Carolina Abdala

Dr. Carolina Abdala is a Professor in the Caruso Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Southern California. Her research focuses on human cochlear function across the lifespan, particularly using otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) to study maturation, aging, and hearing loss. She leads the AbdaLab, which develops novel methodologies for assessing cochlear mechanics, including dual-component OAE analysis and swept-tone protocols. Her work is funded by NIH-NIDCD grants and involves collaborations with USC colleagues like Dr. Christopher Shera.

Key research areas include:

• Age-related cochlear changes
• Maturation of neonatal cochlear function
• Diagnostic applications of OAEs for sensorineural hearing loss
• Cochlear tonotopic mapping and asymmetry

Her lab emphasizes both apical and basal cochlear regions, revealing critical insights into low-frequency auditory processing and cochlear nonlinearities. Recent studies explore endolymphatic hydrops' effects on cochlear function and the clinical utility of joint reflection-distortion OAE profiles for hearing impairment diagnosis.

Grants and funding support NIH-funded projects investigating cochlear maturation and aging mechanisms. Dr. Abdala's work bridges basic auditory physiology with clinical applications, advancing diagnostic tools for hearing disorders.

Labs/Teams: AbdaLab (specializing in advanced OAE analysis and cochlear function studies).