Stefanie Kuchinsky

Stefanie Kuchinsky is a Researcher affiliated with the University of Maryland's Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences (HESP) and the National Military Audiology and Speech Pathology Center at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. She holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Illinois and completed postdoctoral training in the Hearing Research Program at the Medical University of South Carolina. Her research focuses on understanding cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying speech comprehension in challenging listening conditions, particularly for populations such as older adults with hearing loss, service members/veterans with TBI, and adult second-language learners. She employs behavioral, pupillometry, and neuroimaging techniques to investigate interventions that reduce listening effort and improve auditory-cognitive function.

Her work integrates auditory neuroscience, attention studies, and neurostimulation approaches, with recent emphasis on transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) to enhance language learning and mitigate hearing-related challenges. She has contributed to clinical audiology advancements through pupillometry-based listening effort assessments and normative studies for military populations. Key research areas include cochlear implant performance, functional ear asymmetry effects, and age-related cortical speech processing changes.

Dr. Kuchinsky teaches HESP724 Research Design at UMD and collaborates with institutions like the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Her research highlights interdisciplinary approaches to address auditory and cognitive challenges in clinical and military contexts.