My research interest is to understand how different groups of listeners process speech – from the initial auditory signal to the final understanding of and response to the message. 

I have worked on such different aspects as (1) how memory performance can be used as a measure of effortfulness of speech-in-noise perception, (2) how acoustic phonetic properties of speech affect listening, and (3) how auditory information and cognitive demands combine in BOLD response. Much of my work focusses on younger and older native English listeners but I also investigate listening in non-native English listeners, listeners with hearing loss and hearing aid wearers. My current focus is two-fold:

(1) a more theory-guided understanding of the importance of auditory and cognitive processes for speech perception

(2) working towards translating this understanding into clinical practice via targeted diagnostics of key parameters of listening and their training, as well as effective measurement of listening effort.