VCCA2025 - Scientific Committee - Computational Audiology

Scientific Committee		Bio
Simone Graetzer Acoustics Research Centre, University of Salford, U.K.		Dr. Simone Graetzer is a Senior Research Fellow at the Acoustics Research Centre at the University of Salford. She works on the Clarity and Cadenza projects funded by the UK Research and Innovation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Innovate UK-funded Future Homes project. She is Co-Investigator in the Centre for Doctoral Training in Sustainable Sound Futures and Co-Lead in the EPSRC Noise Network Plus. Her expertise includes speech acoustics, psychoacoustics, human factors in acoustics, communication in noise, and speech enhancement algorithms for hearing aids. Simone chaired VCCA 2024.
Tobias Goehring MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, UK		Tobias is an MRC Fellow and Senior Research Associate at the University of Cambridge. His research focuses on improving speech-in-noise perception with hearing devices using technology and engineering tools (e.g., machine learning, multi-sensory integration, EEG). He is interested in computational methods for on-device processing, patient-specific optimization, data analysis for outcome assessment and prediction, and overcoming barriers to access hearing care globally.
Nikki Philpott Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands		Nikki is a final-year PhD candidate at Radboud University Medical Center. With a background in audiology, her research focuses on data-driven auditory training programs and predicting speech perception in cochlear implant users. She is passionate about person-centered care and empowering CI users with individualized care, home-based testing, and rehabilitation solutions.
Raul Sanchez-Lopez Institute of Globally Distributed Open Research and Education (IGDORE)		Raul is an independent researcher at IGDORE. As a certified audiologist with over a decade of clinical experience, he combines patient-centered care with engineering innovation and hearing research. At the Interacoustics Research Unit, he co-developed the Audible Contrast Threshold (ACT) test, a clinically viable tool for assessing hearing-in-noise abilities, enhancing precision in hearing rehabilitation. He has collaborated with institutions like the University of Nottingham, Odense University Hospital, and the University of Vic. His main interest is in precision audiology, investigating how data-driven auditory profiles can optimize rehabilitation strategies for heterogeneous hearing loss populations. Beyond research, he mentors early-career scientists via ResearcherBud and co-founded Red SanitarIA, an initiative focused on enabling healthcare professionals to use GenAI to optimize their practice.
Hillary Snapp University of Miami, Department of Otolaryngology Miami, Florida, USA		Hillary Snapp, AuD, PhD is the Chief of Audiology and Associate Professor at the University of Miami Ear Institute. She is a clinician-scientist carrying out research in hearing implants and auditory spatial perception. Her work examines the mechanisms underlying the variations observed in hearing impaired individuals for complex auditory tasks such as speech perception in noise and localization ability. Dr. Snapp established the Auditory Spatial Laboratory at the University of Miami which focuses on identifying behavioral and objective markers of hearing, and includes novel methods of evaluating spatial auditory perception, speech recognition, and processing of acoustic signals. She has lectured nationally and internationally on these topics. Dr. Snapp is the Director of Clinical Education in Audiology and serves as a lead researcher, clinician and educator to students, residents and fellows at the University of Miami.
Viral Tejani Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.		Viral Tejani, AuD, Ph.D., is currently an Assistant Professor & Subdivision Leader of the Cochlear Implant Program at University Hospitals / Case Western Reserve University. He sees cochlear implant patients in the clinic and is also involved with both NIH-funded and industry-funded research. His particular expertise/passions are in cochlear implant psychophysics, electrophysiology, electric-acoustic stimulation, as well as clinical outcomes of cochlear implantation. He completed his AuD at the University of Maryland and his Ph.D. at the University of Iowa.
Joaquin Valderrama Valenzuela University of Granada, Department of Signal Theory, Telematics and Communications, Granada, Spain.		Dr. Joaquin T. Valderrama is a ‘Ramón y Cajal’ Fellow at the Department of Signal Theory, Telematics, and Communications, University of Granada, Spain. His research focuses on using signal-processing techniques to identify biomarkers for early detection of hearing loss and to enhance our understanding of how the human auditory system adapts to noisy environments, optimizing the neural encoding of complex stimuli such as binaural cues and natural speech. He is also passionate about science communication, teaching, and mentoring students at various stages of their careers.
