Colorado Audiology Symposium 2025
Clinically Meaningful Change in Hearing and Balance
Saturday, June 28, 2025
Registration is now FREE!!!
Registration:
Click Here to Register!
The deadline to register is June 13, 2025 to be sure that food is ordered correctly.
Program:
Click here to view the full program:
https://medschool.cuanschutz.edu/otolaryngology/events/Colorado-Audiology-Symposium/program
Breakfast and Lunch will be provided to in-person attendees.
This seminar will explore the concept of “clinically meaningful change” in hearing and balance assessment, focusing on its significance in improving patient outcomes. We will examine the distinction between statistically significant changes and changes that truly impact a patient’s quality of life. Key topics include:
- Defining Clinically Meaningful Change: Understanding what constitutes meaningful improvement in auditory and vestibular function.
- Assessment Metrics: Evaluating current tools and methods for measuring change in hearing and balance.
Patient-Centered Outcomes: Incorporating patient perspectives to determine the impact of interventions. - Clinical Applications: Translating research findings into practical approaches for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation.
This seminar aims to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice, fostering a deeper understanding of how to assess and achieve outcomes that matter most to patients.
Location:
Donald M. Elliman Conference Center, 2nd floor, Anschutz Health Sciences Building, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center
1890 N Revere Ct, Aurora, CO 80045
Parking:
The Vail Parking Lot is the closet parking to the meeting location. Please view the parking map by clicking here.
Zoom - Link will be sent to registrants prior to conference day
*Online participants can submit live questions and comments to presenters through the Zoom chat function.*
Continuing Education Units (CEUs):
This event is still in the application process to obtain ASHA and AAA CEUs.
ASHA:
This course offers .55 ASHA CEUs (intermediate level; professional area)
Attendees seeking education credit must attend sessions in full and must complete the course self-assessment and learning assessment and return them to Katie Schroder in person or virtually in order to receive ASHA CEUs.
ASHA CE Provider approval and use of the Brand Block does not imply endorsement of course content, specific products, or clinical procedures.
AAA:
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University of Colorado School of Medicine is approved by the American Academy of Audiology to offer Academy CEUs for this activity. The program is worth a maximum of .55 AAA CEUs. Academy approval of this continuing education activity is based on course content only and does not imply endorsement of course content, specific products, or clinical procedure, or adherence of the event to the Academy’s Code of Ethics. Any views that are presented are those of the presenter/CE Provider and not necessarily of the American Academy of Audiology.
Learning Outcomes:
- Define Clinically Meaningful Change: Participants will be able to define what constitutes a clinically meaningful change in auditory and vestibular function, distinguishing between statistical significance and patient-centered improvements in quality of life.
- Evaluate Assessment Tools: Participants will develop the ability to critically assess current metrics and methods used to measure changes in hearing and balance, understanding their strengths and limitations in clinical settings.
- Implement Patient-Centered Approaches: Participants will be able to think of ways to incorporate patient perspectives into clinical decision-making, ensuring that hearing and balance interventions are aligned with patient priorities and lead to improved outcomes in diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation.
Presentation Speakers:
Sumit Dhar, PhD
Sumitrajit (Sumit) Dhar, PhD studies hearing, hearing loss, and hearing healthcare. Sumit has studied audiology and hearing science at the University of Mumbai, Utah State University, and Purdue University. He is the Hugh Knowles Professor of Hearing Science and the Associate Provost for Faculty at Northwestern University. Work in Sumit’s lab is supported by federal agencies such as the NIH and PCORI, foundations such as the American Hearing Research Foundation, and industry.
Kristin Uhler, PhD
Dr. Kristin Uhler is an Associate Professor at the Univeristy of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, where she works in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. She is also the Kelley Family/Schlessman Family Scottish Rite Masons Chair in Childhood Language Disorders and practices audiology at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Dr. Uhler's research is focused on auditory and language outcomes for children with hearing loss and developing evidence-based practices in the field of pediatric audiology.
Devin McCaslin, PhD
Devin L. McCaslin, PhD, is the Clinical Director of the Communication Sciences and Disorders program at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor and a Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. His academic, clinical, and research interests focus on outcomes measures, vestibular assessment, and using artificial intelligence to manage and treat dizziness in patients. Dr. McCaslin has also served as Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American Academy of Audiology and as a board member for the American Auditory Society, American Balance Society, and American Academy of Audiology. Additionally, he is a past president of the American Balance Society.
