Meet the experts

Welcome to our author directory, where we recognize the experts behind our scientific publications in audiology. Here, you’ll find a comprehensive list of researchers, scientists, and professionals whose work advances hearing science and innovation.

Barinder Samra, M.Sc - Signia expert for scientifc publications in audiology

Barinder Samra, MSc

Barinder Samra received his MSc degree in audiological sciences from the University of Southampton. He has a background as a hearing care professional in the UK National Health Service where he has gained extensive clinical experience in multiple audiological fields. In 2023 he joined WS Audiology where he holds a position as Commercial Audiology Manager in Lynge, Denmark.

Brian Taylor, AuD - Signia expert for scientifc publications in audiology

Brian Taylor, AuD

Brian Taylor is the Senior Director of Audiology at WS Audiology US. He is also the editor of Audiology Practices, a quarterly journal of the Academy of Doctors of Audiology and editor-at-large for Hearing Healthcare and Technology Matters, a leading industry blog.

2025 04 Journal paper:
86% of participants performed better with Signia Integrated Xperience versus key competitor in noisy group conversation

2025 02 White paper:
Beyond the lab: Signia IX with RealTime Conversation Enhancement significantly improves real-world busy group conversations

2024 12 Journal paper:
Signia IX with pioneering multi-stream technology delivers 22% better speech understanding in noisy group conversation than a competitor with an AI co-processor-driven platform

2024 10 White paper:
Signia IX delivers more than twice the speech enhancement benefit in a noisy group conversation than the closest competitors

2024 09 Journal paper: 
Improving the real-world conversation experience with a multi-stream architecture

2024 06 Journal paper:
Accentuating the positive: Overcoming the complexities of stigma through thoughtful product design & more-effective person-centered communication

2024 03 White paper:
Real-world assessment of Signia Integrated Xperience with RealTime Conversation Enhancement

2023 11 Journal paper:
Multi-Stream Architecture for Improved Conversation Performance

2023 10 White paper:
Improving the signal-to-noise ratio in group conversations with Signia Integrated Xperience and RealTime Conversation Enhancement

2023 09 White paper:
Power the conversation with Signia Integrated Xperience and RealTime Conversation Enhancement

2023 05 Journal paper:
Unlocking Quality of Life Benefits Through Firmware and Apps

2023 04 Journal paper:
AI-based fine-tuning: How Signia Assistant improves wearer acceptance rates

2022 09 White paper:
Supporting hearing health and general health with My WellBeing

2022 06 White paper:
Evidence Supports the Advantages of Signia AX' s Split Processing

2022 05 White paper:
Upgrading the performance of Signia AX with Auto EchoShield and Own Voice Processing 2.0

2021 11 Journal paper:
AI Assistant Improves Both Wearer Outcomes and Clinical Efficiency

2021 05 White paper:
Performance of Signia AX in at-home listening situations

2019 12 How-to-use:
Dynamic Soundscape Processing Slider

Cecil Wilson, M.Sc. - Signia expert for scientifc publications in audiology

Cecil Wilson, MSc

Cecil Wilson received his MSc degree in Signal processing from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He works in the hearing industry at WS Audiology since 2010. He is currently a Research Audiologist in the Sound and Fitting team. His key expertise is in automatic directional microphone systems for hearing aids and currently focuses on developing and optimization audiological features for hearing aid platforms.

Chaojun Li

Christopher Slugocki - Signia expert for scientifc publications in audiology

Christopher Slugocki, PhD

Christopher Slugocki has been a research scientist at ORCA Labs (USA), The Scientific Institute of WS Audiology, since 2016. He earned his PhD in Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour from McMaster University studying how the brain makes and tests predictions about the auditory world in infancy and adulthood. His work at ORCA Labs combines neuroscience with psychoacoustics to explore how technology interacts with listeners' auditory systems to help process sounds in challenging listening conditions.

Claudia Pischel, MSc

Claudia Pischel has been a research and development audiologist at WS Audiology in Erlangen Germany since 2013. She holds a master craftsman’s certificate as a hearing care professional, and a MSc in Audio Communication and Technology from the Technical University of Berlin, Germany.

Eric Branda, AuD, PhD - Signia expert for scientifc publications in audiology

Dr. Eric Branda, AuD, PhD

Dr. Eric Branda is an Audiologist and Director of Research Audiology for WS Audiology in the USA. For over 20 years, Eric has provided audiological, technical and product training support around the globe. He specializes in bringing new product innovations to market, helping WS Audiology fulfill its goal of creating advanced hearing solutions for all types and degrees of hearing loss. Dr. Branda received his PhD from Salus University, his AuD from the Arizona School of Health Sciences and his Master’s degree in Audiology from the University of Akron.

