Kate Slade

Dr Kate Slade is a Lecturer in Psychology within the Sport and Exercise Science department at Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University. Her academic profile centers on the intersection of ageing, hearing loss, and neural/cognitive processes, with emphasis on physiological responses to auditory challenges.

Her research program investigates:

• Neural mechanisms of speech processing in age-related hearing loss using brain activity measurements
• Relationships between hearing impairment, mental health, and cognitive functioning
• Impact of socioeconomic factors on hearing health disparities in later life
• Physiological correlates of listening effort (e.g., cardiac responses)

Current work extends her PhD findings on how excessive listening effort manifests in bodily responses.

Her 15 most recent publications (2020-2025) demonstrate a cohesive trajectory from basic psychophysiological mechanisms to clinical applications, with growing emphasis on health inequalities. Key trends include methodological diversification (fMRI, online studies, meta-analyses) and expanding scope from individual mechanisms to population-level factors.

Award highlights:

• British Society of Audiology Annual Conference 2021 Poster Winner

Dr Slade actively supervises postgraduate researchers including PhD candidate Inez Sharp and MSc student Ewan Dean. Her public engagement spans neuroscience festivals, science comedy shows (e.g., 'An earful' stand-up sets), and podcasts like 'On Our Mind', demonstrating commitment to knowledge translation. She leads outreach initiatives connecting hearing research with community wellbeing programs.