Brenton Cooper, Ph.D.

Meet the Researcher

Brenton Cooper, Ph.D. received his B.S. in psychology from the University of New Mexico in 1993. In 2003, he completed his Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Utah. Dr. Cooper is a Royal Arch Masons award recipient. The Royal Arch Masons support Emerging Research Grants in the area of Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD). See all researchers who have received or are currently receiving funding from the Royal Arch Masons.

The Research

Texas Christian University
Lateralization of acoustic perception in Bengalese finches

Cooper’s research aims to further our understanding of how different sides of the brain are specialized for processing different frequencies of sounds. Auditory processing of speech and language is lateralized to the left hemisphere of the human brain. Cooper’s specific aims are to determine whether auditory processing in the Bengalese finch is lateralized to specific sides of the brain, as in humans, and to determine whether the lateralization is learned or genetically determined.

Research area: Central Auditory Processing Disorder

Long-term goal of research: To develop this animal model for testing and refining treatments for hearing loss and lateralized frequency processing deficits in humans, including CAPD.