MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
Media Highlights includes current, general interest media coverage of BBS students, faculty, staff and leadership and their achievements. Archives of previous articles back to 2015 are also available.
Covid-19 Creates Hearing, Balance Disorders, Worsens Tinnitus: Study
Jun 11, 2021
“The factors that may play a role in the relationship between Covid-19 and hearing are multifold. Covid-19 is known to have inflammatory effects, including in neurological tissue, which can exacerbate other problems.” — Dr. Colleen Le Prell, the Emilie and Phil Schepps Professor of Hearing Science and professor and head of the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing.
May is National Better Hearing Month
May 10, 2021
“Individuals with even mild hearing loss are at three times more risk of experiencing a fall and falls are the leading cause of fatalities in Americans over 65.” Dr. Angela Shoup, professor at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and Executive Director, Callier Center for Communication Disorders.
For Seniors Looking To Stay Sharp in the Pandemic, Try a Game of Spades
Apr 17, 2021
“While moving in with children isn’t an option for all seniors, incorporating routines that are both fun and challenging keep the mind exercised and sharp — at least until more families are fully vaccinated and those affectionate embraces called hugs are in greater supply.” Dr. Denise C. Park, Distinguished University Chair in Behavioral and Brain Sciences and director of research at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences’ Center for Vital Longevity.
Smartphone Technology: The Hub of a Basic Wireless Accessibility Plan
Apr, 2021
The combined efforts of two University of Texas at Dallas Research Labs, Hearing Health Lab and the Statistical Signal Processing Research Laboratory, resulted in an open-source research platform for speech processing and hearing improvement funded by The National Institute of the Deafness and Other Communication Disorders of the National Institutes of Health. — Dr. Linda Thibodeau, professor at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
We Don’t Need Autism Awareness—We Need Autism Acceptance, Study Says
Mar, 2021
“It’s not easy to be autistic in a predominantly non-autistic world, and making the social world a bit more accommodating and welcoming to autistic differences could go a long way toward improving personal and professional outcomes for autistic people.” — Dr. Noah Sasson, associate professor at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Experts Look Into Correlation Between COVID-19 and Tinnitus
Mar 26, 2021
“We do know for people who experience tinnitus, many of them won’t be bothered with their tinnitus at all and typically they’re more bothered by it if they’re under a lot of stress or if they’re having issues with sleep. Maybe they’re sleep deprived or fatigued or very anxious.” — Dr. Angela Shoup, professor at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and Executive Director, Callier Center for Communication Disorders.
Texas Roadhouse CEO Kent Taylor’s Death Raises Awareness About Potential Long-Term Effects Of COVID-19
Mar 22, 2021
“It is rare, but that can happen, where the symptoms of tinnitus become so unmanageable, that people take extreme measures.” — Dr. Edward Lobarinas, associate professor at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
A 25-Minute Training Can Help Reduce People’s Autism Biases
Mar 16, 2021
“The majority of interventions to improve autistic social experiences focus on asking autistic people to change who they are, just so others will accept them.” — Desiree Jones, PhD student in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
Old Dogs Need to Learn New Tricks. Here’s Why.
Mar 9, 2021
“Anything that’s novel drives your brain to pay attention.At the cellular level, it spurs new expression, new signaling. That’s really good for you.” Dr. Kristen Kennedy, associate professor at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
What Really Works to Help an Aging Brain. It’s Not Going to Function Like it Did in Your 20s, but There Are Things You Can Do.
Mar 7, 2021
“Requiring an extra moment or two to remember someone’s name or having a little trouble keeping a lot of information in your head at one time or switching between focused tasks are normal parts of aging and not a sign that you’re losing your mind. These changes are not threatening to your everyday life, as a general rule.” — Dr. Denise C. Park, Distinguished University Chair in Behavioral and Brain Sciences and director of research at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences’ Center for Vital Longevity.
COVID-19 Exposes Hearing Problems
Mar 3, 2021
“A lot of people who may not have identified with hearing difficulties previously, possibly because they had a very minimal problem are recognizing increased communication difficulties now. Masks take away visual cues and “tend to distort and soften the speech signal.” — Dr. Angela Shoup, professor at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and Executive Director, Callier Center for Communication Disorders.
