University of Wisconsin–Madison
Department of Surgery
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Ruth Y Litovsky, PhD

Professor

  • Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

litovsky@waisman.wisc.edu
(608) 262-5045

1500 Highland Ave.
Room 521
Madison, WI 53705-2274

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, particularly 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. The lab studies the ability of children to separate speech from competing sounds and 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 the lab studies 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

    • Temporal dynamics and uncertainty in binaural hearing revealed by anticipatory eye movements.
    • Winn MB, Kan A, Litovsky RY
    • J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 2019 Feb; 145(2): 676
    • [PubMed ID: 30823808]
    • Assessing Fine-Grained Speech Discrimination in Young Children With Bilateral Cochlear Implants.
    • Peng ZE, Hess C, Saffran JR, Edwards JR, Litovsky RY
    • Otol. Neurotol. 2019 Mar; 40(3): e191-e197
    • [PubMed ID: 30688756]
    • Restoration of spatial hearing in adult cochlear implant users with single-sided deafness.
    • Litovsky RY, Moua K, Godar S, Kan A, Misurelli SM, Lee DJ
    • Hear. Res. 2019 Feb; 372: 69-79
    • [PubMed ID: 29729903]
    • Mixed stimulation rates to improve sensitivity of interaural timing differences in bilateral cochlear implant listeners.
    • Thakkar T, Kan A, Jones HG, Litovsky RY
    • J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 2018 Mar; 143(3): 1428
    • [PubMed ID: 29604701]
    • The Effect of Simulated Interaural Frequency Mismatch on Speech Understanding and Spatial Release From Masking.
    • Goupell MJ, Stoelb CA, Kan A, Litovsky RY
    • Ear Hear 2018 Sep/Oct; 39(5): 895-905
    • [PubMed ID: 29337763]

All Publications on PubMed