• What is Hearing Science?
• What Research Do We Do?
• Who are our Students?
• Professional Education in Audiology
• Research Training at the National Centre
• Why Study at the National Centre?
• Student Funding
• More Information

For program specific information, please visit the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders Audiology page, or the Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Hearing Science page.

What is Hearing Science?

Hearing Science is the study of normal and impaired auditory sensation and perception, and the technologies and other rehabilitation strategies for persons with hearing loss and other auditory processing disorders. Faculty supervisors are researchers at the National Centre for Audiology. You can obtain research based MSc and PhD degrees through this Hearing Science Program.

What Research Do We Do?

Dr. Prudence Allen:	developmental psychophysics; auditory processing
Dr. Margaret Cheesman:	hearing conservation; speech perception; auditory aging
Dr. Donald Jamieson:	evidence-informed policy and practice; computer-assisted assessment and treatment
Dr. Mary Beth Jennings:	adult aural rehabilitation; self-efficacy and rehabilitation outcomes; goal attainment scaling; barriers and facilitators to the use of hearing assistive technologies for older adults; universal hearing access; assessing workplace accessibility for older workers with hearing loss
Dr. Vijay Parsa:	acoustic signal processing, hearing aids, electroacoustic analysis, speech and audio processing, sound quality measurement, statistical signal processing, handheld device development
Dr. David Purcell:	objective evaluation of hearing; otoacoustic emissions; auditory steady-state responses; vowel maintenance; altered auditory feedback
Dr. Susan Scollie:	hearing loss, hearing aids, infants, children, outcome measurement
Dr. Richard Seewald:	pediatric audiology, hearing aids

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Who are our Students?
While most applicants to Audiology and Hearing Science have a background in Psychology, Linguistics or a Biological Science, other students have degrees and experience in disciplines as diverse as Engineering, Medicine, Nursing and Physics. Students who lack the background preparation required for success in our graduate level courses may enroll in our preparatory courses, which are offered within Western's Bachelor of Health Sciences Program. A range of such courses are available, including Hearing Science, Acoustics & Instrumentation and Speech Science.

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Professional Education in Audiology
Our professional educational program occurs at the Masters-level, and requires two years of study after a student enters Western's Faculty of Graduate Studies. We admit students with a wide range of academic backgrounds, either directly following undergraduate studies, or after some experience in the workplace. Typically, 15 students are admitted into the Masters program each year.

The program of studies in Audiology involves academic coursework, practical clinical experience, and research experience.

Most of the academic courses in the Audiology Program are taught by full-time faculty from Western, who are internationally known for their contributions to the field. These courses are complemented by others that are taught by experienced clinical specialists.

Clinical experiences are provided in our in-house Audiology Clinic, in other Audiology centres throughout London and SW Ontario, and during the summer session in intensive clinical practicum experiences at Audiology clinics located all over Canada and in some cases, internationally.

Students in Audiology or Hearing Science are able to become involved in a choice of research projects at the National centre, ranging from laboratory-based basic scientific studies investigating fundamental aspects of hearing and hearing disorders through clinical trials scheduled in the National Centre's Research Clinic.

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Research Training at the National Centre
Graduate education in audiological research occurs at the Masters and PhD levels, and requires 2 years of study for the MSc degree which combines professional and research education, and a further 2-4 years of study for the PhD, during which students are enrolled in Western's Faculty of Graduate Studies. Students applying to the PhD Program should have a masters degree in Audiology or a closely-related discipline. For the PhD program, special consideration is given to applicants who have clinical experience in the field of Audiology. A limited number of students are admitted into the PhD. program each year.

The Research program of studies involves academic coursework plus an intensive research experience. Academic courses in the Program are taught by full-time faculty from throughout the Faculty of Health Sciences, at Western, many of whom are internationally known.  

All students in the research program will work closely with a faculty supervisor who has a program of research at the National Centre. The student will become involved in one or more research projects in the supervisor's laboratory. Projects may range from laboratory-based basic scientific studies investigating fundamental aspects of hearing and hearing disorders through clinical trials and other applied clinical research. Opportunities exist for collaborative research with the NCA and other researchers.

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Why study at the National Centre?

