Ruth Litovsky
Ph.D., University of Massachusetts - Amherst
Professor, Communicative Disorders
Complete CV (PDF)

Contact Information:
Waisman Center
UW-Madison
1500 Highland Avenue
Madison, WI 53705
Phone: (608) 262-5045
Fax: (608) 263-2918
E-mail: litovsky@waisman.wisc.edu
Web: Binaural Hearing and Speech Lab

Research Statement

The research in my lab focuses on the ability of humans to function in complex auditory environments. Humans are typically faced with the challenge of interpreting sounds as they reach the ears, learning to ignore echoes and other irrelevant, distracting signals. Some common examples are classrooms, restaurants, playgrounds and "cocktail parties". In order to understand how the brain determines the location and the content of important sounds we study hearing in adults and in children with normal hearing, as well as individuals with impaired hearing. In particular, we focus on a unique population of people who are deaf and use cochlear implants. Our interest in is the potential benefits that arise when bilateral cochlear implants are provided.

Download a longer overview of my lab's research interests, including funding sources, by clicking here.

Representative Publications

Jones, G.L. and Litovsky, R.Y. (2011). A cocktail party model of spatial release from masking by both noise and speech interferers. J Acoust Soc Am. 130(3):1463.

Litovsky, R.Y., Jones, G.L., Agrawal, S. and van Hoesel, R. (2010). Effect of age at onset of deafness on binaural sensitivity in electric hearing in humans. J. Acoust. Soc. Amer. 127(1):400-14.

Grieco-Calub, T. and Litovsky, R.Y. (2010). Sound localization skills in children who use bilateral cochlear implants and in children with normal acoustic hearing. Ear Hearing, 31(5):645-56.

Grieco-Calub, T., Saffran, J. and Litovsky, R.Y. (2009). Spoken word recognition in toddlers who use cochlear implants. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. 52(6):1390-400.

Litovsky, R.Y., Johnstone, P. and Godar, S. (2006). Benefits of bilateral cochlear implants and/or hearing aids in children. Int. J. Audiology. Jul;45 Suppl:78-91.

Litovsky, R.Y., Parkinson, A., Arcaroli, J. and Sammath, C. (2006). Clinical Study of Simultaneous Bilateral Cochlear Implantation in Adults: A Multicenter Study. Ear and Hearing. 27(6):714-31.

Litovsky, R.Y. (2005). Speech intelligibility and spatial release from masking in young children. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.. 117:3091-9.

Litovsky, R.Y., Colburn, H.S., Yost, W.A., and Guzman, S. (1999). "The precedence effect." Review & Tutorial paper, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 106, 1633-1654.