Hearing Aids, Brain Function, and Cognitive AgingWe are seeking an outstanding postdoctoral fellow for a two-year position investigating how early hearing aid intervention influences brain function and cognitive aging in a longitudinal intervention study using fNIRS, EEG, physiological, and behavioral methods. The position is based at the SMART Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University under the supervision of Frank Russo and is part of a collaborative project involving KITE–Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network (Jennifer Campos), the University of Ottawa (Maxime Perron), and Sonova, a global leader in hearing technology. Salary is $60,000–$70,000 CAD per year, depending on eligibility and appointment circumstances. The longitudinal intervention study is slated to begin in January 2027, with flexibility in the postdoctoral start date between December 1, 2026 and May 1, 2027. Candidates with expertise in cognitive neuroscience, auditory science, psychology, biomedical engineering, or related fields are encouraged to apply. Experience with fNIRS and/or EEG is particularly welcome. Interested applicants are invited to contact Frank Russo (russo@xxxxxxxxxxxx) on or before September 1, 2026 for further information. Project SummaryAge-related hearing loss (ARHL) degrades auditory input, increasing reliance on cognitive control systems during speech-in-noise (SiN) processing. While this compensatory recruitment can initially help preserve performance, emerging evidence suggests that it may evolve into neural inefficiency, characterized by increased prefrontal recruitment without corresponding behavioral benefit. This increased neural demand may contribute to listening fatigue and reduced communication effectiveness and may represent one pathway linking hearing loss with cognitive aging. A central challenge for hearing technology is that amplification does not fully restore higher-level aspects of communication, including speech understanding in noise and the perception of emotion in speech. Better understanding the neural mechanisms underlying these communication challenges, and how these mechanisms change due to early hearing aid intervention, may therefore help inform future approaches to hearing rehabilitation. The project will investigate whether early hearing aid intervention can slow or alter the progression from compensatory neural recruitment toward neural inefficiency in older adults. Using longitudinal functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), EEG, salivary cortisol, and behavioral, psychosocial and cognitive measures, we will track changes in neural recruitment, listening effort, speech-in-noise processing, emotional speech perception, psychosocial functioning, and cognitive function over a two-year period. The project offers an opportunity to work at the intersection of auditory neuroscience, cognitive aging, hearing technology, and industry, within a highly collaborative research environment spanning Toronto Metropolitan University, University Health Network, the University of Ottawa, and Sonova. The rich multimodal dataset is expected to support multiple publication opportunities, including papers arising from the initial baseline dataset as well as longitudinal analyses of hearing-aid intervention and neural, communication, and cognitive outcomes. Findings are expected to provide mechanistic insights into how early hearing aid intervention influences neural, cognitive, and communication outcomes, helping to clarify when and for whom hearing aid use may confer benefit. ________________________________ Frank A. Russo, PhD Professor (Full), Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Toronto Metropolitan University Professor (Status), Faculties of Music and Medicine, University of Toronto Adjunct Scientist, KITE, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network Scientific Director, SMART Lab Scientific Director, SingWell Project Chief Science Officer, LUCID Therapeutics Tel: 01-416-979-5000, x. 552647 (office), x. 554989 (lab) russo@xxxxxxxxxxxx |
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