OUR LAB
LAB DIRECTOR
Samira Anderson. Au.D., Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences at the University of Maryland. After practicing as a clinical audiologist for 26 years, she decided to pursue a Ph.D. degree in Auditory Neuroscience at Northwestern University to better understand the hearing difficulties experienced by her patients, especially in challenging listening situations. She obtained her Ph.D. in December of 2012 and joined the faculty at the University of Maryland in January of 2013. Dr. Anderson’s research focuses on the effects of development, aging, and hearing loss on central auditory processing, using electrophysiology as her primary assessment tool. She also aims to define neuroplasticity in response to different forms of treatment, such as hearing aid amplification, cochlear implantation, and auditory training.
POSTDOC
PH.D. STUDENTS
Jason Dunlap, B.A. is a doctoral student in the Hearing and Speech Sciences Ph.D. program at the University of Maryland, College Park. In 2018, he received a dual Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences at CUNY Brooklyn College, where he was also a Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) scholar for two years. His research interests include disorders of auditory and multi-sensory processing as examined through cognitive measures such as electrocephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG) and eye-tracking.
AU.D. STUDENTS
Abbey Poe, B.A. is a doctoral student in Clinical Audiology program at the University of Maryland, College Park. She graduated from UMD in Spring 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Hearing and Speech Sciences. She took a year off before grad school and worked in the Hearing Brain Lab as a post-baccalaureate research assistant. Abbey is interested in working with adult populations.
Logan Fraser, B.A. is a doctoral student in the Clinical Audiology program at the University of Maryland, College Park. She received her Bachelors of Arts degree in Hearing and Speech Sciences from the University of Maryland, College Park in Fall 2018. She is interested in working with older adults to help them improve communication ability through the use of assistive technology.
Amara Ezenwa, B.S. is a doctoral student in the Clinical Audiology program at the University of Maryland, College Park. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Science and Disorders from Florida State University in Spring 2019. In Fall of 2020, she received a 2-year Diversity Supplement to support her research efforts in Neuroplasticity in Auditory Aging from the National Institute on Aging. Her clinical interests include cochlear implants and hearing aids, and she is interested in working with patients across the lifespan.
Mary Zhou, B.A. is a doctoral student in the Clinical Audiology program at the University of Maryland, College Park. She graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in Fall 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Hearing and Speech Sciences, and a double major in Psychology. Mary is interested in working with older adults and helping them through the use of assistive technologies.
Sydney Hancock, B.A. is a doctoral student in the Clinical Audiology program at the University of Maryland, College Park. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Hearing and Speech Sciences with a minor in Spanish Linguistics and Culture from UMD in 2019. She is primarily interested in working with cochlear implant users and the pediatric population.
Alexandra Papanicolaou, B.A is a doctoral student in the Clinical Audiology program at the University of Maryland, College Park. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Hearing and Speech Sciences from UMD spring of 2020. She is interested in working with the pediatric population in educational settings along with cochlear implant users.
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
Aakriti Mahajan is an undergraduate pre-med student studying General Biology at the University of Maryland. She will be graduating in Spring 2023 and plans to pursue an MD-PhD degree upon graduation. She is interested in the use of auditory training to help improve speech processing in older adults.
COLLABORATORS
Jonathan Simon, Ph.D. Departments of Biology, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, www.isr.umd.edu/Labs/CSSL/simonlab/Home
Sandra Gordon-Salant, Ph.D. Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, University of Maryland, www.umdhearinglab.com
Matthew Goupell, Ph.D. Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, University of Maryland, www.goupelllab.umd.edu
Hamish Innes-Brown, Bionics Institute, Melbourne, Australia, www.bionicsinstitute.org/our-staff/Pages/hamish-brown
FORMER STUDENTS & POST-DOCS
Nicole Balassone, B.A.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a B.A. in Hearing and Speech Sciences
Current position: Doctoral student in Clinical Audiology at Northwestern University
Alessandra Vidal, B.A.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a B.A. in Hearing and Speech Sciences
Current position: Doctoral student in Clinical Audiology at the University of Maryland, College Park
Lindsay DeVries, Au.D., Ph.D.
Former HBL Post-Doctoral Researcher
Graduated from University of Washington with an Au.D. and Ph.D. in Speech and Hearing Sciences
Current position: Research Audiologist
Alessandro Presacco, Ph.D.