Psychology of Prejudice Class Navigates Conflict-Filled Year
Feb 22, 2021
“Everyone has the opportunity to share how racism and prejudice have impacted their lives as well as discuss current events. Bringing together students from many backgrounds, we were able to learn about each other’s personal experiences.” — Dr. Salena Brody, professor of instruction in psychology at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
Study Finds Understanding of Autism Can Boost Social Inclusion
Feb 22, 2021
“Research on race suggests that people who have racial biases tend to view that race as a monolith, assigning every member the same features. By exposing them to different people from the group, you can challenge those stereotypes. We believe the same principle applies to autism.” — Desiree Jones, PhD student in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
Center for BrainHealth Researchers Create Virtual Reality Cognitive Assessment
Feb 5, 2021
“This study indicates that our strategies have a dramatic effect on our capacity. If you enter into a task prepared with a plan, you will get the most out of your brain and see much better performance.” — Dr. Daniel Krawczyk, Debbie and Jim Francis Chair and professor of cognitive neuroscience and cognitive psychology at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences’ Center for BrainHealth.
UTD Trio Named Among 1,000 Inspiring Black Scientists
Feb 1, 2021
“It was always clear that there are very few people that look like me in the lab and conference rooms. This filled me with trepidation that I would not be understood. However, diversity is at the root of advancement and cutting-edge research.” — Dr. Michael Burton, assistant professor at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
Study: Waterproof Phone Cases Not Sound-Problem Proof
Jan 19, 2021
“Those with hearing loss might need to make choices. Perhaps a person would only use a waterproof case when going fishing or might resort to texting when using a waterproof case. It’s important that they know the potential problem and plan ahead.” — Dr. Linda Thibodeau, professor at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
Study Outlines What Creates Racial Bias in Facial Recognition Technology
Dec 7, 2020
“Our discussion of image difficulty for racial bias is a relatively new topic. We show that as pairs of images become more difficult to distinguish — as quality is reduced — racial bias becomes more pronounced. That hasn’t been shown before.” — Dr. Alice O’Toole, Aage and Margareta Møller Professor and professor of neuroscience.
Protecting Your Brain Health During the Pandemic
Nov, 2020
“For everything you do, ask, What is this adding to my life? Are you doing crosswords just to pass the time and not be alone? Or are you doing different kinds of activities to stretch your mind and add meaning and purpose?” — Dr. Sandra Bond Chapman, Dee Wyly Distinguished University Chair and professor and founder and chief director at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences’ Center for BrainHealth.
Crystal Charity Ball Brings Hope to Thousands of Children Across Dallas County
Nov 30, 2020
The 2020 Crystal Charity Ball helped fund the Foundation for Callier Center for Communication Disorders with $997,996 in donations.
Can You Repeat That? Hearing Trouble More Obvious with Masks
Nov 24, 2020
“More than likely, these are people that had some kind of hearing loss prior to all this starting but they were adapting.” — Dr. Andrea Gohmert, clinical assistant professor at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
What We Know So Far About How COVID Affects the Nervous System
Oct 22, 2020
“We know that if sensory neurons get infected with a virus, it can have long-term consequences, even if the virus does not stay in cells.”— Dr. Theodore Price, professor of neuroscience at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
Why Gray Matter Volume and White Matter Connectivity Matter
Sep 26, 2020
“Evolving research on white matter shows that its ability to propagate signals strongly affects cognition and higher-order processing.” — Dr. Kristen Kennedy, associate professor at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
The Accuracy of Machines in Facial Recognition
Sep 9, 2020
“An algorithm developed in 2015 tested at the level of the students. One from 2016 performed at the level of fingerprint examiners, and one from 2017 was really close to the base specialists, the super recognizers. The most recent algorithm we have available was definitely at the level of the best humans.” — Dr. Alice O’Toole, Aage and Margareta Møller Professor and professor of neuroscience.
UT Dallas Biotech Startup Pursuing Non-Opioid Pain Therapy Sells to California Firm for $52.5 Million
Aug 25, 2020
The University of Texas at Dallas biotech startup CerSci Therapeutics has been bought by a San Diego pharmaceuticals company for $52.5 million in a deal that could later reward its backers with hundreds of millions more.
