Erol Ozmeral

Dr. Erol Ozmeral is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders at the University of South Florida's College of Behavioral and Community Sciences. He directs the Auditory Neurosciences & Technology Laboratory within the Global Center for Hearing and Speech Research. His research focuses on cognitive aging, speech perception, spatial attention, and innovative hearing technologies, including brain-computer interfaces. Dr. Ozmeral is funded by NIH grants and industry partnerships in hearing device development.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology (University of North Carolina, 2013)
• M.A. in Cognitive Psychology (University of North Carolina, 2011)
• M.A. in Cognitive and Neural Systems (Boston University, 2007)
• B.S. in Biomedical Engineering (Boston University, 2004)

Research interests emphasize neural mechanisms of sensorineural hearing loss, binaural processing, and the impact of aging on auditory perception. His work bridges electrophysiology and psychoacoustics, with recent studies exploring head movement behaviors in auditory scene analysis and cortical dynamics during temporal processing.

Grants & Funding:

• NIH grants for auditory neuroscience research
• Industry collaborations with hearing aid manufacturers

Lab activities include developing computational models of auditory processing and advancing hearing technology through neurophysiological insights. Ongoing projects investigate individual differences in auditory perception and the application of brain-computer interfaces to hearing solutions.