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

barksdale-anna-lise

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. I am currently working to understand effects of nicotine on stimulus-frequency OAEs in individuals with tinnitus.

brunelle-dimitri

Dimitri Brunelle, PhD Student, CSD

I am working with Dr. Walton investigating 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. In the SPAN Lab, I am working on data analysis techniques for better characterizing and interpreting frequency following response measures.

van-pelt-jaide

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. My current research is investigating effects of nicotine treatment on the frequency following response in nonsmokers. 

Undergraduate Students

norman-esther

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 vast field of audiology to discover my specific area of interest.

sebastian-cadena

Sebastian Cadena, Undergraduate BMS Student

I am interested in examining underlying mechanisms of tinnitus and potential treatment pathways, especially in those with normal hearing. I am also interested in how tinnitus affects speech understanding in noisy environments.

kallie-doyle

Kallie Doyle, Undergraduate LSH Student

My research interests broadly focus on communication and speech perception in different populations. With my experience in the SPAN Lab, I intend to better understand underlying processes of speech and hearing to prepare me for graduate-level training in the CSD field.