معرفی
Dr. Sarah Grinn serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders at Central Michigan University, leading the Grinn Hearing Lab focused on clinically-translatable research to reduce recreational and occupational noise-induced hearing loss through advanced auditory safety modeling.
Her educational foundation includes a PhD from The University of Texas at Dallas, AuD from The University of Florida, and BS from Michigan State University. This clinical-research hybrid training underpins her work on individual susceptibility factors in auditory injury.
Research centers on three interconnected domains: noise-induced auditory injury mechanisms (particularly temporary threshold shifts and cochlear synaptopathy), speech-in-noise perception deficits in normal-hearing individuals, and external-ear acoustics' role in pre-cochlear amplification. Current projects analyze VR music concert exposures, stress-aural interactions, and firearm noise impacts using human and chinchilla models to develop personalized risk prediction tools.
Analysis of her 2017-2024 publications reveals consistent focus on individual variability in noise susceptibility, with increasing emphasis on virtual-reality methodologies and external-ear mechanics. Her work bridges basic auditory science (chinchilla models) with clinical applications (hearing aid programming, conservation protocols), published in high-impact journals including the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America and Frontiers in Neuroscience.
Scientific recognition includes:
- NIH R01 Grant for Automated Hearing Aid Safety (2023-)
- NIH Loan Repayment Award in Clinical Research (2021-2023)
- Susan and Jim Jerger Research Fellowship (2017-2018)
- Multiple American Academy of Audiology grants
Dr. Grinn actively mentors through the Doctor of Audiology program while securing over $1M in active funding. Her collaborative network spans The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, UT Dallas, and Boystown National Research Hospital, focusing on translational hearing conservation solutions.
The Grinn Hearing Lab operates from Central Michigan University's Health Professions Building, conducting studies on musician hearing protection, office headphone risks, and physiological mechanisms of noise injury using advanced acoustic measurement and virtual-reality exposure systems.
