Our Team
Lab Director
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Research and Professional Interests
Brian Monson is the director and principal investigator of the Auditory Neuro Experience Lab (ANEx). He holds degrees in electrical engineering, acoustics, and speech/language/hearing science, with further specialization in neuroscience and music. With this background, Dr. Monson takes an interdisciplinary approach to auditory research, interfacing with clinicians, scientists, engineers, and musicians. His research interests center around auditory neurodevelopment, the development of speech/voice perception, and general auditory perception.
Graduate Student Lab Members
Research and Professional Interests
Rohit is a first year PhD student in the Speech and Hearing Science department. His background is in electrical engineering with a concentration in digital signal processing and machine learning for audio signals. He obtained his master's degree from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in India, developing algorithms in machine listening to solve music information retrieval tasks. His research interests include studying and building computational models of human auditory perception of complex ecological sounds.
Research and Professional Interests
Vahid is a first-year Ph.D. candidate in the speech and hearing program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Audiology and has worked as a clinical audiologist for two years in the Middle East and Europe. He is interested in researching high frequency hearing, speech perception, audiology neuroscience, and hearing aids. His favorite place to do study and research is crowded libraries, where lots of people get lost in their books.
Research and Professional Interests
Melanie is a graduate student in the Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech and Hearing Science from UIUC. Melanie is primarily involved in the PAEx project which aims to understand the effects of preterm birth on auditory development. Upon graduation, she hopes to work with patients from pediatrics to geriatrics populations and utilize the information she has gained from the lab to aid in her patient care. In her free time, Melanie likes to watch movies/TV shows and cook.
Research and Professional Interests
Jana is in her first year of the Doctor of Audiology program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She received her Bachelor of Science in Medical Audiology Sciences with a minor in Public Health from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. Her professional interests include amplification and pediatric audiology. Her research interests include auditory neurodevelopment and optimizing care for vulnerable populations.
Research and Professional Interests
Brendan is in his third year of the Doctor of Audiology program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Saint Xavier University. His professional interests include amplification and diagnostic testing. His research interests include the communicative value of extended high frequency hearing.
Undergraduate student lab members
Research and Professional Interests
Lauren is a junior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign majoring in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Her academic interests focus on studying the impact of behavioral changes on health for individuals and populations. Her research interests center around the audiological research and analysis being conducted within the Perinatal Auditory Experience study. In the future, Lauren hopes to become a physician assistant in obstetrics and gynecology.
Research and Professional Interests
Milton is a senior pursuing a dual-degree in Speech & Hearing Science with a concentration in Neuroscience and Spanish.He is interested in exploring the social mechanisms that promote bilingualism in Latinx children. In particular, Milton is interested in the intersection of shared-reading and cognition. In the future, he plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Communication Sciences and Disorders to promote early literacy programs in Latinx communities.
Research and Professional Interests
Alison is currently a junior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign studying Speech and Hearing Science with a concentration in Audiology and a double minor in French and Linguistics. Her academic interests include studying how humans hear and interpret sounds. In the future, she hopes to become an audiology technician and help people find the right hearing devices for their lifestyles.
Lab Alumni
- Olivia Godnik
- Anastasia Fafara
- Paulina Kocon
- Joanna Way, MS, CCC-SLP
- Elana Hunt, MS, CCC-SLP
- Natalie Bianco
- Elissa Hoffman
- Molly Cull, MS, CCC-SLP
- Annelise Schulz
- Jake Caravello, AuD
- David Frazier II
- Jenna Rock
- Ana Sabic
- Paige Valente