Latest Issue of D Magazine Recognizes COVID-19 Heroes in North Texas
Aug 6, 2020
The article honors a few local doctors, nurses, bio-engineers, volunteers, attorneys and other workers who have gone above and beyond in the fight against COVID-19, including Dr. Robert Rennaker, a professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
UT Doctoral Student Wins NIH Fellowship to Study MS Cognitive Changes
Aug 4, 2020
“If I can help even in an incremental way to get us closer to understanding how memory dysfunction occurs in MS, then I’m super interested in doing so.” — Mark Zuppichini, PhD candidate in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
Researchers Examine Age Differences in How the Brain Perceives, Remembers
Jul 23, 2020
“This study specifically examined regions specialized for the processing of faces or visual scenes. This division of responsibilities is what we call differentiation.” — Dr. Michael Rugg, professor, and Director, Center for Vital Longevity.
Fort Worth Priest Reflects on How COVID-19 Diagnosis Impacted Him
Jul 20, 2020
Rev. Dr. Robert Pace was Tarrant County’s first confirmed COVID-19 case. WFAA interviewed him and Dr. Theodore Price, professor of neuroscience at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
UT Dallas scientists caution against potential long-term neurological effects of COVID-19
Jul 16, 2020
“Given how extraordinarily widespread this disease has now become in the United States, I’m, frankly, pretty terrified that we’re going to have people that have really long-lasting medical problems in numbers that we may not be able to deal with” — Dr. Theodore Price, professor of neuroscience at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
Humanitarian Outreach Amid COVID-19
Jul, 2020
“Perhaps the most difficult reality for many who serve in an outreach capacity is the knowledge that the few humanitarian services offered in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are likely the only available services for many communities.” — Jackie Clark, clinical professor at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and past president of the American Academy of Audiology.
Why Are My Ears Ringing? 9 Causes of Tinnitus, According to Audiologists
May 28, 2020
“As an auditory phenomenon, tinnitus has quite the range. It could sound like crickets chirping, cicadas buzzing, high-pitched squeals, low-pitched hums, or even multiple pitches simultaneously.” — Jackie Clark, clinical professor at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and past president of the American Academy of Audiology.
UT Dallas Professor Holds Shoe Box Graduation Ceremony for Seniors
May 19, 2020
College graduates from a UT Dallas psychology class got a home-spun ceremony courtesy of their professor. — Salena Brody, senior lecturer at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
UTD PhD Students Had the Largest Number of Dissertations This Semester—And Presented Them Online
May 4, 2020
Many universities in the U.S. postponed dissertation defenses in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. But UT Dallas says that was never an option.
Coping with COVID-19 Stress
Apr 29, 2020
“After a brief initial period of alarm, we build up a strong resistance to stress — but that expires after such a long time. Then we enter an exhaustion phase where our ability to respond well has simply run out.” — Dr. Regina Ybarra, associate professor of instruction at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
Researchers’ Method Holds Promise for Brain Study, Better Tests for Viruses
Apr 27, 2020
“The system developed by researchers in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science and the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences packages molecules inside microscopic gold-coated capsules, or nanovesicles, that can be very sensitive to near-infrared light.”
Researchers’ Analysis Confirms Effects of Cognitive Training for Older Adults
Apr 20, 2020
“One key finding was that cognitive training was found to significantly improve everyday functioning in older adults, which in turn can provide additional years of independence and potentially delay the onset of dementia.” — Dr. Chandramallika Basak, assistant professor of psychology at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences’ Center for Vital Longevity.
Social Disability for Autistic Adults is Not an Individual Trait
Apr 2, 2020
UT Dallas researchers are demonstrating that social disability for autistic adults is not an individual trait but varies depending on aspects of the social environment.
Cannabis and the Brain with Dr. Francesca Filbey
Mar 30, 2020
“The problem that I’ve identified is that very little work has been done in terms of how cannabis affects the brain. It’s been used by humans for centuries but up until now we really still don’t know what the effects are on the brain.” — Dr. Francesca Filbey, professor in the Department of Neuroscience, Bert Moore Chair in BrainHealth and director of cognitive neuroscience of addictive behaviors at the Center for BrainHealth.
