Education

• BS, Washington University in St. Louis, 1988
• MS, Washington University in St. Louis, 1988
• PhD, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 1991

Research Interests

Dr. Litovsky’s translational research investigates cochlear implants, in particular with regard to the effect that bilateral cochlear implants have on the ability of patients to hear speech and localize sounds. Specifically, Dr. Litovsky’s lab studies emergence of spatial hearing abilities in young children, through longitudinal investigations. We study the ability of children to separate speech from competing sounds, and to identify source locations. Through various collaborations these studies also focus on language acquisition (with Jenny Saffran and Susan Ellis-Weismer) and phonological awareness (with Jan Edwards). Another line of research with adults focuses on how to improve performance with bilateral devices that are not designed to be synchronized. Thus we study binaural sensitivity using research processors, in the hope that a clinical binaural processor with a single digital signal processor can be implemented in the near future.

Recent Publications

• Spatial Acuity in 2-to-3-Year-Old Children With Normal Acoustic Hearing, Unilateral Cochlear Implants, and Bilateral Cochlear Implants.
  Grieco-Calub TM, Litovsky RY
  Ear and hearing 2012 May 2.
  [PubMed ID: 22517185]
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• Effect of degraded binaural cues in cochlear implant users and normal hearing listeners on spatial release from masking.
  Litovsky R, Goupell M, Kan A, Misurelli S, Stoelb C
  J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 2012 Apr; 131(4):3340.
  [PubMed ID: 22501715]
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• Possible implications of interaural mismatch in the place-of-stimulation on spatial release from masking in cochlear implant listeners.
  Kan A, Stoelb C, Goupell M, Litovsky R
  J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 2012 Apr; 131(4):3340.
  [PubMed ID: 22501717]
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• The effect of an additional reflection in a precedence effect experiment.
  Goupell MJ, Yu G, Litovsky RY
  J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 2012 Apr; 131(4):2958-67.
  [PubMed ID: 22501073, PMC ID: 3339502]
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• Production of contrast between sibilant fricatives by children with cochlear implants.
  Todd AE, Edwards JR, Litovsky RY
  J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 2011 Dec; 130(6):3969-79.
  [PubMed ID: 22225051, PMC ID: 3253598]
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• Statistical bias in the assessment of binaural benefit relative to the better ear.
  van Hoesel RJ, Litovsky RY
  J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 2011 Dec; 130(6):4082-8.
  [PubMed ID: 22225062, PMC ID: 3257758]
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• Aiding and occluding the contralateral ear in implanted children with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder.
  Runge CL, Jensen J, Friedland DR, Litovsky RY, Tarima S
  J Am Acad Audiol 2011 Oct; 22(9):567-77.
  [PubMed ID: 22192602]
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• A cocktail party model of spatial release from masking by both noise and speech interferers.
  Jones GL, Litovsky RY
  J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 2011 Sep; 130(3):1463-74.
  [PubMed ID: 21895087, PMC ID: 3188967]
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• Binaural unmasking with multiple adjacent masking electrodes in bilateral cochlear implant users.
  Lu T, Litovsky R, Zeng FG
  J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 2011 Jun; 129(6):3934-45.
  [PubMed ID: 21682415, PMC ID: 3135149]
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• Review of recent work on spatial hearing skills in children with bilateral cochlear implants.
  Litovsky RY
  Cochlear Implants Int 2011 May; 12 Suppl 1():S30-4.
  [PubMed ID: 21756469]
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