The National Centre for Audiology (NCA) is a two-time Canada Foundation for Innovation recipient located in Elborn College. The centre houses nine laboratories for the study of child hearing, hearing science, aural rehabilitation, digital signal processing, electrophysiology, speech communication, assistive listening devices, and adult and pediatric amplification. A large hemi-anechoic chamber and a hearing research clinic provide shared NCA laboratory facilities. Construction will commence shortly on a new reverberation chamber. NCA researchers in music perception, auditory plasticity, and auditory biomechanics have lab facilities that are located in other buildings on the Western campus. Elborn College is also home to the H. A. Leeper Speech and Hearing Clinic which provides audiology and speech-language pathology services to the community.

The educational experience is most strongly influenced by the faculty of the academic program and by the students with whom you study. Other important considerations are the design of the curriculum of study and the program's facilities. In each of these area, we offer our students special advantages.

The NCA has Canada's largest complement of PhD-level audiology faculty members; indeed, Western has a larger concentration of such audiology specialists than almost any other university in the world. This faculty complement means that courses can be taught by specialists in each field.   

Members of the NCA are known internationally for their contributions to the field. A number of our faculty members have been recognized both as distinguished teachers and as distinguished researchers.

The National Centre is a natural choice for students who are seeking a quality professional or research education in Audiology. Our strong faculty, superior facilities and well-designed courses provide a rich educational experience. These factors strengthen the pool of students who apply to study at Western. The typical cohort of 15 students in each year of our professional program is comprised of students who are academically strong and have a diverse pattern of life experiences. The smaller number of research students work as a team with their research supervisors and other NCA faculty members on leading-edge research projects.

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Student Funding

The University of Western Ontario has one of the highest levels of graduate funding among all Canadian universities. Western offers a generous and highly competitive student support program for all of our graduate students. Faculty of Health Sciences has guaranteed minimum funding levels including a guaranteed minimum of $19,000/ anum for all Doctoral students and $10,000 for Masters students. At Western over $24 million in graduate scholarships, awards and financial aid is available campus wide. The Faculty of Health Sciences has guaranteed funding packages for Masters students as well as guaranteed funding for Doctoral students that exceeds the minimum guaranteed funding at Western. Individual supervisors may have additional funds available to help attract excellent students.

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More Information

• School of Communication Sciences and Disorders  - Audiology
• Health and Rehabilitation Sciences - Hearing Science
• Hearing Science Information (pamphlet)
• Hearing Science Faculty Interests (pamphlet)

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Research

Dr. Prudence Allen

Bs.Ed (Buffalo College); MA (Buffalo); PhD (Wisconsin), CCC(A). Associate Professor. Director, National Centre for Audiology (NCA). 

Research interest include the assessment of developmental changes in children's ability to process complex sounds, central auditory processing disorders, and the effects of noise on academic skills and achievement. 

Procedures that enable the rigorous and efficient assessment of psychoacoustic performance in young children are used to study how children process complex sounds. Students will have the opportunity to participate in ongoing research evaluating children's abilities to detect, discriminate, and classify complex sounds and to evaluate how those abilities change with age. Studies address the salience of acoustic features in the perception of unfamiliar sounds, cues that facilitate the detection and discrimination of sounds, focused auditory attention, and information processing and integration. These studies are conducted in normally developing children and, more recently, in children with suspected central auditory processing disorders and/or attention deficit disorders. Other studies address the effects of noise on measures of academic achievement and learning. 

Representative Publications:

Allen, P. & Scollie, S. (2002). Stimulus set effects in the similarity ratings of unfamiliar, complex sounds. Journal of Acoustical Society of America, 112, 211-218.

Allen, P. (2000) Acoustics and Psychoacoustics. In: Roeser, Hosford-Dunn, and Valente (Eds). Audiology: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Management, Volume I: Audiological Diagnosis. Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers: New York.

Allen, P. & Korpela, L. (1999). Notched-noise measures of frequency resolution in children revisited: What acoustic cues are available at childrens threshold levels? Joint meeting of Acoustical Society of America and the European Acoustical Association, Berlin, Germany, Acoustical Society of America, 105, 1152(A).

Allen, P., Jones, R., & Slaney, P. (1998). The role of level, spectral and temporal cues in childrens detection of masked signals. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 104, 2997-3005.

Allen, P. & Gravel, J. (1997). Applying Research: Do Psychoacoustic Skills vary in Children? ASHA, 39,44-45.

