Ruth Litovsky
Position title: Lab Director; Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Academic Associate Dean in the College of Letters & Sciences
Email: litovsky@waisman.wisc.edu
Phone: (608) 262-5045
Address:
Waisman Center, Room 521
1500 Highland Avenue
Madison, WI 53705
The research in my lab focuses on the ability of humans to function in complex auditory environments. Humans are typically faced with the challenge of interpreting sounds as they reach the ears, learning to ignore echoes and other irrelevant, distracting signals. Some common examples are classrooms, restaurants, playgrounds and “cocktail parties”. In order to understand how the brain determines the location and the content of important sounds we study hearing in adults and in children with normal hearing, as well as individuals with impaired hearing. In particular, we focus on a unique population of people who are deaf and use cochlear implants. Our interest is in the potential benefits that arise when bilateral cochlear implants are provided.