recently focusing on electrode selection, plasticity, training and bilateral implants. Debi is a sub-theme (‘Transforming Hearing Devices’) lead for the UCL Biomedical Research Centre in Deafness.
Current projects in her research group look at ‘brain changes following implantation’, ‘maximising binaural processing’, ‘optimising cochlear implant fitting parameters’, ‘music training to improve listening skills’, ‘the development of real-life listening assessments’, ‘candidacy criteria for cochlear implants’, ‘maximizing outcomes for babies and infants with hearing impairment’ and ‘the impact of classroom acoustics on speech understanding’.

Temporal pitch perception by cochlear implant users – John Deeks
Abstract:
Cochlear implant (CI) users can derive a musical pitch from the temporal pattern of pulses delivered to one or more electrodes. However, this temporal pitch perception deteriorates with increasing pulse rate, and most listeners cannot detect increases in pulse rate beyond about 300 pps. This upper limit differs markedly between CI users, and between different electrodes within the same user, suggesting a peripheral origin to the limit. But, the upper limit is immune to several manipulations that we expect to substantially alter the pattern of neural firing on auditory nerve (AN) fibres. Three studies are described, aimed at further understanding the neural basis of temporal pitch processing in CI users. In the first, we measured rate discrimination and AN activity (using the electrically evoked compound action potential (ECAP)) in the same subjects and with the same stimuli. Results show that important aspects of temporal pitch perception cannot be explained in terms of the AN response, at least as measured by ECAPs. In the second, we investigated whether the upper limit increased in CI users following activation of their implant. We tested CI users on the day of activation (“switch on”) and at two and six months later. The upper limit increased significantly between but not within sessions. Performance on a low-rate discrimination task improved significantly between sessions, but the effect size was significantly less than for the upper limit. Findings are consistent with an effect of neural plasticity on temporal coding at high rates. Lastly, we report results of a double-blind placebo-controlled trial of a drug, AUT0063, on three temporal processing tasks in CI users. Kv3.1 is a fast acting potassium channel important for returning the cell membrane to a resting state, allowing the neuron to fire in a sustained and temporally accurate manner in response to high-rate pulse trains. Kv3.1a channels are susceptible to auditory deprivation, the effects of which can be partially reversed in animal models using AUT0063. Despite good test-re-test reliability (correlations of at least 0.89), no effect of the drug was found.
Biography:
John Deeks, PhD is a Senior Research Scientist at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge. His research focuses on hearing mechanisms in both normal-hearing listeners and people fit with a cochlear implant. In Cambridge, he is part of the Speech and Hearing Group, headed by Bob Carlyon. He obtained a BSc in Experimental Psychology from the University of Sussex, an MSc in Audiology from the University of Southampton, and PhD – concerned with pitch and timbre perception by profoundly hearing impaired listeners – from the Department of Phonetics and Linguistics, UCL.

HEAR FOR YOU FILM SHOWCASE
2017-10-26 00:00
You are invited to the Hear for You film showcase:
Date: Monday 27 November 2017
Time: 11.30am – 12.30pm
Location: Australian Hearing Hub, Lecture Theatre, Level 1
Enjoy films made by deaf/hard of hearing teenagers and gain an insight into the life of deaf/hard of hearing people.
If you have any questions please contact:
John Lui, NSW Programs Coordinator, Hear for You john.lui@hearforyou.com.au
Hear For You are an unique non-profit organisation that runs mentoring programs for deaf/hard of hearing teenagers in high school.

Sports Concussion Forum
2017-10-23 00:00

Australia-Spain Research Forum: Air
2017-10-19 00:00

Changing our minds: How modern environments are impacting our brain ...
2017-10-12 00:00
How modern environments are impacting our brain activity

When: Wednesday 25 October
Time: 5:30pm-7:30pm
Where: Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1 Lecture Theatre
Please Register: More information and registration available here
How does the technology we use affect our brains? Does our income level have a relationship to our brain waves? Find out these answers and more from Dr Tara Thiagarajan, a scientist and entrepreneur with a PhD in Neuroscience from Stanford University. She currently holds roles as Chairperson, Chief Scientist and Managing Director of various companies and is also the Founder of Sapien Labs, a research organisation dedicated to understanding the diversity of brain dynamics across humanity.
Dr Thiagarajan’s work focuses on new approaches to drive understanding of how environment influences human brain diversity and, in turn, economic outcome. This will be a highly relevant and exciting event for all those living and researching within modern society.