Allen, P., & Bond, C.A. (1997). Multidimensional scaling of complex sounds by children and adults. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 102, 2255-2263.

Allen, P., Nelles, J. (1996). Development of auditory information integration abilities. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 100, 1043-1051.

Allen, P., & Wightman, F. (1995). Effects of signal and masker uncertainty on children's detection. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 38, 503-511.

Allen, P., & Wightman, F. (1994). Psychometric functions for children's detection of tones in noise. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 37, 205-215.

Hood, L.J., Berlin, C.I., and Allen, P. (1994). Cortical deafness: A longitudinal study. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 5, 330-342.

Allen, P., & Wightman, F. (1992). Spectral pattern discrimination by children. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 35, 222-233. 

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Dr. Margaret Cheesman 

BA (Ottawa); BSc, MA (Calgary); PhD (Minnesota). Associate Professor. 

Aging and hearing: the changes in speech reception and word recognition abilities associated with hearing and age, across the adult life span, with a focus on peripheral auditory processing effects. Subjective and objective measures of communication handicap across the adult life span.

Hearing conservation: the effects of noise on hearing, with an emphasis on leisure noise exposure in youth.  

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Dr. Donald Jamieson 

BA (Brit.Col.), MA, PhD (Carleton) Professor, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders; Scientific Director and CEO, Canadian Language and Literary Research Network (CLLRnet: www.cllrnet.ca). 

I supervise projects directed at improving spoken language competence, for both Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology students. Projects often involve the evaluation and refinement of alternative treatment methods, and I have a particular interest in the use of technology for more accurate assessment and more effective treatment. I also supervise theoretically-oriented basic research projects on the acquisition of spoken language skills.

Projects make use of the outstanding facilities available in the Speech Communication Laboratory and the National Centre for Audiology (www.uwo.ca/nca). Work is supported by grants from a variety of sources including the Canadian Language and Literacy Research Network (www.cllrnet.ca), and is facilitated by our close links with clinical and industrial partners, as well as by collaborations with leading international research groups. The results of most student projects have been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at conferences.

Examples of recent or ongoing research projects that students may be able to join, include:

1) Therapy to help hearing-impaired children acquire spoken language. Students are involved in work with children who have received a cochlear implant or hearing aid, and assist in evaluating the results of such experiences. The work is undertaken in partnership with agencies that deliver auditory-verbal therapy services to children throughout Ontario. Tasks include assisting in the development of materials to be incorporated into programs, assessment of children before and after interventions, collection and management of data, and assistance with report preparation and conference presentations.

2) Development of spoken language skills. This work investigates the processes by which children acquire adult-like speech perception and articulation skills. A particular interest has been in charting the relation between the development of receptive speech skills and speech production skills.

3) Measurement of speech and voice acoustics. Advanced acoustical and instrumental measures are developed and applied to study the human voice and speech. Students study how such measures can be used to diagnose voice disorders, to treat such disorders and to track treatment progress. The work is undertaken in partnership with leading manufacturers of clinical and research equipment and software.

4) Intervention with acquired language disorders. This work investigates the possibilities for improving communication skills in adults who have suffered a stroke and who have a significant communication impairment even following completion of all normally-available rehabilitation treatments. Computer-based training programs are used in the home or on an outpatient basis, with progress monitored to identify improvement relative to control patients. Results are used to improve treatment protocols.

5) Improving clinical practice. Merely establishing that a certain treatment approach provides more benefit (and at less cost) for patients who have a particular disorder does not ensure that the treatment method is actually used by clinicians. This project addresses the reasons why clinical communities adopt improved treatment methods only slowly and even then very inconsistently - even when the research evidence is overwhelmingly clear. Students work as part of a team to support clinicians who are implementing new intervention methods. The project is undertaken in partnership with agencies responsible for delivering services to appropriate clinical populations.

A sample of research projects completed in my lab is provided below (Student researchers on a project are indicated by “*”):

Bagatto*, MP and Jamieson, DG (1997) Development of sensitivity to speech errors, Canadian Acoustics, 25(3), 13.

Bowman*, S., Jamieson, D.G., and Ogilvie, R. (1995) Waking effectiveness of visual alerting signals. Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, 32, 43 54.

