Meet the Director

About the NCA

Susan Scollie, PhD

The National Centre for Audiology officially opened its doors in October, 2001. We grew out of a smaller group of only four investigators who came together out of a common interest in hearing research based in Audiology. This core group, together with a handful of other collaborators, formed the NCA with significant support from donors, industry, and the Ontario Research Excellence fund and the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

Over the years since opening, the NCA has achieved Senate-approved Centre status at Western University, and has grown to over 26 members strong, including principal investigators, professional research staff, associate investigators from all across Western, and clinical partners. Our founding Director, Dr. Prudence Allen, spearheaded this significant growth. She grew the NCA and its mission with many successful granting initiatives including infrastructure development with the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and multi-year operating grants from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation.

Current research topics in the NCA span a vast array of topics. Our investigators do studies to understand auditory processing from the perspective of behaviour but also using techniques in imaging and electrophysiology. We conduct clinical trials and laboratory investigations to evaluate new hearing assistance technologies for their efficacy and/or effectiveness, and to understand the long-term effects of devices on the hearing system. We partner with practicing clinicians to develop new, evidence-based, feasible changes to improve hearing healthcare. We develop new technologies in hearing assessment, signal processing, family-based intervention, hearing aid prescription, and outcome measurement.

We are excited to continue this work, and to find opportunities for young researchers and clinicians to train in our interdisciplinary environment. We hope that you can come and visit, or better yet, join us as we work to better understand, improve, and deliver services for hearing assessment and hearing assistance through new discoveries.

Sincerely,

 

Susan Scollie