ListenUp!

Dr. Devin M. Cunning is a physician and surgeon at Arizona Coast Ear Nose & Throat. He’s served at the facility since 1999, developing specialties in allergy, head and neck surgery, and sleep medicine. Before his time in Lake Havasu City, he worked as the General Medical Officer on the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk. 

Dr. Cunning attended the University of Santa Barbara and completed his otolaryngology residency at the University of Pennsylvania. He's a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, and the American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery.

Otolaryngology is not a field of medicine that gets talked about often. The word itself might even confuse the average person on the street. Along with similar specialties of health, most people don’t consider its importance until it directly affects them. Otolaryngology, or Ears, Nose, and Throat (ENT) for short, is a quickly growing field with new technology and practices leading to better treatment than ever.

Dr. Devin M. Cunning is at the forefront of ENT care, having actively served in the specialization for over 20 years. He has sat on several boards and helped bring treatment into the future, always looking for new ways to help his patients. Now, he shares some of these recent updates with you.

Dr. Mark Syms invites Dr. Devin M. Cunning, a physician and surgeon at Arizona Coast Ear Nose & Throat, to discuss the future of otolaryngology and what new methods are currently being used. Dr. Cunning discusses his career and how he’s gotten where he is. They then dive into the ENT field, the technology on the horizon, and how it can be improved. The two also touch on the real-life stories that make their work worthwhile. Hear it all on this episode of the ListenUp! Podcast.

In a career spanning over 45 years, Harvey has served in a number of academic, clinical, research, administrative, and consulting capacities with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, academia, and industry to include Chief of the Audiology and Speech Pathology Service and Associate Chief of Staff for Research and Development at the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System, the Director of Research at the Army Audiology and Speech Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and the Director of Audiology Research at Starkey Hearing Technologies. He currently serves as the Head of Research Audiology at Lively Hearing Corporation.

Hearing is a sense that we often take for granted. We assume we’ll always have that ability until it starts to diminish or fail. Underneath the surface, however, is an incredibly complex system that makes it all possible. There’s still so much we’re learning about when it comes to the biology of hearing, and at the forefront of this research is Dr. Nina Kraus.

As a professor at Northwestern, Dr. Kraus has found some illuminating research on the plasticity of the mind and the science of auditory learning. Her lab, Brainvolts, seeks to discover more on the subject while also educating the greater public. Now she’s here to keep us in the know about her innovative studies and where the field is going.

In this episode of the ListenUp! Podcast, Dr. Mark Syms talks with Dr. Nina Kraus, a professor of Neurobiology and Otolaryngology at Northwestern University, to learn about the biology behind hearing and how it all works together. The two discuss a host of topics, including why hearing is such a unique sense, the latest tools for measuring hearing, and the overlooked factors behind hearing problems. They also touch on her book, Of Sound Mind, and the culmination of her research.

Dr. Harvey Abrams is a hearing aid expert and the Head of Audiology Research at Lively. The company works with the latest technology in hearing aids to provide personalized care for a fraction of the cost. Concurrently, he works as a research consultant for different facilities. He previously spent seven years of his career working as a Senior Research Consultant at Starkey Hearing Technologies, where he developed much of his specialization in research. 

Dr. Abrams initially started as an audiologist for the United States military during the Vietnam War. He then went on to work for Bay Pines Health Care System for 17 years, eventually leaving as their Chief of Audiology and Speech Pathology.

In previous episodes of the ListenUp! Podcast, we’ve discussed hearing aids and how they need to be accessible. While there are multiple solutions to this problem, Lively has come up with their own vision for better hearing care.

Lively is an online service that not only provides high-end hearing aids for half the price, but they also pair it with consistent treatment from certified experts to help with the adjustment. Their service has not only seen more people adopt hearing aids, but also helped people adapt to them as well. Dr. Harvey Abrams is now leading the research team at Lively, coming up with new ways to improve the technology and making it more accessible than ever. Now he explains exactly what that looks like.

On this episode of the ListenUp! Podcast, Dr. Mark Syms invites Dr. Harvey Abrams, the Head of Audiology Research at Lively, to discuss the future of hearing aid technology and the unique system that Lively has developed. They go over the current hurdles, using machine learning and AI, and leveraging feedback to optimize treatment. They also talk about Dr. Abrams’ long, storied career from the military to research. Stay tuned for all this and more!

Dr. Katherine Sternasty is a Research Audiologist at Bose Corporation. She is working on an upcoming cloud-based system that can collect data and perform studies on hearing technology. During her time at Northwestern University, she helped develop an app titled hearScreen USA. During her doctorate studies, she focused on easing access to hearing aid and lowering barriers to entry.