Jamieson, D.G., Parsa, V., Price*, M. & Till, J. (2002). Interaction of speech coders and atypical speech, I - effects on speech intelligibility, Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research, 45, 482-493.

Jamieson, D.G., Parsa, V., Price*, M. & Till, J. (2002). Interaction of speech coders and atypical speech, II - effects on speech quality, Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research, 45, 569-580.

Jamieson, D.G., and Hodgetts*, W. (2002) Technically-supported auditory-verbal therapy. Canadian Language and Literacy Research Network, 1st Annual Conference, Ottawa, May, 2002.

Jamieson, D.G., Warr-Leeper, G., Rvachew*, S., Stenning*, K. and Almost, D. (2002) Facilitating Practice Change by Speech-Language Pathologists: Phonological Disorders and Computer-based Interventions. Canadian Language and Literacy Research Network, 1st Annual Conference, Ottawa, May, 2002.

Jamieson, D.G. and Yu*, K (1996) Perception of English /r/ and /l/ speech contrasts by native Korean listeners with extensive English language experience, Proceedings, International Conference on Spoken Language Processing (ICSLP), p1453-1456.

Parsa, V. & Jamieson, D.G. (2000) Identification of pathological voices based on glottal noise measures, Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 43, 469-485.

Rvachew*, S., and Jamieson, D.G. (1995) Learning new speech contrasts: Evidence from adults learning a second language and children with speech disorders. In Strange, W. (Ed.) Speech Perception and Linguistic Experience: Theoretical and Methodological Issues in Cross Language Speech Research. Timonium, MD: York Press. (pp 411-432).

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Dr. Mary Beth Jennings 

B.A. (Hons.) (Laurentian University); M.Cl.Sc. (University of Western Ontario); Ph.D. (University of Western Ontario), Assistant Professor. 

My area of research is adult aural rehabilitation, with a special interest in assessing outcomes from group aural rehabilitation programs, the use of Goal Attainment Scaling as an outcome measure in aural rehabilitation, and the impact of self-efficacy on rehabilitation outcomes. Other areas of interest include barriers and facilitators to the use of hearing assistive technologies for older adults, assessing workplace accessibility for older workers with hearing loss, and universal hearing access. My past projects have included program development and outcome measurement in homes-for-the-aged and in community-based settings, as well as a hearing accessibility audit of university classrooms. My projects have used both quantitative and qualitative research methods. 

Representative Publications:

Jennings, M.B., & Shaw, L.E. (in press). Impact of hearing loss in the workplace: Raising questions about partnerships with professionals. Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment and Rehabilitation.

Jennings, M.B., Cheesman, M.F., Klinger, L., & Boody, L. (2007). Classroom hearing accessibility evaluation, University of Western Ontario (Published Report). London, ON: Western’s Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee (WODAC).

Jennings, M.B., & Richert, F. (2006). Hearing Rehabilitation for Older Adults: An Update on Hearing Aids, Hearing Assistive Technologies and Rehabilitation Services. Geriatrics & Aging, 9(10), 708-711.

Jennings, M.B. (2005). Factors that influence outcomes from aural rehabilitation of older adults: The role of perceived self-efficacy. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Western Ontario, London, ON.

Jennings, M.B. (2005). Audiologic rehabilitation needs of older adults with hearing loss: Views on assistive technology uptake and appropriate support services. Journal of Speech Language Pathology & Audiology, 29(3), 112-124.

Jennings, M.B. (Accepted, 2004). Tutorial: Meeting the audiologic rehabilitation needs of older adults with hearing loss: New views on assistive technology uptake and appropriate support services. Journal of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.

Jennings, M.B. (2002). Residential aural rehabilitation programs for older adults. The Hearing Review, 9(1), 34-39.

Gagné, J.-P., & Jennings, M. B. (2000). Audiologic rehabilitation intervention services for adults with an acquired hearing impairment (pp. 547-579). In M. Valente, H. Hosford-Dunn, & R. J. Roeser (Eds.). Audiology: Diagnosis, treatment strategies, and practice management. New York, NY: Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers.

