Jing Shen

Jing Shen serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Temple University's College of Public Health. Her research program, supported by the National Institute of Deafness and Communication Disorders (NIDCD), addresses critical communication challenges faced by older adults in everyday listening environments.

Her academic credentials include:

• PhD in Experimental Psychology from University of California, San Diego
• MS in Psychology (Social and Personality) from East China Normal University
• BA in Political Science (Minor: Psychology) from East China Normal University

Dr. Shen's research investigates perceptual mechanisms underlying speech understanding in adverse conditions, with particular focus on how hearing loss and cognitive decline interact in aging populations. Her work develops innovative outcome measures for speech processing in realistic scenarios and examines individual variability in communication abilities. The SPAC Lab employs multimodal approaches including pupillometry to quantify listening effort and cognitive load during speech tasks.

Analysis of her publication record reveals sustained investigation into dynamic pitch cues, breathy vocal quality, and noise effects on speech perception across aging cohorts. Recent work expands methodological approaches through remote testing validation and inclusion of vulnerable populations like older adults experiencing homelessness, demonstrating translational impact from laboratory to real-world settings.

Dr. Shen directs the Speech Perception and Cognition (SPAC) Lab where her team conducts both laboratory and field studies. Her NIDCD-funded research bridges basic science with clinical applications, aiming to improve audiological services through better understanding of individual differences in speech communication challenges among older adults.