Dr. Yihsin Tai
<b>Department: </b>Speech Pathology & Audiology<br><b>Research Area: </b> Pediatric tinnitus and hearing loss and their relation to noise exposure <br>
Department: Speech Pathology & Audiology
Research Focus: Pediatric tinnitus and hearing loss and their relation to noise exposure
Potential Student Project(s): My research focuses on understanding the effect of tinnitus (ringing in the ears) on an individual's quality of life. Tinnitus, as a constant sound that is perceived by patients without any external sound source, can cause sleep disturbances, concentration difficulties, and emotional disorders. Currently, there is a paucity of studies on the impact of tinnitus in children and adolescents because these populations cannot well-define or describe their experience about their tinnitus. However, the effect of tinnitus on the pediatric population should not be neglected. With an increasing report of noise exposure (e.g., recreational noise) in the pediatric population, it can be postulated that there might be an increased prevalence in both tinnitus and hearing loss in the future. A better understanding of how tinnitus and/or noise-induced hearing loss impact the pediatric population can be essential to develop age-appropriate management and intervention, to prevent any further impact of these hearing disorders on adulthood. Some potential projects can include, but are not limited to:
- Understanding the effect of tinnitus, hearing loss, and noise exposure in the pediatric population.
- Investigating parental and professionals' (e.g., ENT doctors, audiologists) perspectives about tinnitus and noise-induced hearing loss in the pediatric population.
The student and the mentor will work together to brainstorm the final research project.
Attributes/skills/background sought in undergraduate: Self-motivated, proactive, organized, attention to detail, strong work ethic, good problem-solving skills, works well independently and as part of a team
Mentoring Plan: The student and mentor will meet once a week for an hour either in person or via Zoom during the semester. The objectives of the mentoring plan are to enhance undergraduate students' research experience through
- Conducting literature search and review
- Identifying gap(s) in knowledge that need to be addressed
- Initiating a research project
- Data collection
- Data analyses
- Interpretation of results
- Presenting findings to BSU Student Symposium or other local/national meetings
Contact: 765-285-8177, 409 Health Professions Building