Creating a Sense of Auditory Space: ARC Laureate Workshop
2017-10-10 00:00
Date: Monday 23 October and Tuesday 24 October 2017
Location: Level 1 Lecture Theatre, Australian Hearing Hub, Macquarie University
Please register by 18 October 2017 to Rosemary.Eliott@mq.edu.au
Binaural hearing, particularly the ability to detect small differences in the timing of sounds at the two ears (interaural time differences, ITDs) underpins the ability to localize sound sources, and is important for decoding complex spatial listening environments into separate objects – a critical factor in “cocktail-party listening”. The relevance of binaural hearing to communication in every-day listening situations is increasingly recognized in therapeutic interventions; for example, children born deaf now receive bilateral cochlear implants.
Despite its importance in key listening tasks, however, brain mechanisms responsible for spatial listening remain poorly understood (certainly compared with visual spatial processing), and the potential benefits of binaural hearing for users of hearing aids and cochlear implants slow to be realized. Establishing how binaural hearing is generated in the auditory brain is a key goal of scientists, engineers and clinicians encompassing disciplines as diverse as acoustics and cognitive science.
This two-day workshop brings together global leaders in the field of binaural and spatial hearing—spanning expertise in human spatial listening, brain-imaging techniques for assessing binaural performance, animal physiology & neural modelling, and therapeutic interventions such as bilateral cochlear implantation—to discuss the state-of-the-art and the way forward if we are to understand how the brain generates a sense of auditory space, and how that spatial processing might be restored in individuals with hearing problems.
Program – Day 1 – Monday 23 October 2017

0915-0930
Registration

0930-0945
David McAlpine, Macquarie University
Welcome, Introduction, Overview

0945-1015
Mathias Dietz, The University of Western Ontario
Missing MSO hypothesis in case of electric stimulation

1015-1035
Jaime Undurraga Lucero, Macquarie University
Neural representation of interaural time differences in the human brain

1035-1055
Jorg Buchholz, Macquarie University, National Acoustic Laboratories
More realistic assessment of spatial benefits provided by bilateral cochlear implants

1055-1120
Morning Tea/Coffee

1120-1150
Daniel Tollin, University of Colorado
The binaural interaction component (BIC) of the auditory brainstem response (ABR) – an electrophysiological biomarker of binaural and spatial hearing

1150-1220
David McAlpine, Macquarie University
Cortical representation of interaural time differences

1220-1240
Joaquin Valderrama, Macquarie University, National Acoustic Laboratories
Auditory brainstem responses from apical portions of the cochlea evoked by a basilar membrane resonance induced by fast stimulus rates

1240-1345
Lunch – Level 3 Terrace

1345-1415
MEG Laboratories Tour for invited speakers

1415-1500
Cochlear Limited Tour for invited speakers

1500-1530
Michael Pecka, Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich
Mechanisms of precise input timing in circuits for auditory spatial processing

1530-1600
Nace Golding, The University of Texas at Austin
A duplex code within the medial superior olive

1600-1630
Afternoon Tea/Coffee

1630-1650
Nicholas Haywood, Macquarie University
Sounds with rapidly changing interaural timing cues: perceived lateralization of binaural beat and noise stimuli

1650-1720
Constantine Trahiotis, University of Connecticut Health Centre
Empirical data and quantitative theoretical analyses revealing essential elements of binaural processing: Experiments employing normal-hearing listeners and listeners with slight hearing loss

1720-1730
Concluding Remarks – David McAlpine

Program – Day 2 – Tuesday 24 October 2017

0925-0930
Welcome – David McAlpine

0930-1000
Richard Stern, Carnegie Mellon University
Predicting subjective lateral position, interaural discrimination, and binaural detection using the position-variable model