Homayoun Kamkar Parsi, PhD - Signia expert for scientifc publications in audiology

Homayoun Kamkar Parsi, PhD

Homayoun Kamkar Parsi received his PhD degree in electrical engineering from the University of Ottawa, Canada. He works in the hearing industry at WS Audiology since 2009. He is currently the Head of Signal Processing Algorithmic Research and Neural Networks. Main work, expertise and research include audio processing applications, speech enhancement, multi-microphone beamforming, source localization and tracking, own voice processing, scene analysis and towards neural networks based algorithms.

Dr. Jennifer Weber, AuD

Dr. Jennifer “Jenny” Weber is Professor of Audiology and Speech-Language Sciences (ASLS) at the University of Northern Colorado.  Her areas of interest include amplification and diagnostic, pediatric, and animal audiology. She serves as Audiology Graduate Coordinator at UNC.

 Jens Hain - Signia expert for scientifc publications in audiology

Jens Hain

Jens Hain studied electrical engineering at the Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany. He works in the hearing industry at WS Audiology since 2001. As a member of the signal processing group he focused on developing directional processing algorithms.

Julia Warmuth

Julia Warmuth is a hearing care professional with 12 years of professional experience. She then studied Audiology and Hearing technology at Jade University of Applied Sciences for a few semesters. Since 2018, she has been working at WS Audiology as a Research Audiologist in the department of applied audiological research in Erlangen, Germany.

Katharina Mohnlein-Gilbert, MSc

Katharina Mohnlein-Gilbert is a hearing care professional and received her MSc degree in hearing acoustics and audiological technology from the University of Lübeck. She works in the hearing industry at WS Audiology since 2020. As a member of the Sound and Audiology team, her key expertise is in the study preparation and conduction.

Dr. Leanne Powers, AuD

Dr. Leanne Powers is a Sr. Clinical Education Specialist for WS Audiology US. She is responsible for the support and on-going training of the WS Audiology Educational Specialists and for creating new and innovative training methods to enhance customer service.  She trains customers and staff on products, software, and services. In this role, Leanne has given several lectures at AudiologyNOW! and numerous state conventions on a variety of topics, including compression in modern hearing instruments, frequency compression, and tinnitus therapy, as well as presentations specific to the company’s technology. Leanne practiced in a variety of hearing healthcare settings for 16 years prior to joining the WS Audiology team. Most recently, she operated two hearing aid offices in the Chicago area.  Leanne received her undergraduate degree from Northern Illinois University, her graduate degree from RUSH University in Chicago, and her doctorate from A.T. Still University of Health Sciences in Arizona.

Michael Müller, MSc, PhD

Michael Müller received his MSc in Information and Computer Engineering and a PhD in Computational Neuroscience from Graz University of Technology. He joined WS Audiology in 2022, where he uses his background in signal processing, machine learning, and data analysis for the development of data-driven methods for improving hearing aids such as the Signia Assistant.

Nathan Berwick, BSc

Nathan Berwick received his BSc degree in Music Technology and Audio Systems from the University of Huddersfield, England. He has worked for WS Audiology since 2020 as a Research Audiologist for the Sound & Audiology team. He has a background in Audio Engineering, Psychoacoustics, and Software Development for Audio. He currently specialises on developing and optimizing the audiological algorithms for the latest hearing aid platforms and creates software tools for Audiological development and testing.

Navid Taghvaei

Navid Taghvaei is a Senior Clinical Education Specialist at WS Audiology, where he assumes responsibility for delivering complex individual and group technical training courses. His purview extends to encompassing the latest advancements in audiology, products, software, and technology, tailored for both internal employees and external customers. Navid demonstrates best practices in patient care and working with multifaceted product lines through clinician training sessions, providing support for clinical product offerings, as well as in-house clinical trials, offering insights to both the Audiology and Clinical Education teams.

Niels Søgaard Jensen, M.Sc. - Signia expert for scientifc publications in audiology

Niels Søgaard Jensen, MSc

Niels Søgaard Jensen received his MSc degree in acoustics and psychoacoustics from the Technical University of Denmark. He has a background as research engineer in the hearing aid industry where he has done research on various topics related to hearing loss and hearing aids. In 2016 he joined WS Audiology where he holds a position as Senior Evidence and Research Specialist in Lynge, Denmark.

2025 04 Journal paper:
86% of participants performed better with Signia Integrated Xperience versus key competitor in noisy group conversation

2025 02 White paper:
Beyond the lab: Signia IX with RealTime Conversation Enhancement significantly improves real-world busy group conversations

2024 12 Journal paper:
Signia IX with pioneering multi-stream technology delivers 22% better speech understanding in noisy group conversation than a competitor with an AI co-processor-driven platform

2024 10 White paper:
Signia IX delivers more than twice the speech enhancement benefit in a noisy group conversation than the closest competitors

2024 09 Journal paper: 
Improving the real-world conversation experience with a multi-stream architecture

2024 07 Journal paper:
Hearing at the mall: Multibeam processing technology improves hearing group conversations in a real-world food court environment

2024 06 Journal paper:
Accentuating the positive: Overcoming the complexities of stigma through thoughtful product design & more-effective person-centered communication