Hearing aids, along with other audiological treatment, are typically seen as either unimportant or stigmatized. While hearing is an essential part of day-to-day life, people are reluctant to get the treatment they need. There’s a long list of barriers to entry that keeps people from hearing as they should. Among these are financial, social, and personal reasons, but are there more?

Dr. Katherine Sternasty has done much of her work and research on the accessibility of hearing aids. She has come up against the same barriers time and time again and has studied how to circumvent them. Now, she offers her perspective and findings with you.

In this episode of the ListenUp! Podcast, Dr. Mark Syms interviews Dr. Katherine Sternasty, a Research Audiologist at Bose, to learn about the current barriers to entry for hearing aids. They discuss how the concerns go deeper than money, how the locus of control changes people’s perception, and the stigmas that exist around hearing aids. The two also talk about Dr. Sternasty’s research and what she found.

Jan Janssen is the Chief Technology Officer at Cochlear, a leader in implantable hearing solutions. Working with Cochlear for over 20 years, Jan is an expert in the business and technology side of audiology. 

Jan got his start at Philips in Belgium, initially as a Project Manager and later as an R&D Manager. He earned his master’s degree in electronic engineering from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.

Designing the perfect cochlear implant is difficult. The technology is relatively new compared to many medical devices and advancements are coming quicker than ever. There’s also the vast amount of precision required in making a durable, comfortable, and effective piece of equipment. Considering the lifespan of a cochlear implant, it’s crucial to get all three correct.

At Cochlear, they have made their mark by creating top-of-the-line implants for a range of needs. Leading the charge are their technology specialists, who have studied and researched to create the best implants on the market. Jan Janssen has been playing an integral role in this innovation for over 20 years, and now he’s here to explain where he sees the technology heading.

On this episode of the ListenUp! Podcast, Dr. Mark Syms hosts Jan Janssen, the Chief Technology Officer at Cochlear, to discuss the future of cochlear implants. They go into detail on recent improvements to the technology, how clinical trials need to keep up, and the psychosocial components of hearing. They also discuss the design aspects of their cochlear implants. Check out the episode to hear it all for yourself!

Dr. Derek Hewitt is a board-certified otolaryngologist at Prescott ENT in Arizona. He specializes in a variety of fields, including head and neck surgery, pediatric care, and hearing loss, among others. Dr. Hewitt attended the University of Utah’s School of Medicine and completed his five-year residency at the University of Missouri Hospitals and Clinics. He began practicing at Prescott in 2011, staying up to date on research for best practices in the ENT world. He is currently a Fellow of the American Board of Otolaryngology and the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy.

The field of ENT is much broader than the average person may think. Outside of the titular specializations in ears, nose, and throat, the practice can extend even to head and neck surgery. Everything from mild hearing loss to head cancers are covered by the ENT label. As a result, many doctors in the field are able to work in a myriad of contexts for people of all ages.

This variety is what attracted Dr. Derek Hewitt to the field. He currently practices at Prescott ENT, where he works as an otolaryngologist. He has had the opportunity to perform surgery, provide comprehensive care in pediatric ENT, and even work on allergy issues. So, how do all of these specialties come together in one field?

In this episode of the ListenUp! Podcast, Dr. Mark Syms speaks with Dr. Derek Hewitt, an otolaryngologist at Prescott ENT, to discuss the ENT field and its unique advantages. The two go over Dr. Hewitt’s career, starting with his time working for the church to his current residency. They also cover more specific topics, such as the new Inspire devices for sleep apnea and how context changes the meaning of a sound. Stay tuned to hear the rest!

Dr. Briana Auman is a neuropsychologist who specializes in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia. She’s currently based at the Banner Sun Health Research Institute, where she works primarily with adults and geriatric patients. She completed her fellowship in neuropsychology at the University of Virginia, cultivating her specific passion for neurological diseases. Dr. Auman enjoys teaching and training the upcoming generation of neuropsychologists.

With no known cure for Alzheimer’s or dementia, the best-case scenario for those with neurological disorders is to be diagnosed early on. Earlier testing has been growing for cognitive diseases, but there’s still a long way left to go. With barriers like access, awareness, testing usually takes place after the symptoms have already set in. 

Dr. Briana Auman’s philosophy is to test early and broadly — a sentiment shared with her coworkers at the Banner Sun Health Research Institute. She is a trusted neuropsychologist with an expertise in dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and other cognitive disorders. She works with people on a daily basis to test and take care of their health. 

