Yu-Hsiang Wu

Yu-Hsiang Wu, MD, PhD, is a Professor and the F. Wendell Miller Professor at the University of Iowa. He conducts research on improving hearing aid outcomes for older adults through innovative real-world data collection methodologies, primarily using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) via smartphones and smartwatches to capture listening experiences in natural environments.

His research centers on audiology and hearing science, with a focus on identifying factors that facilitate or prevent hearing aid success. Key areas include rehabilitation engineering, auditory environment diversity quantification using entropy metrics, and the development of personalized hearing aid fitting protocols. His work bridges clinical audiology with signal processing and human-computer interaction to optimize hearing enhancement technologies.

Analysis of Dr. Wu's recent publications (2022-2025) reveals a strong emphasis on real-world assessment methodologies. Dominant trends include entropy-based quantification of auditory environments, self-fitting hearing aid optimization, and physiological measures of listening effort (e.g., pupillometry and facial expression analysis). His interdisciplinary approach integrates audiology, neuroscience, and data science to address complex challenges in hearing healthcare.

Dr. Wu leads multiple high-impact research initiatives funded by major agencies:

• Cost-effective hearing aid delivery models: Outcomes, value, and candidacy (NIH/NIDCD R01DC015997)
• Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Technology for People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (90REGE0013-01-00)
• Shallow and Deep Personalization for Hearing Aids (NSF, SCH 2306331)

He directs the Hearing Aid Audiology Research (HAAR) Lab, which develops accurate methodologies for assessing speech communication behaviors in older adults with hearing impairment. The lab specializes in mobile-based data collection systems and investigates hearing aid feature activation patterns across diverse real-world environments, including urban/rural settings and varying age groups.