Team

SPAN Lab Members

SPAN Lab Director

Michelle Kapolowicz

Michelle Kapolowicz, PhD

Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor

kapolowicz@usf.edu
View Curriulum Vitae


Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of California, Irvine, Otolaryngology
PhD, The University of Texas at Dallas, Cognition and Neuroscience
MS, The University of Texas at Dallas, Applied Cognition and Neuroscience
BA, The University of Texas at Arlington, Philosophy

I use behavioral, electrophysiological, and pharmacological approaches to study how people cope with speech understanding in difficult listening situations. I am particularly interested in how this process is more difficult for certain populations, such as for cochlear implant users or people with tinnitus, and how we can improve overall hearing outcomes.

Graduate Students

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Anna Lise Barksdale, AuD Student

My research interests are in contributing to our understanding of speech perception variability across cochlear implant users and in working to characterize the roles of extended high frequency hearing loss and hyperacusis in tinnitus.

boothe-april

April Boothe, AuD Student

I am interested in understanding underlying mechanisms involved with tinnitus as well as investigating innovative approaches to tinnitus treatment.

brunelle-dimitri

Dimitri Brunelle, PhD Student

I’m a PhD student in Communication Sciences and Disorders working with Dr. Walton on studying the behavioral and neural underpinnings of presbycusis, tinnitus and the cocktail party problem in mouse and human models, with a focus on auditory corticocollicular plasticity. My role in the SPAN Lab involves improving data analysis techniques for better characterizing and interpreting frequency following response measures.

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Jaide Van Pelt, AuD Student

I am interested in understanding how tinnitus interacts with higher order cognitive processes and whether these interactions can be manipulated using targeted treatment strategies. 

Undergraduate Students

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Esther Norman, Undergraduate LSH Student

I am interested in implementing translational research into clinical settings. In order to foster this endeavor, my academic goal is to pursue a graduate degree in audiology upon finishing my undergraduate degree.

jiwon baek

Jiwon Baek, Undergraduate LSH Student

I am interested in pursuing a graduate degree in audiology. I am working to expand my understanding of the knowledge gained from my coursework through hands-on experience in the SPAN Lab, while also exploring the diverse field of audiology to discover my specific area of interest.