Despite many significant advances made in the development of cochlear implants, even the most successful cochlear-implant users do not hear as well as normal-hearing listeners. The differences in performance between normal-hearing listeners and cochlear-implant users are especially pronounced in in complex auditory environments. For normal-hearing listeners, voice pitch or the fundamental frequency of voicing is thought to play an important role in the perceptual segregation of speech sources. The aim of my dissertation was to examine the role of voice pitch in speech perception in the presence of background interference, specifically simulating cochlear implant processors which only deliver envelope information. I found that low-frequency fine-structure information is important for speech segregation, and that every effort should be made to present such information to cochlear-implant users.
I am currently supporting the development of guidelines for underwater noise exposure, performing measurements to assess noise hazards, conducting epidemiological studies of diver hearing, evaluating underwater auditory capabilities of divers and the effects of whole body sound exposure. I am also involved in several projects related to our homeland security efforts.
The most valuable lesson my mentors and colleagues imparted upon me during my SHBT training is how to frame problems and formulate well-defined questions. I only hope that I will be able to transfer this hard-learned skill to my future endeavors.
