Category: Hearing Research

Bobby Gibbs, PhD – Slide of the Week

The human genome has many short tandem repeats, yet the normal functions of these repeats are unclear.

In the lab where sign language advances science: A spotlight on Phu Duong

Epigenetics – the study of how environment can change and affect how genes function – was a new field for Phu Duong, PhD.

The sound of the Waisman Center’s work to improve cochlear implants

The Waisman Center has been at the forefront of research on cochlear implants and hearing science for more than two decades.

Ruth Litovsky awarded Silver Medal by the Acoustical Society of America

By Charlene N. Rivera-Bonet, Waisman Science Writer Ruth Litovsky, PhD, chair of communication sciences and disorders, professor of surgery in the Division of Otolaryngology, and Waisman Center investigator was recently selected to receive The Acoustical Society of America Silver Medal in Psychological and Physiological Acoustics. This award recognizes Litovsky’s contributions to understanding binaural hearing and …

Illuminating the brain through a new channel

A new study from the Binaural Hearing and Speech (BHS) Lab at the Waisman Center examines functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) – a neuroimaging option that is safe for individuals with metal implants

The sound beneath the waves

If you’ve ever seen a graphical representation of a sound, you are probably familiar with what it looks like: hundreds of steep, tightly packed peaks and valleys, all of different heights, moving above and below a common line of symmetry that cuts horizontally through the middle. “When a sound travels through the air, it basically sets the molecules around us in motion, using sound pressure to create sort of a wave,” says Waisman researcher Michaela Warnecke, PhD.

Friends present staff, students and family awards

The Friends of the Waisman hosts this annual event for members of the Friends organization; community supporters of the Waisman Center; and Waisman Center faculty, staff, and students. The 2020 Awards were presented at a virtual meeting on August 18 2020.

How speaking is a lot like playing darts

Winning a game of darts requires being accurate. A player who can pick a spot on the board, focus their mind, and execute the specific motor action needed to land the bullseye will win the game. And if they miss, well, practice makes perfect.

Finding the perfect click to measure hearing loss

Click. Click. Click. What’s that sound? It’s Waisman Center investigator Sriram Boothalingam exploring ways to develop more comprehensive and reliable hearing tests. To test for several types of hearing loss, audiologists use a small earphone to introduce sounds – like clicks – into the ear. Then they monitor for sounds, called otoacoustic emissions, that the …

Waisman Center director search advances as interim leadership is named

“Dr. Messing has been an outstanding director of this center since his appointment in 2015. He is both a superb scientist and has been a strong leader across this center’s multifaceted mission,” says Norman Drinkwater, UW–Madison associate vice chancellor for research in biological sciences.