Research Projects

The Virtual Hearing Lab is an interdisciplinary collaborative research initiative with the aim to improve hearing health access, affordability, and outcomes by capitalizing on the internet, virtual spaces, and digital health. We strive to develop and evaluate translational person-centered technology and service-delivery solutions. Our research focuses on five key themes. Following are the seven research projects that run through these themes. Further details about the specific studies in each of these projects can be found on the project pages.

Online Health Information: Understanding the online hearing health information as well as how it may influence the help-seeking, hearing rehabilitation uptake and use, and outcomes.

Digital Hearing Assessment: Developing and evaluating digital solutions for hearing and balance screening and assessment.

Digital Therapeutics: Internet-based interventions hearing loss, tinnitus, and balance disorders to supplement routine care and to improve outcomes.  

Consumer Perspectives of Hearing Aids: Understanding the consumer perspectives of hearing aids to inform the future design as well as to improve the uptake and outcomes of hearing aids.

Direct-to-Consumer Hearing Device: Developing and evaluating accessible and affordable direct-to-consumer hearing health solutions and improving the service delivery model.

Community-Based Hearing Rehabilitation: Developing digital hearing health solutions for improving community-based delivery of hearing care and developing research evidence for community-based hearing rehabilitation service delivery model.

COVID-19 and Hearing Care: Understanding the link between COVID-19 virus and its effect on audio- and vestibular structure and function as well as examining the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on hearing care.