1000-1030
Christopher Stecker, Vanderbilt University
Assessing cortical representations of auditory space from fMRI sensitivity to binaural cues

1030-1100
Victor Benichoux, Institut Pasteur
A model of the binaural interaction component of the auditory brainstem response

1100-1130
Morning Tea/Coffee

1130-1150
Lindsey Van Yper, Macquarie University
Objective measures of binaural hearing in bilateral cochlear implant users

1150-1220
Astrid van Wieringen, KU Leuven
The development of language and cognitive abilities in infants with single sided deafness and a cochlear implant

1220-1250
Torsten Marquardt, University College London
Perceptual weighting of conflicting interaural timing difference cues in stimulus envelope and fine structure

1250-1430
Lunch – Level 3 Terrace

1430-1500
Nicholas Lesica, University College London
The neural basis of spatial unmasking of multiple talkers

1500-1530
Adrian KC Lee, University of Washington
Behavioral and neurophysiological evidence regarding the influence of oculomotor circuitry on auditory spatial tasks

1530-1600
Afternoon Tea/Coffee

1600-1620
Heivet Hernandez-Perez, Macquarie University
Effects of speech intelligibility on the auditory efferent activity

1620-1650
Steven Colburn, Boston University
Human processing of target speech signals in multiple-source environments

1650-1700
Closing Remarks – David McAlpine

AHH seminar: Hearing Loss & Public Health – From Epidemiologic ...
2017-09-10 00:00
Speaker: Associate Professor Frank Lin
Date: Thursday 21 September
Time: 2.30pm – 4.00pm
Location: Australian Hearing Hub, Level 4, NAL, Denis Byrne Room
Agenda:
14.30pm – 14.35pm – Welcome
14.35pm – 15.15pm – Presentation
15.15pm – 15.30pm – Q & A
16.00am – 16.30pm – Networking & Refreshments
Abstract:
The broader implications of hearing loss for the health and functioning of older adults are beginning to surface in epidemiologic studies. I will discuss how this recent epidemiologic research has served as the foundation for current national initiatives in the United States on hearing loss and public health. These initiatives range from the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders (ACHIEVE) clinical trial to the recent passage of the bipartisan Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act in Congress.
Biography:
Frank R. Lin, M.D. Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Otolaryngology, Geriatric Medicine, Mental Health, and Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Lin completed his medical education and residency in Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and his Ph.D. at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He completed further otologic fellowship training in Lucerne, Switzerland with Professors Thomas Linder and Ugo Fisch. Dr. Lin’s clinical practice is dedicated to the medical and surgical management of otologic conditions, and his research is focused on studying questions at the interface of hearing loss, gerontology, and public health.
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 register by Monday 18 September 2017 to louise.dodd@mq.edu.au

