Bill Davies

Professor Bill Davies serves as Director of LAURA at the University of Salford within the School of Science, Engineering & Environment and the Acoustics Innovation Institute. His academic career spans over three decades since completing his PhD in Applied Acoustics (1988-1992), with research evolving from traditional auditorium acoustics to pioneering work in soundscape studies and aural diversity.

His research interests include:

• Aural Diversity (with particular focus on autistic sound processing)
• Soundscape Assessment and Design
• Spatial Audio and Psychoacoustics
• Environmental Noise Impact
• Acoustic Ecology and Bioacoustics

Davies led the influential Positive Soundscape Project, developing novel assessment systems and neurological validation methods. His work on the S3A: Future Spatial Audio project contributed to BBC production tools and VR applications. Most recently, he has championed the paradigm shift from the binary medical model of hearing to recognizing aural diversity as a spectrum, challenging disciplines across acoustics, psychology, and music to reconsider their approaches. His personal perspective as an autistic researcher informs his investigations into how autistic people process sound.

His publication record shows strong recent activity with 98 research outputs, including significant contributions in 2023-2025 on avian noise impacts, urban soundscapes, and aural diversity applications. These works demonstrate interdisciplinary approaches combining psychoacoustics, environmental science, and accessibility research.

As an educator, he teaches Introduction to Acoustics, Room Acoustics, Psychoacoustics, and Measurement, Analysis & Assessment, while supervising PhD students on topics including auditory salience and broadcast accessibility for hearing-impaired audiences.