Israelite, N. K., & Jennings, M. B. (1997). Deaf, deafened & hard of hearing individuals: Communication, education & rehabilitation (pp. 345-377). In C.T. Ferrand, & R.L. Bloom (Eds.). Introduction to organic & neurogenic disorders of communication:Current scope of practice. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Jennings, M. B., & Head, B. G. (1997). Residents and staff education within an ecological audiologic rehabilitation program in a home for the aged. Journal of Speech LanguagePathology and Audiology, Special Issue on Hearing and Aging, 21 (3), 167-173.

Robertson, L. F., Pichora-Fuller, M. K., Jennings, M. B., Kirson, S. R., & Roodenburg, K. (1997). Evaluation of a hearing rehabilitation program in a home-for-the-aged: The scenarios. Journal of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, Special Issue on Hearing and Aging, 21 (3), 187-198.

Israelite, N. K., & Jennings, M. B. (1995). Participant perspectives on group aural rehabilitation: A qualitative inquiry. Journal of the Academy of Rehabilitative Audiology, 28, 26-36.

Jennings, M. B., & Head, B. G. (1994). Development of an ecologic audiologic rehabilitation program in a home-for-the-aged. Journal of the Academy of Rehabilitative Audiology, 27, 73-88.

Jennings, M. B. (1995). Service delivery models for the older hearing impaired adult: Individual programming (pp. 227-265). In P. Kricos, & S. A. Lesner (Eds.). Hearing care for the older adult: Audiologic rehabilitation. Newton, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann.

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Dr. Vijay Parsa 

B.Eng. (Osmania University, India); M.E.Sc., Ph.D. (University of New Brunswick); Assistant Professorand Oticon Chair in Acoustic Signal Processing. 

Dr. Parsa's research interests are in speech production, perception, and processing with applications to hearing aids, assistive listening devices, and augmentative communication devices. Current projects in Dr. Parsa’s laboratory include: 1) objective and subjective measurements of sound quality and noise reduction performance in digital hearing aids, 2) development of handheld devices for Audiology and speech language pathology applications, and 3) impact of speech coding algorithms used in cellular phones and Voice over Internet (VoIP) on speech perception by hearing impaired.

Representative Publications:

Chen, G. & Parsa, V. (2007).  Loudness pattern based speech quality evaluation using Bayesian modeling and Markov chain Monte Carlo methods, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 121, EL77 - 83.

Bromwich, M., Parnes, L., Parsa, V., and Yoo. J.  (2006, in press).  Active Noise Reduction Audiometry - A prospective analysis of a new approach to noise management in audiometric testing, Laryngoscope.

Umapathy, K., Krishnan, S, Parsa, V & Jamieson, DG (2005).  Discrimination of pathological voices using a time-frequency approach, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 52, 421-430.

Chen, G & Parsa, V (2005).  Non-intrusive speech quality evaluation using an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system, IEEE Signal Processing Letters, 12, 403-406.

Chen, G & Parsa, V (2004) Output-based speech quality evaluation by measuring perceptual spectral density distribution, IEE Electronics Letters, 40, 783-785.

Parsa, V & Jamieson, DG (2003) Interactions between speech coders and disordered speech, Journal of Speech Communication, 40, 365-385.

Jamieson, DG, Parsa, V, Price, M & Till, J (2002) Interaction of speech coders and atypical speech, II - Effects on  speech quality, Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing  Research, 45, 569-580.Jamieson, DG, Parsa, V, Price, M & Till, J (2002). Interaction of speech coders and atypical speech, I: Effects on speech intelligibility, Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research, 45, 482-493.

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Dr. David Purcell

My primary interests include physiological measurements of auditory function such as otoacoustic emissions and steady-state auditory evoked potentials. I am interested in developing new ways of using the objective measurements that we have available, as well as relating these to performance in perceptual tasks. Recently, I have developed methods of estimating auditory processing delays, as well as tools for evaluating the auditory brainstem's neural connections between ears. As well, I have studied how an individual's ability to detect amplitude modulation perceptually is related to their brain's ability to follow the modulated signal as measured electrophysiologically.

In another line of research, I have investigated the maintenance of accurate speech production, which is controlled in part by auditory feedback. I have been studying the control of vowel formants by manipulating them in real-time in the feedback provided to participants through headphones. Individuals compensate for errors induced in auditory feedback by changing their production. Relatively little is known about how the auditory vocal feedback system performs this task, and I have been working to better understand the phenomena and its mechanisms.

