Vanderbilt Audiology Journal Club: Clinical Insights from Recent Hearing Aid Research

Todd Ricketts
PhD

Associate Professor at the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson center for Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences and Director of the Dan Maddox Hearing Aid Research Laboratory

Todd A. Ricketts, Ph.D., Professor and Vice Chair, department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He is the Director of the Dan Maddox Memorial Hearing Aid Research Laboratory. He has published more than 100 articles, books and book chapters including the recently published textbook, Essentials of Modern Hearing aids with his co-authors Gus Mueller and Ruth Bentler. He has also provided over 300 presentations both nationally and internationally. He continues to pursue a very active federally and industry funded research program studying the interaction between hearing aids and other hearing assistive technologies, listening environment, and individual differences as they impact the listening and communication experience. In addition, current work also focuses on enhancing cost-effectiveness and efficiency in hearing health care while maintaining high quality. He is a Fellow of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), past Editor of Trends in Amplification and the Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research, and a past member of the American Academy of Audiology board of directors. He is currently vice-chair of American National Standards Institute (ANSI) S3 (Bioacoustics) committee. He is also a current member of the International Collegium of Rehabilitative Audiologists (ICRA). In addition to his research and service, Todd teaches and mentors students at Vanderbilt.

Erin Margaret Picou
AuD, PhD

Associate Professor, Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Erin Picou, PhD, CCC-A, is an associate professor in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She has been working in the Dan Maddox Hearing Aid Research Laboratory since she was an AuD student. After completing her Ph.D. (also at Vanderbilt) she was hired to a research faculty position.  She now directs the Hearing and Affect Perception Interest (HAPI) laboratory, which focuses on speech recognition, listening effort, and emotional perception for adults and school-aged children. This work continues to be supported through a variety of industry and federal funding sources.  In addition to her research activities, Erin is involved with teaching and mentoring clinical and research graduate. Erin is currently serving as section editors for the American Journal of Audiology and Ear and Hearing.

H. Gustav Mueller
PhD

Dr. H. Gustav Mueller holds faculty positions with Vanderbilt University, the University of Northern Colorado and Rush University. He is a Contributing Editor for AudiologyOnline, a consultant for WS Audiology, and a consulting editor for Plural Publishing. Dr. Mueller is a Founder of the American Academy of Audiology and a Fellow of the American Speech and Hearing Association. He has published extensively in the areas of diagnostic audiology and hearing aid applications, and has co-authored ten books on hearing aids and hearing aid fitting, including the recent three-volume Modern Hearing Aids series, and the clinical handbook Speech Mapping and Probe Microphone Measures. Gus is the co-founder of the popular website www.earTunes.com, and resides on a North Dakota island, just outside of Bismarck.