Group

Hearing Research at NTU

Unit(s) of assessment: Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience

School: School of Social Sciences

Hearing Research at NTU undertake research into the psychological, biological and computational basis of hearing, and hearing impairment.

Nine million people in the UK are classified as deaf or hard of hearing. The principal cause of this is damage to the delicate inner ear. Current hearing aids and cochlear implants partly restore our ability to hear. However, they perform poorly when aiding understanding of speech in more challenging circumstances. Understanding speech in noisy environments is a complex task for all of us, and its mechanisms are poorly understood; it involves interplay between the ears and multiple processing centres of the brain.

Our group studies how we perceive and process sound, and how this is affected by factors such as hearing impairment, cognition, age, cochlear implants, and other sensory information. By improving understanding of communication pathways between the ear and the brain, and the factors affecting these pathways, we aim to provide improved strategies for identifying risk factors that lead to reduced hearing and improve diagnosis and treatment strategies for hearing impairment and its related conditions.

The effects of musical training and second language learning on speech-in-noise perception. Researchers: Akshaya Jeyasri, Dr Jia Hoong Ong, Dr Chris Sumner.

Developing a model of misophonia. Researchers: Dr Jia Hoong Ong, Dr Chris Sumner.

The role of goals and semantics in auditory learning. Researchers: Dr Nathaniel Zuk, Kathleen Gray, Dr Chris Sumner, Dr Gary Jones

Quantifying the individual variation in audiovisual integration of speech. Researchers: Dr Paula Stacey, Dr Chris Sumner, Dr Jens Roeser, Prof. Thom Baguley, Dr Sam Smith (Harvard).

Applying Signal-detection theory to animal behaviour in ecology research. Researchers: Dr Chris Sumner, Dr Seirian Sumner (UCL).

Error monitoring and its effects on perceptual learning in autism. Researchers: Dr Nathaniel Zuk, Dr Merav Ahissar (Hebrew University)

Neural and perceptual correlates of melodic pattern recognition. Researchers: Dr Nathaniel Zuk, Dr Maria Chait (UCL), Dr Roberta Bianco (IIT), Dr Giacomo Novembre (IIT)

Examining the relationship between perception and preference for harmonic and rhythmic complexity. Researchers: Dr Nathaniel Zuk, Dr Aniruddh Patel (Tufts University)

Quantifying and optimizing auditory training to improve speech perception in hearing impaired listeners. Researchers: Natalie Lerigo-Smith (U of N), Dr. Nathaniel Zuk, Dr. Helen Henshaw (U of N, NIHR), Dr. Antje Heinrich (University of Manchester)

Frontiers for Young Minds Collection: A World of Sound

To celebrate the International Year of Sound, Chris Sumner and several other UKAN members are bringing together a collection of articles about sound, aimed at young people, to appear in the journal Frontiers for Young Minds. This collection will explore the many faceted science of sound: how humankind and other animals perceive it, its many uses, and the problems it can bring to us and the environment.

See the collection.

Join our Hearing Participation Pool

If you live locally to NTU, and you would be interested in participating in our research, you can join our participation pool. We are especially interested in recruiting people with hearing difficulties (whether you use hearing aids, a cochlear impact, or not).

For information and to sign up, complete our form.

PhD studentships are usually advertised in the autumn. Keep an eye out on our website for further details and opportunities.

The following staff are involved in the work of Hearing Research at NTU: