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.
March 29, 2023The 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.
February 9, 2023Ruth 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 …
November 30, 2021Illuminating 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
March 16, 2021The 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.
October 13, 2020Friends 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.
September 4, 2020How 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.
January 15, 2019Finding 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 …
June 22, 2018Waisman 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.
December 5, 2017New faculty focus: Sriram Boothalingam
How did you get into your field of research? After I learned that the inner ear can produce sounds on its own and that the brain controls what we hear, I was hooked!
November 14, 2017Background noise may hinder toddlers’ ability to learn words
The environments children are in, including how much and what kinds of stimulation they are exposed to, influence what and how they learn. One important task for children is zeroing in on the information that’s …
July 21, 2016Waisman Center awarded Evjue grant to expand Day with the Experts series
The Evjue Foundation, the charitable arm of the Capital Times, has awarded the Waisman Center $8,000 to expand the accessibility and reach of its free, community-oriented Day with the Experts series. The four Waisman Center …
June 10, 2016Blue Sky Science: How do we hear?
How do we hear? And how can cochlear implants help those with impaired hearing? Waisman researcher Ruth Litovsky, PhD, answers these questions in the latest episode of Blue Sky Science, a collaboration of the Wisconsin …
December 29, 2015Waisman Center investigator Ruth Litovsky, PhD named a Fulbright Scholar
Ruth Litovsky, PhD, a Waisman Center investigator and professor of communication sciences and disorders, is a 2014-15 Fulbright Scholar for the East-Asia Pacific Region. Litovsky is an internationally-recognized expert on auditory perception — how the brain processes sound to enable people to hear and communicate in noisy environments.
February 19, 2015Hearing research at the Waisman Center
More than 278 million people are affected by hearing loss caused by damaged hair cells in the inner ear that process sound to the brain. Waisman Center scientists work to research novel treatments and therapies for individuals with hearing loss that include stem cell research and cochlear implants.
January 29, 2015Event on human development is Waisman Center at its best
The UW Madison’s Waisman Center maintains its status as a world class center dedicated to advancing knowledge about human development, developmental disabilities and neurodegenerative diseases through research, teaching and service. It is exceedingly successful in …
October 27, 2014Fulbright award sends Litovsky to Australia for hearing research
Ruth Litovsky, professor of communication sciences and disorders, has been named a 2014-15 Fulbright Scholar for the East-Asia Pacific Region. Litovsky will collaborate with colleagues in the Bionics Institute in Melbourne, Australia, on the use …
April 8, 2014Research quest aims to cure hearing loss at its root
The ultimate cause of hearing loss is usually found in the tiny hair cells that play the crucial role of converting sound waves into nerve impulses for delivery to the brain.
February 12, 2013Professor works with kids and their families to get better use of their cochlear implants
Ruth Litovsky and her team at the Waisman Center work with kids and their families from across the country to get better use of their cochlear implants.
March 23, 2012Deaf children: Study shows significant language progress after two cochlear implants
An ongoing study of 45 deaf children who had two cochlear implants finds that their language skills are within the normal range.
October 24, 2011Researchers study hearing, language
Infant Learning Lab researchers have recently focused on learning more about people with delayed language comprehension by observing learning methods used by children developing normally and children experiencing language delays.
May 7, 2007Study looks at benefits of two cochlear implants in deaf children
Nature has outfitted us with a pair of ears for good reason: having two ears enhances hearing.
February 17, 2007First test in United States of a child with dual cochlear implants
Micha Wiggins and her mother Doty not only travelled a long way-from Dallas, Texas-to visit Ruth Litovsky’s lab on March 10 and 11, they also had made a long personal journey to arrive at this …
March 14, 2003New Hearing Test Simulates Noise Of Real World
Ruth Litovsky has developed a hearing test that simulates the noisy real world, and the results could improve our understanding not only of hearing but also of developmental and learning disabilities among children.
June 21, 2002- More Hearing Research posts
Advancing knowledge of human development, developmental disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases.