Amplification Lab
The Amplification Lab serves both as a teaching and research lab.
Lab Director:
Location:
The Amplification Lab is located on the 2nd floor of the Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building (room #2C50).
Description:
The Amplification Lab is fully equipped with a sound booth, audiometer, three hearing aid analyzers (Verifit system, Fonix 8000, and Siemens Unity2), G.R.A.S., Noah and various hearing aid manufacturers' programming software.
Teaching and clinical activities
- The Amplification Lab houses the Dalhousie Hearing Aid Assistance Program (DHAAP). Through this program, donated hearing aids are given to low-income individuals who are not able to afford new hearing aids. The program provides audiology students with hands-on clinical experiences with adult hearing aid fitting, post-fitting follow-ups, and audiological rehabilitation.
DHAAP members: Dr. Rachel Caissie (program director), Dr. Steve Aiken (SHCD), Greg Noel, AuD (NSHSC), Janine Verge, AuD (NSHSC), Brenda Dorton (Society for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Nova Scotians), and two audiology student program assistants. - The Amplification Lab supports three courses in amplification and audiological rehabilitation, where second and third year audiology students can gain hands-on experience is all aspects of hearing aid fitting and adult audiological rehabilitation.
Research interests
Audiological rehabilitation in older adults, including conversation-based intervention, conversation repair strategies, and clear speech for partners of adults with hearing loss. Auditory training for heart auscultation (in collaboration with Dr. John Finley, Cardiologist, Faculty of Medicine).
Current Funded Research:
“A comparison of wireless CROS hearing aids and bone anchored hearing devices for people with single-sided deafness”
Funding: Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation
Co-Principal Investigators: Jenny Finbow & Rachel Caissie
Co-Investigators: Dr. Manohar Bance (Faculty of Medicine), Dr. Steve Aiken (SHCD), Mark Gulliver and Janine Verge (audiologists, NSHSC)
Prospective Master’s and PhD students:
We encourage prospective students seeking research supervision to contact us directly to discuss possible topics for research supervision.