FIRST YEAR
Carolyn McClaskey, Ph.D., Medical University of South Carolina
Research Topic: Age and hearing loss effects on subcortical envelope encoding
Long-Term Goal: To better understand how age and age-related hearing loss alter the neural signaling of the auditory system (specifically the auditory midbrain) and negatively impact speech communication, so that we can work toward developing effective clinical interventions and improving communication for older adults and adults with age-related hearing loss.
Published Research
Age-related auditory nerve deficits propagate central gain throughout the auditory system: Associations with cortical microstructure and speech recognition, Neurobiology of Aging, 2025.
Effects of age and noise exposure history on auditory nerve response amplitudes: A systematic review, study, and meta-analysis, Hearing Research, 2024.
Neural hyperactivity and altered envelope encoding in the central auditory system: Changes with advanced age and hearing loss, Hearing Research, 2024.
NIH & Other Major Federal Funding: $563,190
Age and hearing loss effects on subcortical neural encoding, NIDCD, $188,750 awarded in 2025.
Age and hearing loss effects on subcortical neural encoding, NIDCD, $$188,750 awarded in 2024.
Age and hearing loss effects on subcortical neural encoding, NIDCD, $185,690 awarded in 2023.
Melissa Polonenko, Ph.D., University of Minnesota–Twin Cities
Research Topic: Identifying hearing loss through neural responses to engaging stories
Long-Term Goal: To develop an engaging, objective clinical test that uses stories to identify hearing loss in young children and evaluate changes to their responses to the same speech through hearing aids.
Published Research
Speech Perception Outcomes in Children With Single-Sided Deafness Receiving Unilateral Cochlear Implantation Compared to Bimodal Device Users, Ear and Hearing, 2025.
The auditory brainstem response to natural speech is not affected by selective attention, PLoS Biology, 2025.
Dried Blood Spot PCR for Detection of Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection and Disease, JAMA Network Open, 2025.
Multisensory stimuli facilitate low-level perceptual learning on a difficult global motion task in virtual reality, PLoS One, 2025.
Fundamental frequency predominantly drives talker differences in auditory brainstem responses to continuous speech, JASA Express Letters, 2025.
The Effect of Speech Masking on the Human Subcortical Response to Continuous Speech, eNeuro, 2025.
The relationship between auditory brainstem responses, cognitive ability, and speech-in-noise perception among young adults with normal hearing thresholds, Hearing Research, 2025.
SECOND YEAR
Manoj Kumar, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh (see 2022 Grantees)
Z. Ellen Peng, Ph.D., Boys Town National Research Hospital (see 2020 Grantees)