The oral part of the topic proposal covers much the same points
as the written part, but more concisely, graphically and interactively.
More importantly, you will have a chance to answer class questions at the end of
your 10 min presentation. After the oral topic presentations, all written
proposals will be placed on the web site, and each student and faculty will vote
for one topic, not necessarily the one they selected initially. The topics with the most votes will be selected for discussion
at the end of the term.
For the discussions at the end of the term, a group of students
will be formed for each topic. The group will finalize the choice of
papers and present the topic together, with each student making a contribution
to the presentation. A designated instructor will be available to assist
each group.
Together, the topic proposals (oral and written), and your
contributions to the final topic discussion will constitute a major fraction of
your grade.
Below are some examples of appropriate topics that could receive
our votes. Some of these are too broad and would need focusing, but they
are meant to give you a starting point.
 |
Neural mechanisms of bat echolocation |
|
Sound localization by owls |
|
Music and the brain |
|
Auditory learning |
|
Auditory and vocal processing in songbirds |
|
Tinnitus |
|
Cochlear implants: Central considerations |
|
Brainstem and midbrain implants |
|
What and where pathways in the brain |
|
Natural sound statistics and optimal neural codes |
|
Brain mechanisms for auditory scene analysis |
|
Multi-sensory integration and audition |
|
Comparative anatomy and physiology of central auditory
system |
|
Hearing in insects |
|
Development of auditory pathways |
|
Role of auditory deficits in language learning |
| Deafness-induced plasticity of auditory CNS |
| Neural evidence for the Motor Theory of speech perception |
| Hemispheric lateralization in processing of animal
con-specific vocalizations |
| Role
of "mirror neurons" in speech and language |
| Sensorimotor adaptation to auditorily perturbed speech |
| Speech
production improvements in cochlear implant wearers |
| Role
of somatosensory feedback in speech production |
| Apraxia of speech |
| Visual
influences on speech perception |