AHH seminar: Acoustic Experience Alters How You See the World ...
2017-08-21 00:00
Speaker: Professor Stephen Lomber
Date: Monday 11 December
Time: 10.00am – 11.30am
Location: Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1, Lecture Theatre
Agenda:
10.00am – 10.05am – Welcome
10.05am – 10.45am – Presentation
10.45am – 11.00am – Q & A
11.00am – 11.30am – Networking & Refreshments
Abstract:
Cortical plasticity is the neural mechanism by which the cerebrum adapts itself to its environment, while at the same time making it vulnerable to impoverished sensory or developmental experiences. Like the visual system, auditory development passes through a series of sensitive periods in which circuits and connections are established and then refined by experience. During these periods, the functional maturation of auditory processing and perception is critically dependent on adequate auditory experience. Unfortunately, in cases of sensory deprivation, such as congenital deafness, this process is arrested. Fortunately, it appears that this situation can be reversed in individuals that receive cochlear prosthetics.
Current research is expanding our understanding of cerebral processing and organization in the deaf. In the congenitally deaf, higher-order areas of “deaf” auditory cortex demonstrate significant crossmodal plasticity with neurons responding to visual and somatosensory stimuli. This crucial cerebral function results in adaptive, compensatory plasticity. Not only can the remaining inputs reorganize to substitute for those lost, but this additional circuitry also confers enhanced abilities to the remaining systems. In this presentation, we will review our present understanding of the structure and function of “deaf” auditory cortex using psychophysical, electrophysiological, and connectional anatomy approaches and consider how this knowledge informs our expectations of the capabilities of cochlear implants in the developing brain.
Biography:
Stephen G. Lomber, Ph.D. is a Professor of Physiology, Psychology, and Neuroscience at the University of Western Ontario (Canada) where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Brain Plasticity and Development. Dr. Lomber holds degrees in Neurobiology from the University of Rochester (B.Sc.) and the Boston University School of Medicine (Ph.D.). Dr. Lomber directs the Cerebral Systems Laboratory (www.cerebralsystems.ca) and is a Principal Investigator in the Canadian National Centre for Audiology and the Brain and Mind Institute. Dr. Lomber’s lab uses an integrated approach of psychophysics, electrophysiological recording, neuroanatomical techniques, and functional imaging to examine processing in the auditory cortex. The lab has pioneered the use of focal cooling to reversibly deactivate regions of the cerebrum. Work in his lab examines cortical plasticity in the presence and absence of acoustic input, and following the initiation of auditory processing through the means of cochlear prosthetics.

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 register by Wednesday 6 December 2017 to louise.dodd@mq.edu.au

Professor Eric Storch (University of South Florida, USA) – “The ...
2017-08-17 00:00

Celebrating Hearing Awareness Week at Macquarie University Open Day
2017-08-07 00:00

GP event - Hearing Health
2017-08-07 00:00

Reading development and teaching: It all starts with words- International ...
2017-07-25 00:00

Assessment and treatment approaches for children with reading and spelling ...
2017-07-25 00:00

Noise in classrooms- Guest Presenter Dr Kiri Mealings
2017-07-25 00:00

Department of Cognitive Science Research Showcase
2017-07-10 00:00

How to make evidence-based decisions about treatments for poor readers ...
2017-06-27 00:00

Working memory and reading difficulties
2017-06-27 00:00

AHH seminar: Exploring primary auditory neuron physiology
2017-06-16 00:00
Speaker: Karina Needham
Date: Monday 26 June
Time: 1.30pm – 3.00pm
Location: Australian Hearing Hub, Level 1, Lecture Theatre
Agenda:
1.30pm – 1.35pm – Welcome
1.35pm – 2.15pm – Presentation
2.15pm – 2.30pm – Q & A
2.30pm – 3.00pm – Networking & Refreshments
Abstract: Primary auditory neurons provide the critical link between the inner ear and brain. To understand and improve our treatment of hearing loss, it is important that we understand the physiology of these neurons, and their response to therapeutics and novel forms of stimulation. In our lab we use patch-clamp electrophysiology to study the electrical activity of primary auditory neurons in culture as a way to explore how neural function (and the ion channels that control this) are influenced by neurotrophins, and how this population can be activated by optical stimulation. This talk will provide an overview of recent research, including our assessment of which culture conditions and models best reflect the native physiological properties of auditory neurons.
Bio: Karina received her PhD from the University of Melbourne in 2006, followed by postdoctoral positions at the Bionics Institute, La Trobe University and the University of Melbourne (Anatomy & Neuroscience). Karina is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne in the Department of Surgery (Otolaryngology), where she is head of the Hearing Neurosciences lab. Her lab examines the electrical activity of primary auditory neurons and investigates how these neurons and their ion channels respond to trauma, therapeutic treatments and novel forms of stimulation. Karina is now the Project Leader for the HEARing CRC’s Interface Optimisation and Assessment work.
Who should come: hearing, speech and language researchers and clinicians, cognitive scientists, psychologists, researchers in 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 register by Thursday 22 June to louise.dodd@mq.edu.au

Reading and Spelling Workshop
2017-06-08 00:00

CCD-KIT MEG Workshop
2017-06-08 00:00
