Title: "From Amplifying Sound to Tuning the Brain: Neural Dynamics of Speech Perception, Aging, and Intervention"

Speaker: Inyong Choi, Ph.D.

Traditional hearing care mostly asks whether sounds are loud enough. But everyday communication often fails for a different reason: the brain must separate one voice from many others, hold that information over time, and rapidly connect sound to meaning. My lab studies how this process works, why it breaks down in hearing loss and aging, and how it might be restored. We combine behavioral testing, eye tracking, EEG, intracranial recordings, brain imaging, and brain stimulation to study listening in cochlear implant users, older adults, and other diverse listeners. Our recent work suggests that success in noisy settings depends on the brain’s moment-to-moment dynamics: how flexibly neural circuits adapt, suppress distraction, and commit to words. These mechanisms may also help explain links between hearing problems, listening effort, and cognitive decline. By identifying these brain signals, we hope to build more precise treatments, including neurofeedback and closed-loop neuromodulation, to improve everyone's communication.

Attendees are encouraged to join in person in HSAB 2004. Seating is limited (first-come, first-served, ~50 seats), but the seminar will also be available via Zoom.