Callier Center For Communication Disorders
Mar 19, 2020
“Callier is unique. It is one of a select few centers for communication disorders in the nation that combine clinical care, graduate student training and research into one institution. Patients are served in our original location in Dallas and at our location on the UT Dallas campus in Richardson.” — Thomas Campbell, professor, Ludwig A. Michael, MD, Executive Director of the Callier Center for Communication Disorders.
Chronic Pain Is Affecting One-Third of the Population
Mar 10, 2020
Chronic pain affects one-third of the population. About 10 percent of the population suffers from high impact chronic pain which often causes disability and impacts their quality of life.
Autistic People Make Great Social Partners if You Actually Give Them a Chance
Mar 9, 2020
In one study, Dr. Noah Sasson, associate professor at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, and colleagues found that even within a couple seconds typically developing people make quick judgments about people on the autism spectrum. These patterns are robust, happen quickly, and persist across child and adult age groups. Unfortunately, these judgments are not favorable or kind.
TB Bacteria Produce Fatty Acid that Triggers a Pain-Response Cough to Spread the Disease
Mar 7, 2020
“No one had ever shown that TB produces an irritant that acts directly on the sensory innervation of the lungs. We have now shown this directly through our collaborative work on this project.” — Dr. Theodore Price, professor of neuroscience at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
Dallas Arboretum Adds Technology For Visitors With Hearing Loss, Just In Time For Spring
Mar 2, 2020
The Dallas Arboretum’s Spring festival ‘Dallas Blooms’ opened over the weekend. This year, the garden hopes to make the event more accessible to visitors with hearing loss by debuting new technology.
The ‘Speechless: Different by Design’ Exhibit Uses Brain Science to Inform Art
Feb 18, 2020
“I was excited by the possibility, because we don’t often have these opportunities to have a science-meets-art kind of conversation. And I have long thought that especially visual arts has a very clear link within the brain. And when you’re a neuroscientist, you tend to always think, how does the brain become active in different ways?” — Dr. Daniel Krawczyk, Debbie and Jim Francis Chair and professor of cognitive neuroscience and cognitive psychology at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences’ Center for BrainHealth.
2020 Crystal Charity Ball Beneficiaries And A Record-Breaking Goal Of $7.87M Announced
Feb 10, 2020
Funding from the Crystal Charity Ball in the amount of $997,996 will support the Callier center for Communication Disorders Pediatric Special Connections Project.
Cybersecurity Masters Degree to be Offered Fall 2020
Feb 9, 2020
The new master’s degree program in Cybersecurity, housed in EPPS, with have courses from the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and three other UT Dallas schools.
Nerve Stimulation Device Aids Rehabilitation after Stroke
Jan 26, 2020
“This study tells us that if we use this approach on complicated motor skills, those improvements can filter down to improve simpler movements.” — Dr. Michael Kilgard, Margaret Fonde Jonsson Chair and professor of neuroscience.
Hidden Hearing Loss is Hitting People of All Ages. Neuroscientists are Still Debating Why
Jan 21, 2020
She asked adults in their 20s to keep track of the time and volume when they went to a loud place, and she measured their hearing and speech-recognition abilities before and after. In participants who opted for a lot of high-decibel fun, she found no indication that they experienced any permanent changes. — Dr. Colleen Le Prell, the Emilie and Phil Schepps Professor of Hearing Science and professor and head of the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing.
Scientists Target Link Between Chronic Pain, Cognitive Impairments
Jan 20, 2020
“Patients often report that even though their pain is being alleviated, the associated cognitive issues aren’t going away. For that signal to go away completely, we have to fix the underlying issue.” — Dr. Theodore Price, professor of neuroscience at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
Discovery: UTD Device Improves Stroke Recovery; UTSW Team Tackles Kidney Cancer
Jan 17, 2020
Work being done by bioengineering researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas could enhance recovery for stroke patients. “This is one of the first human-grade implants designed, developed and manufactured at a university.” — Dr. Robert Rennaker, professor at the School of Behavorial and Brain Sciences.