search

UMD     This Site






Professor Shihab Shamma (ECE/ISR) has been elected a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, effective Jan. 1, 2018. His citation reads, "For applications of signal processing to auditory neuroscience."

Shamma's research interests are in the acoustic signal at various levels in mammalian auditory systems. His work ranges from theoretical models of auditory processing in early and central auditory stages, to neurophysiological investigations of the auditory cortex, to psychoacoustical experiments of human perception of acoustic spectral profiles.

He, along with 10 other University of Maryland colleagues are part of a new $8.5 million grant from the National Institute on Aging, one of the National Institutes of Health to develop an innovative approach for addressing hearing loss and communication challenges that affect millions of older people.

The goal of this project is to improve speech understanding in challenging conditions for older listeners, focusing on the use of training programs rather than devices like hearing aids or cochlear implants. These training programs are designed to target the parts of the brain, both auditory and cognitive neural systems, that are critical for successful speech understanding in challenging conditions but that degrade with age.

Also in 2017, he and his colleagues received an $8.5 million Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Targeted Neuroplasticity Training (TNT) program to study the effect of peripheral nerve stimulation on second language acquisition and brain plasticity. This project seeks to examine whether stimulating the vagal nerve improves adults’ brain plasticity to help them learn a second language. The stimulation is delivered via an earbud that transmits a safe, low-voltage electrical signal to a peripheral branch of the vagal nerve.



Related Articles:
Alum Fumin Zhang elected to IEEE Fellow
Ankur Srivastava elected IEEE Fellow
Rance Cleaveland elevated to IEEE Fellow
Alumnus Stefano Coraluppi elected IEEE Fellow
Gang Qu elected IEEE Fellow
Alumnus James Xiaojiang Du named IEEE Fellow
ISR friend John Rinzel wins IBT Mathematical Neuroscience Award
NSF funds Shamma, Espy-Wilson for neuromorphic and data-driven speech segregation research
Maryland researchers develop computational approach to understanding brain dynamics
Pamela Abshire elected IEEE Fellow

November 21, 2017


«Previous Story  

 

 

Current Headlines

Adjustable Drug Release Marks New Milestone in Ingestible Capsule Research

ISR Alumnus Earns Prestigious NSF CAREER Award

Celebrating a Legend: Matt Scassero's Retirement Event

MATRIX-Affiliated Faculty Solving Challenges From Sea to Space

Scientists Fast-Track Nerve-on-a-Chip Design via Machine Learning Algorithms

Sochol Receives E. Robert Kent Outstanding Teaching Award for Junior Faculty

Innovation and Collaboration: Congressional Leaders Visit Southern Maryland

ISR Honors 2025 Graduate Achievements

How to Major in the Future

From the Chesapeake Bay to Deep Space: Innovating for the Public Good

 
 
Back to top  
Home Clark School Home UMD Home