The Psychoaudiology Podcast

Noise isn’t the only occupational threat to hearing.

In this episode, Associate Professor Adrian Fuente discusses the ototoxic effects of organic solvents and other workplace chemicals, and why audiologists should be paying closer attention to this. We explore how solvents reach the cochlea via inhalation, their synergistic interaction with noise, and growing evidence of central auditory processing deficits in workers with normal audiograms.

From broader frequency involvement to dichotic listening asymmetries and potential corpus callosum changes, this conversation challenges us to rethink the standard case history and hearing conservation model.

A must-listen for clinicians working in occupational and adult audiology.

During Tinnitus Awareness Week, I sat down with a patient who has lived with bilateral tinnitus for 17 years. In this interview, she shares what tinnitus really sounds like, from high-pitched ringing to Morse-code rhythms, and what triggers it, and what she wishes healthcare professionals had told her sooner.

This episode sheds light on the lived experience of tinnitus and highlights the importance of early support, counselling, sound therapy, and informed choices.

Alzheimer’s disease remains one of the hardest conditions to treat, with most therapies offering only modest benefit. In this episode, I explores a fascinating new study published in Brain Communications that investigates whether low-intensity focused ultrasound can safely modulate brain activity in people with Alzheimer’s disease.

This episode breaks down why ultrasound may be more promising than drug-based treatments, what the researchers found in humans, and what further studies will be focusing on.

Hearing care is undergoing a quiet shift from treating hearing loss to optimising how we listen.

In this short episode of the Psychoaudiology Podcast, Priscilla explores how consumer technology like AirPods is blurring the line between everyday audio and hearing support, what this means for stigma, and how innovations such as Auracast are changing the listening demands of public spaces.

Rather than asking individuals to work harder to hear, these developments point toward a future where sound is personalised, accessible, and cognitively kinder. A brief reflection on what 2026 may have in store as this generalising occurs, and what what could mean for audiologists.

In this episode of the Psychoaudiology Podcast, Priscilla is joined by Cynthia Chan, an experienced speech and language therapist with training in both speech therapy and audiology.

They explore the overlap between hearing, listening, language, and processing — and why being able to hear doesn’t always mean being able to understand. Together, they discuss listening fatigue, auditory processing challenges, assessment limitations, and when referrals between audiologists and speech and language therapists matter most.

The conversation highlights how environment, language complexity, and acoustics shape communication, especially in classrooms, and why closer collaboration between professions can lead to better outcomes for clients.

A thoughtful, interdisciplinary look at what it really means to support listening and communication.

In this personal episode of the Psychoaudiology Podcast, I sit down with my mum to talk through her sudden sensorineural hearing loss in 2018 — an event that reshaped her understanding of her ears and her balance.
She shares the confusion of those early hours, the critical role of her vestibular system, and the emotional impact of losing hearing without warning. We also explore the links she drew between her thyroid removal and the hearing loss, as well as why she couldn’t receive the standard corticosteroid injection due to dangerously high pressure behind her eye — a risk many patients and clinicians aren’t aware of.
This episode blends lived experience with clinical insight, offering a powerful look at what sudden hearing loss feels like from the inside, and what we can all learn from her journey.

In this episode of The Psychoaudiology Podcast, I speak with one of the true pioneers of modern audiology — Professor Harvey Dillon.

Originally an engineer who “stumbled” into the world of hearing science, Professor Dillon went on to spend over 40 years at the National Acoustic Laboratory, shaping how we understand and fit hearing aids. But in the later part of his career, he has turned his attention to one of the most complex and controversial corners of the field: auditory processing.

He unpacks why auditory processing disorders remain so difficult to define and diagnose, and he draws crucial distinctions between the tests that assess different auditory functions. We also explore why assessment is only the first step — and how management and treatment present the next great frontier in this area of research.

It’s a rare conversation with one of the field’s great thinkers — someone who has helped shape the very foundation of how we improve hearing.

🎧 Listen in to understand why, for Harvey Dillon, the “messiest” parts of audiology are also the most fascinating.

Imagine if the ear could repair itself — restoring hearing that’s been lost to age or noise. In this episode of the Psychoaudiology Podcast, I explore a new drug trial that tried to do just that by regenerating hair cells, the tiny microphones of the inner ear. We’ll look at how the drug was delivered, what the results showed, and what this could mean for the future of hearing loss treatment.

In this episode of The Psychoaudiology Podcast, presented in partnership with the International Society of Audiology, we sit down with Dr. Philippa James, an audiologist whose work focuses on supporting neurodivergent people with auditory challenges.

Together, we explore the world of reduced sound tolerance and misophonia, unpacking how everyday sonic environments can profoundly shape our emotions and wellbeing. Philippa shares her clinical insights into why sound can be overwhelming for some, why it matters so deeply for neurodivergent individuals, and how audiologists can better recognize and support those living with heightened auditory sensitivity.

This conversation invites us to think about sound not only as a sense, but as a powerful emotional force that can connect, comfort, or destabilize — depending on how we listen.

What if the right technology could transform how a child with autism hears, learns, and connects?

In this episode of the Psychoaudiology Podcast, I speak with Professor Erin Schafer, a leading researcher in auditory interventions, about how remote microphone devices can dramatically improve listening in noisy environments. She explains how these tools help children with autism process sound more effectively, boosting memory, learning, and everyday communication. You’ll also hear a moving testimony from a mother who describes the incredible difference she’s seen in her child’s ability to connect and communicate.

Join us as we explore how clearer sound can open the door to brighter possibilities.