Specific Aims
The CPCC expands current research programs by providing a unique environment for the development of junior faculty who study the effects of childhood hearing loss for speech and language perception and processing.
Specific aims include:
Aim 1: Expand the range of the current research programs by providing a unique environment for the development of junior faculty who have an interest in understanding the consequences of childhood hearing loss for speech and language perception and processing, and ultimately describing performance of children with hearing loss in the real world.
The application includes five projects focused on complex issues that go beyond routine measures of hearing to include integration of auditory and visual information as well as consequences of vestibular deficits for visual processing. Projects are closely related to one another, and project leads frequently serve as co-investigators on other projects to share their expertise. The goal is to develop a strong multi-sensory research program.
Aim 2: Establish the framework necessary to provide periodic assessments of progress and enhanced mentoring of junior faculty as well as longer-range planning for recruitment of new faculty as current project leads acquire independent support for their research programs.
The CPCC performs program evaluations and provides a combination of internal and external mentors to support the career development of the junior faculty who are participating as project leads. The CPCC includes an active External Advisory Committee that is consulted with respect to recruitment of new faculty. A goal is to expand the research program to include greater reliance on neural imaging in future projects.
Aim 3: To establish state-of-the art cores to support the projects and to facilitate development and maintenance of a cohesive center.
The CPCC and its Administrative Core are led by
Dr. Lori Leibold, such that this Core coordinates the activities of the CPCC with its external mentors and External Advisory Committee. A Technical Core, under the direction of
Dr. Daniel Rasetshwane, provides support for acoustic calibrations, acoustic and visual simulations in a new Auditory-Visual Core facility, and the software development for real-time control of experiments. A Clinical Measurement Core, under the direction of
Dr. Karla McGregor, obtains clinical data for research purposes through central coordination of an experienced research-oriented audiologist, speech pathologist, clinical psychologist and ophthalmologist.