2024 03 White paper:
Real-world assessment of Signia Integrated Xperience with RealTime Conversation Enhancement

2023 11 Journal paper:
Multi-Stream Architecture for Improved Conversation Performance

2023 10 White paper:
Improving the signal-to-noise ratio in group conversations with Signia Integrated Xperience and RealTime Conversation Enhancement

2023 09 White paper:
Power the conversation with Signia Integrated Xperience and RealTime Conversation Enhancement

2023 04 Journal paper:
AI-based fine-tuning: How Signia Assistant improves wearer acceptance rates

2023 01 Journal paper:
HandsFree and CallControl in Signia AX deliver a great phone experience for the wearer and the conversation partner

2022 11 White paper:
Signia AX HandsFree and CallControl: A dream to stream

2022 09 White paper:
Measuring steps at the ear: How My Steps improves accuracy

2022 09 White paper:
Supporting hearing health and general health with My WellBeing

2022 06 White paper:
Evidence Supports the Advantages of Signia AX' s Split Processing

2022 05 White paper:
Upgrading the performance of Signia AX with Auto EchoShield and Own Voice Processing 2.0

2021 11 Journal paper:
AI Assistant Improves Both Wearer Outcomes and Clinical Efficiency

2021 09 Journal paper:
Enhancing Real-World Listening and Quality of Life with New Split-Processing Technology

2021 05 White paper:
Boosting real-world listening performance with Signia AX: A first glimpse at data from an international survey

2021 05 White paper:
Performance of Signia AX in at-home listening situations

2021 05 White paper:
Improving speech understanding with Signia AX and Augmented Focus

2021 01 White paper:
Signia Xperience Super Power devices - the true heroes

Paula Folkeard, MSc, AuD

Paula Folkeard is a Research Manager and Audiologist at the National Centre for Audiology. She coordinates projects with the hearing aid industry through the Translational Research Unit and is a member of the Innovations in Hearing Technologies and the Hearing Aid Technologies and Outcomes Labs within the NCA. Her research interests are adult amplification, outcomes measurement, and product and procedure validation.

Philippe Lantin - Signia expert for scientifc publications in audiology

Philippe Lantin, AuD

Philippe Lantin is a hearing care professional and received his audiologist degree from the University of Montpellier, France. He has 10 years of professional experience as an audiologist in a lab, before joining a manufacturer. He has been working at WS Audiology since 1999. As a member of the Product Expert team, he is an internal & external audiology trainer.

Rosa-Linde Fischer, Ph.D. - Signia expert for scientifc publications in audiology

Rosa-Linde Fischer, PhD

Rosa-Linde Fischer is a scientific audiologist at WS Audiology in Germany. She specializes in research and optimization of hearing aid algorithms and gain prescriptions. She received her PhD in Psychoacoustics from the Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany. Prior to joining WS Audiology in 2011, Dr. Fischer worked as a clinical audiologist.

Sascha BilertSascha Bilert, M.Sc. - Signia expert for scientifc publications in audiology

Sascha Bilert, MSc

Sascha Bilert received his MSc degree in engineering acoustics from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). Before his studies, he was trained and practiced as an HCP for several years. Throughout his studies Sascha worked on different topics within the hearing science domain such as auditory neuroscience. He joined the Sound & Fitting team at WS Audiology as a Research Audiologist in 2021, where his focus lies on the hearing aid platform feature optimization.

Sebastian Best, Dipl.-Ing. - Signia expert for scientifc publications in audiology

Sebastian Best, Dipl.-Ing.

Sebastian Best is Head of the Audiology Expert Team within the global WS Audiology research and development team. His team develops of the Signia fitting and sound strategy and does the audiological optimization of our latest digital signal processing platforms. Mr. Best holds several patents within the field of digital signal processing and drives innovations within the audiological development. He earned his Dipl.-Ing. degree at the Technical University of Ilmenau. Prior to joining WS Audiology, he gained extensive experience working with a variety of innovative recording and sound reproduction technologies – always in order to achieve the best possible listening experience.

Dr. Sonie Harris

Dr. Sonie Harris is a Senior Clinical Education Specialist for WS Audiology. She is responsible for training customers and sales staff on the company’s current technology and products. She conducts training sessions in customers’ offices, remotely, and at regional and national events. Dr. Harris has been with WS Audiology for 11 years, serving accounts in both the Commercial market and Government Services. Dr. Harris earned her undergraduate and graduate degree from University of Northern Colorado, and doctorate from University of Florida.

Susan Scollie, PhD

Susan Scollie, PhD is a Professor at Western University’s Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, and is the Director of the National Centre for Audiology. She leads the team responsible for DSL who won a Governor General’s Award for being the first pediatric hearing aid prescription. Her research interests are efficacy of hearing aid signal processing, outcomes for infants, children, and adults who use hearing aids, hearing aid verification strategies, and simulation in education.

Tobias Wurzbacher

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