Representative Publications

Purcell, D. W., Ross, B., Picton, T. W. and Pantev, C. (2007). Cortical responses to the 2f1-f2 combination tone measured indirectly using magnetoencephalography. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 122(2), 992-1003.

Purcell, D. W. and K. Munhall (2006). Adaptive control of vowel formant frequency: Evidence from real-time formant manipulation. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 120(2), 966-977.

Purcell, D. W., P. Van Roon , M. S. John , and T. Picton (2006). Simultaneous Latency Estimations for Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions and Envelope Following Responses. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 119(5), 2869-2880.

Purcell, D. W. and K. Munhall (2006). Compensation Following Real-time Manipulation of Formants in Isolated Vowels. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 119(4), 2288-2297.

Dajani, H., D. W. Purcell, W. Wong, H. Kunov, and T. W. Picton (2005). Recording human evoked potentials that follow the pitch contour of a natural vowel. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering 52, 1614-1618.

Purcell, D. W., M. S. John, B. A. Schneider and T. W. Picton (2004). Human temporal auditory acuity as assessed by auditory steady state responses. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 116(6), 3581-3593.

Purcell, D. W., H. Kunov and W. Cleghorn (2003). Estimating bone conduction transfer functions using otoacoustic emissions. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 114(2), 907-18.

Purcell, D. W., M. S. John and T. W. Picton (2003). Concurrent measurement of distortion product otoacoustic emissions and auditory steady state evoked potentials. Hearing Research 176(1-2), 128-41.

Picton, T. W., M. S. John, A. Dimitrijevic and D. Purcell (2003). Human auditory steady-state responses. International Journal of Audiology 42(4), 177-219.

Picton, T. W., M. S. John, D. W. Purcell and G. Plourde (2003). Human auditory steady-state responses: the effects of recording technique and state of arousal. Anesthesia & Analgesia 97(5), 1396-402.

John, M. S., D. W. Purcell, A. Dimitrijevic and T. W. Picton (2002). Advantages and caveats when recording steady-state responses to multiple simultaneous stimuli. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology 13(5), 246-59.

Dimitrijevic, A., M. S. John, P. Van Roon, D. W. Purcell, J. Adamonis, J. Ostroff, J. M. Nedzelski and T. W. Picton (2002). Estimating the audiogram using multiple auditory steady-state responses. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology 13(4), 205-24.

Purcell, D., H. Kunov and W. Cleghorn (1999). Objective calibration of bone conductors using otoacoustic emissions. Ear & Hearing 20(5), 375-92.

Purcell, D., H. Kunov, P. Madsen and W. Cleghorn (1998). Distortion product otoacoustic emissions stimulated through bone conduction. Ear & Hearing 19(5), 362-70.

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Dr. Susan Scollie 

B.A.(Hons.); M.Cl.Sc. (University of Western Ontario); Ph.D. (University of Western Ontario), Assistant Professor. 

My general area of research is pediatric amplification, with interests in electroacoustic evaluation of signal processing, prescription, and outcome measurement. My projects in the near future will focus on (a) the use of the Speech Intelligibility Index to evaluate hearing aid fittings for children, and on (b) the development and evaluation of new prescriptive approaches for use with fitting higher technology hearing instruments in infants and children. Students wishing to participate in these or other research projects should contact me to discuss specific projects.

Representative Publications:

Scollie, SD, Steinberg, MJ & Seewald, RC (2002). Evaluation of Electroacoustic Test Signals II: Development and Cross-Validation of Correction Factors, Ear and Hearing, 23(5): 488-498.

Scollie, SD & Seewald, RC (2002). Evaluation of Electroacoustic Test Signals I: Comparison to Amplified Speech, Ear and Hearing 23(5): 477-487. [This article was selected as one of the Best of Audiology: Hearing Aids articles from 2002, Hearing Journal, 56(5): 47.]

Scollie, S, Seewald, R., Cornelisse, L, Moodie S, Bagatto, M., Laurnagaray, D., Beaulac, S. & Pumford, J. (2005). The Desired Sensation Level Multistage Input/Output Algorithm. Trends in Amplification, 9(4): 159-197.

Bagatto, M., Moodie, S., Scollie, S, Seewald, R, Moodie, K, Pumford, J, Liu, K.P.R. (2005). Clinical protocols for hearing instrument fitting in the Desired Sensation Level method. Trends in Amplification, 9(4): 199-226.

