Richard A. Felix II, Ph.D., Washington State University
Research Topic: Neural mechanisms underlying deficits encoding temporal sound features associated with central auditory processing disorder
Long-Term Goal: To gain a thorough understanding of the neural mechanisms that govern the temporal processing of speech. This work has the potential to impact those with hearing loss by providing vital information needed for treatments designed to ameliorate listening problems associated with CAPD.
Published Research
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit α7 knockout mice exhibit degraded auditory temporal processing, Journal of Neurophysiology, 2019.
Temporal information in tones, broadband noise and natural vocalizations is conveyed by differential spiking responses in the Superior Paraolivary Nucleus, European Journal of Neuroscience, 2018.
Subcortical pathways: Towards a better understanding of auditory disorders, Hearing Research, 2018.
Serotonin modulates response properties of neurons in the dorsal cochlear nucleus of the mouse, Hearing Research, 2017.
A time to listen: Perinatal smoking affects the development of temporal sound processing, The Journal of Physiology, 2017.
Octopus Cells in the Posteroventral Cochlear Nucleus Provide the Main Excitatory Input to the Superior Paraolivary Nucleus, Frontiers in Neural Circuits, 2017.
Forward masking in the superior paraolivary nucleus of the rat, Brain Structure & Function, 2017.
Dopaminergic projections of the subparafascicular thalamic nucleus to the auditory brainstem, Hearing Research, 2016.
Nathan Higgins, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University
Research Topic: Biomarkers of spatial processing in auditory cortex measured with functional near-infrared spectroscopy
Long-Term Goal: To establish consistent biomarkers for central auditory processing, and determine the utility of fNIRS for a variety of patient populations by quantifying the influence of task-related attention on cortical activity.
Published Research
Preliminary Evidence for Global Properties in Human Listeners During Natural Auditory Scene Perception, Open Mind: Discoveries in Cognitive Science, 2024.
Head movement and its relation to hearing, Frontiers in Psychology, 2023.
Understanding the role of head and body movement when navigating a complex auditory scene, Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2023.
Adaptation in the sensory cortex drives bistable switching during auditory stream segregation, Neuroscience of Consciousness, 2023.
Large group differences in binaural sensitivity are represented in pre-attentive responses from auditory cortex, Journal of Neurophysiology, 2022.
Defining functional spatial boundaries using a spatial release from masking task, JASA Express Letters, 2022.
Resetting of Auditory and Visual Segregation Occurs After Transient Stimuli of the Same Modality, Frontiers in Psychology, 2021.
Neural correlates of perceptual switching while listening to bistable auditory streaming stimuli, NeuroImage, 2020.
Sensitivity to an Illusion of Sound Location in Human Auditory Cortex, Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, 2017.
Evidence for cue-independent spatial representation in the human auditory cortex during active listening, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2017.
Elizabeth McCullagh, Ph.D., University of Colorado
Research Topic: The role of the MNTB in sound localization impairments in autism spectrum disorder and CAPD
Long-Term Goal: To verify a theory that autism may be caused by an imbalance of excitatory and inhibitory synapses, particularly in sensory systems, which would lead to a decreased ability to separate competing sound sources.
Published Research
Parasite effects on receivers in animal communication: Hidden impacts on behavior, ecology, and evolution, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2024.
Hearing ability of prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 2024.
Neural Markers of Sensory Processing in Development, Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 2023.
Recent Advances in Mechanisms and Therapeutics for Fragile X Syndrome and Autism, Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2023.
The Continued Importance of Comparative Auditory Research to Modern Scientific Discovery, Hearing Research, 2023.
Current Best Practices for Analysis of Dendritic Spine Morphology and Number in Neurodevelopmental Disorder Research, ACS chemical neuroscience, 2023.
Diet in treatment of autism spectrum disorders, Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2022.
Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy (CARS) Application for Imaging Myelination in Brain Slices, Journal of Visualized Experiments: JoVE, 2022.
Auditory Brainstem Development of Naked Mole-Rats (Heterocephalus glaber), Proceedings. Biological Sciences, 2022.
Alterations in the Sound Localization Pathway Related to Impaired Cocktail-Party Performance, Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2022.
Myelination Deficits in the Auditory Brainstem of a Mouse Model of Fragile X Syndrome, Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2021.
Mechanisms underlying auditory processing deficits in Fragile X syndrome, The FASEB Journal, 2020.
Characterization of Auditory and Binaural Spatial Hearing in a Fragile X Syndrome Mouse Model, eNeuro, 2020.
Enhancement of de novo sequencing, assembly and annotation of the Mongolian gerbil genome with transcriptome sequencing and assembly from several different tissues, BMC Genomics, 2019.
Low-latency single channel real-time neural spike sorting system based on template matching, PloS One2019
Request a woman scientist: A database for diversifying the public face of science, PLoS biology, 2019.
Metformin ameliorates core deficits in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome, Nature Medicine, 2017.
Effects of an Extended Cage-change Interval on Ammonia Levels and Reproduction in Mongolian Gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus), Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science: JAALAS, 2017.
An Integrated Circuit for Simultaneous Extracellular Electrophysiology Recording and Optogenetic Neural Manipulation, IEEE transactions on bio-medical engineering, 2017.
Tonotopic alterations in inhibitory input to the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body in a mouse model of Fragile X syndrome, The Journal of Comparative Neurology, 2017.
NIH & Other Major Federal Funding: $3,724,618
RaMP: Oklahoma Network addressing human impacts across biological processes (ON-RaMP), NSF, $2,719,700 awarded in 2022.
Myelination Deficits Underlying Auditory Issues in Fragile X Syndrome, NICHD & NIGMS, $562,819 awarded in 2022.
Myelination Deficits Underlying Auditory Issues in Fragile X Syndrome, NICHD & NIGMS, $442,099 awarded in 2021.
Nirmal Kumar Srinivasan, Ph.D., Towson University
Research Topic: Understanding and decoding CAPD in adults
Long-Term Goal: To better understand the difficulties encountered by listeners with CAPD in complex listening environment.
Published Research
Midlife Speech Perception Deficits: Impact of Extended High-Frequency Hearing, Peripheral Neural Function, and Cognitive Abilities, Ear and Hearing, 2024.
Factors Underlying Masking Release by Voice-Gender Differences and Spatial Separation Cues in Multi-Talker Listening Environments in Listeners with and without Hearing Loss, Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2022.
Differential Effects of Binaural Pitch Fusion Range on the Benefits of Voice Gender Differences in a "Cocktail Party" Environment for Bimodal and Bilateral Cochlear Implant Users, Ear & Hearing, 2022.
Effect of gap detection threshold and localisation acuity on spatial release from masking in older adults, International Journal of Audiology, 2021.
Comparing Spatial Release From Masking Using Traditional Methods and Portable Automated Rapid Testing iPad App, American Journal of Audiology, 2020.
Pilot Comparison of Adjustment Protocols of Personal Sound Amplification Products, Seminars in Hearing, 2019.
The role of early and late reflections on spatial release from masking: Effects of age and hearing loss, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 2017.