Dr. Mark Syms invites Dr. Briana Auman, a neuropsychologist at the Banner Sun Health Research Institute, onto the ListenUp! Podcast to talk in-depth about testing for cognitive diseases. The two discuss the warning signs of dementia, how loved ones can help identify the condition, and how early someone should be tested. They also talk about Dr. Auman’s process for testing her patients and which methods she uses. Stay tuned to hear all this and more.

Dr. Drew Dundas is an audiologist, scientist, and the Chief Technology Officer for the Earlens Corporation. At Earlens, Dr. Dundas leads their research and technological innovation as they continue to improve their state-of-the-art hearing aids. He has been with the company for over five years, starting as the Director of Audiological Technology and Innovation before transitioning to the Vice President of Audiology & Product Strategy and his role today as the CTO.

Across almost 20 years, Dr. Dundas has worked in many capacities in the audiology industry. He has served as the President and Chief Technical Officer for Soundhawk as well as the Director of Audiology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He received his PhD in audiology and biomedical engineering from Vanderbilt University, where he also served as a Staff Audiologist in their medical center.

While hearing aids are a crucial piece of the better hearing puzzle, they’re not the only thing that matters. So much goes into our hearing that factory settings alone cannot fix the problem. Even with more effective hearing aids being manufactured, they are still not enough to compensate for most cases of hearing loss. 

Proper treatment requires doctors with hands-on experience to know what you need. They are the only ones that will be able to accurately and truly know the extent of your hearing loss. But just how essential is that additional treatment?

On this episode of the ListenUp! podcast, Dr. Mark Syms invites back Dr. Drew Dundas, the Chief Technology Officer of the Earlens Corporation, to learn about how treatment and hearing aids go hand in hand. The two discuss the most recent research and what it says about the current state of hearing loss care. They then go further into the science of hearing aids, why most devices are incorrectly tuned, and how the issue can be fixed.

Dr. Suzanne (Suzy) Levy is the Senior Director of Professional Education, Clinical Research, and Clinical Operations at Earlens Corporation. She has worked with Earlens for over 11 years, starting as a clinical researcher and working her way up to her current role as the leader of clinical research and clinical operations. She is an experienced audiologist and researcher with a knack for clinical trial management and medical device start-up. She received her PhD in biomedical engineering at Boston University.

Hearing aids are the most important tool to combat the effects of hearing loss. There are other methods and devices, but none that have the same ubiquity and accessibility. They are crucial to better hearing, and as a result, need the most innovation of any technology in the field. On that front, Earlens has been leading the way.

Earlens is on the cutting edge of hearing aid technology and has found a unique path to better hearing. They utilize a nonsurgical device that directly vibrates the eardrum instead of further amplifying sound. The end product is a much more natural sound that retains the richness lost by some other hearing aids. Want to find out more about their work?

Dr. Mark Syms hosts Dr. Suzy Levy, the Senior Director of Professional Education, Clinical Research, and Clinical Operations at Earlens, to learn about their innovative technology and current research. The two go into the science behind hearing aids and what separates Earlens from the competition. They also go over what the future of hearing technology holds, how to simulate proper hearing, and what it’s like to have monaural hearing. All this and more on this episode of the ListenUp! podcast.

Dr. Christopher Conway is the Director of the Brain, Learning and Language Laboratory at Boys Town National Research Hospital. Dr. Conway is a distinguished psychologist with a specialty in speech and sensory communication and research focused on how the brain learns language. Before joining the team at Boys Town, he served as an Associate Professor of Psychology at Georgia State University. He received his PhD in psychology from Cornell University.

For many of us, language is something we never had to consider after early childhood. Yet the process itself is complex, involving both sight and sound to learn language over time. This knowledge also involves a great deal of psychology and barriers that inhibit the adoption of speech.

This is how Dr. Christopher Conway approaches his research. He recently took over the Brain, Learning and Language Laboratory at Boys Town National Research Hospital. Dr. Conway and his team seek to understand the mechanisms of language acquisition so they can help the children who struggle with it. Want to know more about his research?

Dr. Mark Syms has an in-depth conversation with Dr. Christopher Conway, the Director of the Brain, Learning and Language Laboratory at Boys Town National Research Hospital, to learn about how the brain acquires language. They discuss the overlap of audiology and psychology and how they both play a role in language acquisition. They also go into topics like sequence processing, the plasticity of the brain, and cognitive development.