Research in the lab focuses on auditory processing (e.g., speech-in-noise) deficits among 1) aging, hearing-impaired adults, 2) adults with normal hearing yet self-perceived hearing difficulty, and 3) adults with a history of traumatic brain injury.
In the area of aging, we are specifically interested in the growing body of evidence that suggests some older adults have difficulty processing binaural auditory information (i.e., binaural interference). Of particular interest is the ability of the binaural auditory system to segregate incoming auditory information and allow for speech recognition to occur in noisy or competitive listening environments (e.g., the cocktail party effect) and how this ability is impacted by aging.
Another area of focus is on auditory processing deficits in adults with and without a history of traumatic brain injury who have clinically normal hearing yet experience substantial self-perceived hearing difficulty.