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Graduate Student Position

Updated: Oct 22, 2021

The Auditory Aging Lab at the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest is seeking a graduate student, supervised by Dr. Björn Herrmann. Co-supervision is also encouraged depending on the topic of interested. Check out other scientists at the Rotman Research Institute. Interesting research questions often emerge at the intersection of different research areas.

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Common research in the Auditory Aging lab focuses on:

  • Auditory sensory system (e.g., How do our brains recognize patterns in sounds? How do we perceive speech as we age and develop hearing loss?),

  • Cognitive architecture needed for listening and understanding speech (e.g., Can we objectively assess whether a person finds listening effortful? How does prior knowledge support listening under acoustic challenges? What are the neural mechanisms that support challenging listening)

  • Experiential and social aspects of listening engagement (Why do some people who are hard of hearing disengage from listening whereas other continue to engage despite challenges? Do positive listening experiences, involving enjoyment and gratification, support listening under acoustic challenged?).

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These are just a few core research areas of the lab. We are also interested in a) how other critical cognitive functions such as memory and mental imagery intersect with speech listening; b) how speech comprehension is affected by different clinical populations, such as people with mild cognitive impairment or brain impairment due to stroke; and c) how mental health problems such as depression in older adulthood interact with hearing challenges to affect communication.

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​The successful applicant will use have the ability to learn relevant methods depending on area of interest (e.g., psychophysics,  EEG, fMRI for cognitive neuroscience questions; qualitative interviews and analyses for questions focusing on experiential listening aspects). The successful applicant will further be able to work independently under guided supervision, integrate new information well, and be motivated to contribute to answer research questions. The applicant will be able to work well with others in the lab.

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Applications for the graduate program need to go through UofT, and Dr. Herrmann is an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department. Please check out the application information at UofT. The application deadline is typically the 1st of December. You are encouraged to get in touch with Dr. Herrmann ahead of the deadline.

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