Scollie, SD (2005). Prescriptive procedures for infants and children. In RC Seewald & J Bamford, (Eds.), A Sound Foundation Through Early Amplification: Proceedings of the Third International Conference. (91-104). Stäfa Switzerland: Phonak.

Hodgetts, WE, Scollie, SD, Swain R. (2006). Effects of applied contact force and volume control setting on output force levels of the BAHA® Softband. International Journal of Audiology, 45: 301-308.

Bagatto, MP, Seewald, RC, Scollie, SD & Tharpe, AM (2006) Evaluation of a technique for measuring the real-ear-to-coupler difference (RECD) in young infants. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology. 17(8): 573-581.

Dr. Richard Seewald 

BSc (Ithaca); MA (Minnesota); PhD (Connecticut), CCC(A). Professor. Canada Research Chair in Childhood Hearing, National Centre for Audiology. 

Primary interests are related to the audiologic management of infants and children with hearing loss with particular emphasis on the selection and fitting of amplification systems. Current project areas in the Child Amplification and Amplification Systems Laboratories include:

1. Audiometric assessment procedures for the purposes of fitting amplification.

2. Electroacoustic selection and fitting strategies for infants and young children.

3. Electroacoustic verification procedures for hearing aids and other assistive hearing devices.

4. Evaluation of auditory performance with amplification in adults and children.

5. Application of new hearing instrument technologies for pediatric applications.

Representative Publications:

Bess, F.H., Chase, P., Gravel, J., Hedley-Williams, A., Seewald, R.C., Stelmachowicz, P.G., and Tharpe, A.M. (1996) Position statement on amplification for infants and young children. American Journal of Audiology, 5(1): 53-68.

Moodie, K.S., Seewald, R.C. and Sinclair, S.T. (1994) Procedure for predicting real-ear hearing aid performance in young children. American Journal of Audiology, 3(1): 23-31.

Jenstad, L.M., Cornelisse, L.E., and Seewald, R.C. (1997). Effect of stimulus context on individual loudness functions. Ear and Hearing, 18(5): 401-408.

Jenstad, L.M., Seewald, R.C., Cornelisse, L.E. and Shantz, J. (1999). Comparison of linear gain and wide dynamic range compression hearing aid circuits: Aided speech perception measures. Ear and Hearing, 20(2): 117 - 126.

Scollie, S.D., Seewald, R.C., Cornelisse, L.E. and Jenstad, L.M. (1998) Validity and repeatability of level-independent HL to SPL transforms. Ear and Hearing, 19(4) 407-413.

Scollie, S.D., Seewald, R.C., Moodie, K., Dekok, K. (2000). The preferred listening levels of children who use hearing aids: Comparison to prescriptive targets. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 11: 230-238.

Scollie, SD & Seewald, RC (2002) Predicting aided levels of speech from clinical test signals. Ear and Hearing, 23(5): 477-487.

Seewald, R.C. (1995) The Desired Sensation Level (DSL) Method for hearing aid fitting in infants and children. Phonak Focus, 20: 1-20.

Seewald, R.C. & Gravel, J.S. [eds] (2002). A Sound Foundation Through Early Amplification 2001: Proceedings of the Second International Conference. Stafa Switzerland: Phonak AG.

Seewald, R.C., Moodie, K.S., Sinclair, S.T., & Scollie, S.D. (1999) Predictive validity of a procedure for hearing aid fitting in infants and young children. American journal of Audiology, 8(2): 143-152.

Sinclair, S.T., Beauchaine, K.L., Moodie, K.S., Feigin, J.A., Seewald, R.C. and Stelmachowicz, P.G. (1996) Repeatability of a real-ear to coupler difference measurement as a function of age. American Journal of Audiology, 5(3): 52-56.

Bagatto, MP, Scollie, SD, Seewald, RC, Moodie, KS & Hoover, B (2002) Real-ear-to-coupler difference (RECD) predictions as a function of age for two coupling procedures. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 13(8): 407-415.

Seewald, RC & Scollie, SD (2003) An approach for ensuring accuracy in pediatric hearing instrument fitting. Trends in Amplification, 7(1): 29-40.

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