Sandra Prentiss University of Miami, Department of Otolaryngology Miami, Florida, USA.		Sandra Prentiss, PhD, CCC-A is an Associate Professor at the University of Miami -Department of Otolaryngology. She graduated from the University of Kansas Medical School with her PhD and continued her studies as a post-doctorate at the Medical College of Wisconsin. She practices as a clinician-scientist with a specific interest in cochlear implantation. She currently serves as the lead of cochlear implant research for the department. Dr. Prentiss is a recognized. She is a faculty member for the International Institute for Cochlear Implant Training Advanced Audiology Course. Dr. Prentiss is committed to education, mentorship, and research. She has precepted and mentored students, faculty, and fellows for over 20 years. Dr. Prentiss takes great pride in her work. She has published multiple peer-reviewed journal articles and has presented at numerous international and national conferences. She is dedicated to improving the quality of life for those who are hard-of-hearing.
Marc van Wanrooij Biophysics, Radboud University, Donders Institute, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.		Marc’s research focuses on the question how information from our visual, auditory and vestibular senses is processed optimally by our brains. It specifically relates on how we deal with multiple sources of information that might be conflicting or ambiguous, and on how we cope if our senses become impaired.
Gerard Encina-Llamas (Chair) Faculty of Medicine, University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Catalonia – Spain. Copenhagen Hearing and Balance Center (CHBC), University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark. Catalan Hearing Science and Balance research group (grCAEC), at the Institute for Research and Innovation in Life and Health Sciences in Central Catalonia (IRIS-CC), Vic, Catalonia – Spain.		Gerard Encina-Llamas is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC) in Catalonia – Spain and is a researcher at the Copenhagen Hearing and Balance Center (CHBC) at the University Hospital Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen (Denmark). He is also the Principal Investigator at the Catalan Hearing Science and Balance research group (grCAEC), within the Institute for Research and Innovation in Life and Health Sciences in Central Catalonia (IRIS-CC). Gerard studied Engineering Acoustics at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and completed his PhD at the Hearing Systems section at DTU (Denmark) under the advice of Assist. Prof. Bastian Epp, Prof. Torsten Dau and Dr. James M. Harte. He was a visiting researcher at Center for Computational Neuroscience and Neural Technologies (CompNet) at Boston University, MA (USA) with Dr. Barbara Shinn-Cunningham. Gerard continued with a postdoc at DTU and at CHBC. Gerard has recently been heavily involved in establishing the first-ever BSc degree in General Audiology in Catalonia and in Spain at the UVic-UCC.
Deborah V. Ferrari Bauru School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Bauru, Brasil.		Deborah’s research interests focus on connected health, person-centred care, auditory rehabilitation, and new technologies for teaching and learning in higher education. She is a Teleaudiology pioneer and contributed to its regulation in Brazil.
Volker Hohmann Auditory Signal Processing Group, Department of Medical Physics and Acoustics and Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Germany		Volker Hohmann received the Physics degree (Dipl.-Phys.) and the doctorate degree in Physics (Dr. rer. nat.) from the University of Göttingen, Germany, in 1989 and 1993. From 1993-2012 he was a faculty member of the Physics Institute, Oldenburg University, Germany, and was appointed full professor at the Faculty for Medicine and Health Sciences at Oldenburg University in 2012. His research expertise is in acoustics and digital signal processing with applications to signal processing in speech processing devices, e.g., hearing aids. He is a consultant with the Hörzentrum Oldenburg gGmbH. He was a Guest Researcher at Boston University, Boston, MA, (Prof. Dr. Colburn) in 2000 and at the Technical University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain in 2008. Prof. Hohmann received the Lothar-Cremer price of the German acoustical society (DEGA) in 2008 and the German President’s Award for Technology and Innovation in 2012.
Dennis Barbour Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis.		Dennis’ research interests include auditory processing, cognitive neuroscience, machine learning and medical diagnostics. Most recently he has developed new machine learning methods for rapidly and thoroughly evaluating perception and cognition. These new tests are not only useful for exploring normal nervous system function, but also for diagnosing disorders.