The Studies
The Hearing Research Group is one of the leading Auditory Neuroscience groups in the United States, with ten laboratories studying auditory processing.
Our group seeks to deepen the understanding of how the ear and the brain function in association with hearing and communication across the lifespan, how they are affected by hearing disorders, and how they may be manipulated to prevent or treat these disorders.
NEOMED researchers study several hearing & communication health issues
- Age-related hearing loss
- Noise-induced hearing loss
- Hearing loss during development
- Auditory processing disorder
- Tinnitus
- Emotional disorders in speech communication
- Organization of the normal hearing brain
A patient’s perspective on hearing research
Katelyn shares her story of living with hearing loss and the importance of research on causes, prevention and treatment of hearing disorders.
VIDEO EXTRA: The Hearing Research Focus Area at NEOMED seeks to deepen the understanding of how the ear and the brain function in association with hearing and communication across the lifespan, how they are affected by hearing disorders, and how they may be manipulated to prevent or treat these disorders.
The Statistics
15%
Of American adults (37.5 million) report some trouble with hearing.
1 in 12
Nearly 1 in 12 U.S. children ages 3-17 have had a disorder related to voice, speech, language or swallowing in the past 12 months.
50M+
Over 50 million Americans experience some form of tinnitus (ringing in the ears).
The Successes
Lu lab
Cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neuromodulation by metabotropic glutamate receptors in sound localization circuits.
Schofield lab
We discovered circuits (red fibers contacting the blue and green nerve cell) that may allow us to tune in to sounds that are interesting and tune out sounds that are distracting. Dysfunction in these circuits may relate to the difficulties in hearing that often accompany aging.
Mellott Lab
We discovered that auditory midbrain cells (arrows) heavily upregulate specific receptors (magenta) during middle-age and the subsequently downregulate the receptor during old age. The loss of these receptors in old age may underlie aspects of age-related hearing loss
Rosen lab
Early childhood hearing loss can result in long-lasting problems with speech perception. We discovered a novel method of remediating perceptual problems that also improved neural sensitivity in the auditory cortex.
Wenstrup Lab
In response to emotional vocalizations, the neuromodulators acetylcholine and dopamine are released into the basolateral amygdala with context-dependent and estrous-stage dependent patterns. These patterns, revealed in studies using microdialysis combined with LC/MS chemical detection, likely provide the basis for context-dependent processing of social vocalizations by the amygdala.
Huyck Lab
This research is focused on the mechanisms underlying maturational changes in performance on basic auditory and speech perception tasks during adolescence in normal-hearing listeners. It will yield experimental protocols that will be applicable for the development of diagnostic tests regarding auditory processing in adolescents and young adults and provide insights for the development of rehabilitation strategies to treat disorders affecting auditory processing in adolescents and young adults.
The Scientists
Neural mechanisms underlying tinnitus, and potential therapies
Mechanisms of neurotransmission underlying auditory processing
Auditory perception and learning during adolescence
Age-related circuit changes that occur before hearing loss
Effects of stress and hearing loss on auditory perception and neural circuits
Neuroanatomical and neurochemical analysis of auditory circuitry
Neural circuits underlying emotional vocal communication
Cellular properties of neurons that support sound localization
The Stories
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Read the StoryAt its March meeting, the NEOMED Board of Trustees recognized Brett Schofield, Ph.D., as a Distinguished University Professor for his exceptional achievements and contributions in auditory neuroscience research, teaching and […]
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Read the StoryThe Hearing Research Focus Area (HRFA) is set to host the Midwest Auditory Research Conference (MARC) on June 19-21, 2025. The MARC will gather leading researchers in hearing health to […]
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Katelyn was born about four weeks prematurely. Though she passed a newborn hearing screen, she would later be diagnosed with enlarged vestibular aqueduct and mild cochlear dysplasia. EVA is a [...]Read the Story
Contact
Merri Rosen, Ph.D.
Director, Hearing Research Group
Phone: 330.325.6516
Email: mrosen@380cebbe0d.nxcli.io