Ross Maddox

Ross Maddox, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Michigan, where he is affiliated with the Kresge Hearing Research Institute. Previously, he served on the faculty of the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience at the University of Rochester. His academic journey includes a B.S. in Sound Engineering from the University of Michigan, followed by an M.S. and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Washington Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS).

Educations:

• B.S. in Sound Engineering, University of Michigan
• M.S. in Biomedical Engineering, Boston University
• Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, Boston University

Research Interests: The Maddox Lab focuses on understanding how the human brain processes auditory information in complex environments. Research combines electroencephalography (EEG) and psychophysics to study selective attention and listening. Key areas include:

• Development of the parallel auditory brainstem response (pABR) for rapid, comprehensive hearing diagnostics in infants
• Investigation of subcortical neural responses to natural sounds, enabling studies of real-world listening behaviors like the 'cocktail party problem'
• Integration of auditory and visual cues for sensory processing

Labs & Teams: The Maddox Lab operates within the Kresge Hearing Research Institute, collaborating across disciplines to bridge basic science, clinical applications, and methodological innovation. Current projects emphasize diagnostic tool development and translational research for hearing healthcare.