Kristin Barry

Dr. Kristin Barry is an Adjunct Lecturer at the UWA Medical School and a Research Fellow at Curtin University. Her primary research focuses on preclinical models of hearing loss and tinnitus, particularly investigating how non-traditional auditory brain areas are affected by noise exposure and contribute to tinnitus generation. She holds expertise in electrophysiology, behavioral neuroscience, and translational animal models.

Dr. Barry completed her PhD in Auditory Neuroscience at The University of Western Australia in 2019, focusing on frontostriatal circuitry influence on the auditory thalamus. She later held a Postdoctoral Fellowship in calcium imaging at the Australian National University before returning to UWA as a Research Fellow in 2021. In 2022, she became Research Lead at the Ear Science Institute of Australia (ESIA) and joined Curtin University in 2024.

Her research interests center on auditory neuroscience, with a particular emphasis on understanding the neural mechanisms underlying hearing loss and tinnitus. Key areas include:

• Preclinical models of auditory dysfunction
• Role of non-auditory brain regions in hearing-related pathologies
• Calcium imaging techniques and electrophysiological assessments
• Translational animal models for therapeutic development

Her recent work explores topics such as tympanic membrane repair, effects of hearing loss on cognitive functions, and neural circuitry changes post acoustic trauma. These studies contribute to advancements in both basic neuroscience and clinical applications for auditory disorders.

Dr. Barry has been recognized with several accolades, including the School of Human Sciences Early-Career Research Award (2023) and multiple Channel 7 Telethon Grants (2021–2022).

She is actively involved in supervising PhD and HDR students, with current projects focusing on auditory neural pathways, sensory gating circuitry in tinnitus, and 3D brain models for education. Dr. Barry has secured grants from the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation for projects on pediatric audiological equipment and brain plasticity-based treatments.

She collaborates with institutions like the Ear Science Institute of Australia and contributes to interdisciplinary research networks through affiliations with organizations such as the Australian Brain Alliance and the Association of Australia Medical Research Institutes.