Former HBL Post-Doctoral Researcher
Graduated from University of Maryland, College Park with a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science
Graduated from University of Padua with a Laurea (5-year Italian Degree) in Electronic Engineering
Graduated from University of Miami with a M.S. in Biomedical Engineering
Alanna Schloss, Au.D.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a Doctorate of Clinical Audiology
Current position: Clinical Audiologist
Rachel Zimmerman, Au.D.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a Doctorate of Clinical Audiology
Current position: Clinical Audiologist
Alyson Schapira, Au.D.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a Doctorate of Clinical Audiology
Current position: Clinical Audiologist
Jennifer Borja, B.A.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a B.A. in Hearing and Speech Sciences
Current position: Doctoral Candidate in Clinical Audiology at the University of Maryland, College Park
Caitlin Le, B.A.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a B.A. in Hearing and Speech Sciences
Current position: Doctoral Candidate in Clinical Audiology at the University of Maryland, College Park
Zilong Xie, Ph.D.
Former HBL Post-Doctoral Researcher
Ph.D. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Texas at Austin
Current position: Professor at the University of Kansas
Lindsey Roque, Au.D.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a Doctorate of Clinical Audiology
Current position: Clinical Audiologist in medical setting
Einat Korman, B.A.
Current position: Masters student in Speech Language Pathology at the University of Maryland, College Park
Bridget McNamara, B.A.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a B.A. in Hearing and Speech Sciences
Current position: Doctoral student in Clinical Audiology at the University of Maryland, College Park
Ariella Shapiro, B.A.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a B.A. in Hearing and Speech Sciences
Current position: Doctoral student in Clinical Audiology at the University of Texas at Dallas
Alexandra Papanicolaou, B.A.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a B.A. in Hearing and Speech Sciences
Current position: Doctoral student in Clinical Audiology at the University of Maryland, College Park
Anhelina Bilokon, B.A.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a B.A. in Hearing and Speech Sciences
Current position: Doctoral student in Clinical Audiology at the University of Maryland, College Park
Vera Yevsukov
Current position: Pre-med Undergraduate student at UMD majoring in Neurobiology & Physiology and Russian Language
Veeda Baradar, B.A.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a B.A. in Hearing and Speech Sciences
Current position: Doctoral student in Clinical Audiology at the University of Maryland, College Park
Johnathon O'Neal, B.A.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a B.A. in Hearing and Speech Sciences
Current position: Doctoral Candidate in Clinical Audiology at at Gallaudet University, Washington, D.C.
Reynier Hernandez, B.S.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a B.S. in Biochemistry and a B.A. in Hearing and Speech Sciences
Current position: Preparing for medical school
Danielle King, B.A.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a B.A. in Hearing and Speech Sciences
Current position: Doctoral candidate in Clinical Audiology at the University of Maryland, College Park
Hanin Karawani
Current position: Researching Auditory Neuroscience in Haifa, Israel
Kaitlyn Sheapp, B.A.
Graduated from Gallaudet University with a Doctorate of Clinical Audiology
Current position: Clinical Audiologist
Andrea Kaplanges, B.A.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a B.A. in Hearing and Speech Sciences
Julie Mehta
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park
Miranda Velasquez
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park
Erica Thomas, B.S.
Current position: Speech Language Pathologist Assistant
Sumaiya DeLane
Visiting student from the Neuroscience department at Vanderbilt University
Kimberly Jenkins, Au.D.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a Doctorate of Clinical Audiology
Current position: Audiologist at Metropolitan Neuroear Group, Rockville, MD
Lauren Evans, Au.D.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a Doctorate of Clinical Audiology
Current position: Clinical Audiologist
Rachel Lieberman, Au.D.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a Doctorate of Clinical Audiology
Current position: Audiologist at Advanced Hearing Group, Baltimore, MD
R.B. Ellis, Au.D.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a Doctorate of Clinical Audiology
Current position: Audiologist at San Diego Hearing Center, San Diego, CA
Maeve Salanger, Au.D.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a Doctorate of Clinical Audiology
Calli Fodor, Au.D.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a Doctorate of Clinical Audiology
Erin Walker, B.S.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park
Arielle Abrams, Au.D.
Graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill with a Doctorate of Clinical Audiology
Rachel Stein, M.A.
Current position: Speech-Language Pathologist
Meg Graves, B.A.
Current position: Post-graduate training in public health at the University of Maryland, College Park
Eve Kronzek, Au.D.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a Doctorate of Clinical Audiology
Courtney Wallace, Au.D.
Graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Doctorate of Clinical Audiology
Jen Chisholm, Au.D.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a Doctorate of Clinical Audiology
Tarah Chibber, B.S.
Former position: Pre-med training
Rachel King, Au.D.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a Doctorate of Clinical Audiology
Kurt Erhardt, B.S.
Graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a B.S. in Neurobiology & Physiology (Pre-Med)
Current Position: Medical student (2015 - Present)