Vinaya Manchaiah, PhD, AuD
Dr. Vinaya Manchaiah, AuD, MBA, PhD serves as the Professor of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and as the Director of Audiology at the University of Colorado Hospital (UCHealth). He is the Principal Investigator at the Virtual Hearing Lab (www.virtualhearinglab.org). He also has a position as an Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and an Adjunct Professor at the Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India. He has authored over 200 scientific manuscripts and 5 textbooks.
René H. Gifford, PhD
René Gifford, PhD, CCC-A is Chief of Audiology and Research at Hearts for Hearing in Oklahoma City. She also serves as co-CEO of the Clinical Board of Directors for the Institute for Cochlear Implant Training (ICIT). Her research has been NIH funded for over 20 years and focuses on combined electric and acoustic stimulation (EAS) with particular emphasis on speech and music perception, spatial hearing, and development of speech, language, and literacy for children with hearing loss. She has authored over 170 peer-reviewed publications, two books, and multiple book chapters in the fields of cochlear implants and pediatric audiology. Dr. Gifford has been recognized with many career awards for her contributions to Audiology and Hearing Sciences including the 2015 Louis M. DiCarlo Award for recent clinical achievement from ASHA, the 2021 Jerger Career Award for Research in Audiology from AAA, and was a featured scientist on the National Public Radio, Science Friday broadcast entitled Breakthrough: Portraits of Women in Science--Hearing a Whole New World. She is actively involved in clinical care, research, and training audiologists and hearing scientists.
Matt Fitzgerald, PhD
Dr. Fitzgerald is an Associate Professor and the Chief of Audiology at Stanford University where he oversees the adult and pediatric audiology practices. He completed his undergraduate degree at The Wichita State University, followed by clinical training in audiology at Vanderbilt University. He completed a clinical fellowship year at the Henry Ford Hospital, and subsequently entered the PhD program at Northwestern where he was mentored by Dr. Beverly Wright. He then completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the New York University School of Medicine under Dr. Mario Svirsky, studying the process of adaptation in recipients of cochlear implants, and later joined the faculty at NYU. In 2015 he joined the faculty of Stanford University as the Chief of Audiology. His current research interests are the translation of new tools to measure suprathreshold function in the audiologic test battery, with a particular emphasis on speech-in noise assessments. He also continues to examine adaptation in recipients of cochlear implants, and on new tools to help patients with tinnitus.
Amanda Lawrence
Amanda Lawrence is the Education & Training Specialist for the Mountain Region at Oticon. She is responsible for new and continuing education programs for hearing care professionals, technical product training and audiology field support for adults and children. Dr. Lawrence was previously a clinical assistant professor at the University of Illinois and has extensive experience as a clinical practitioner. She holds a Master of Science degree in audiology from Vanderbilt University & Doctor of Audiology degree from AT Still University.
Katelyn Glassman
E. Katelyn Glassman, Au.D. is Senior Manager of Site-Initiated Research at MED-EL Corporation, where she primarily collaborates with North American investigators to support research with approved MED-EL products. Katelyn earned her Doctorate of Audiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, completed an NIH funded traineeship at Boys Town National Research Hospital, and was a research audiologist in the Laboratory for Translational Auditory Research at New York University prior to joining MED-EL in 2014. She has over 15 years of experience supporting and conducting cochlear implant research and has peer-reviewed publications in the areas of electrically evoked compound action potentials and adaptation to frequency mismatch. Her research interests focus on ways to improve patient outcomes through optimization of cochlear implant fitting and utilization of objective measures.
Navid Taghvaei
Dr. Navid Taghvaei, AuD, ABAC, CCC-A, is the Lead Clinical Education Specialist at WS Audiology, where he designs and leads advanced training programs on diagnostic equipment, audiological software, and hearing instrument technologies. He brings over two decades of diverse experience in clinical practice, product development, and professional education, having led audiology departments in both domestic and international settings. Dr. Taghvaei holds a Doctor of Audiology and a Master of Arts in Hearing Science from the University of Louisville and earned dual undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Religious Studies from Arizona State University. He has served as a university lecturer and clinical preceptor, and he regularly presents at industry conferences and publishes on topics related to hearing science, technology integration, and outcome-based patient care.
Michelle Hurley
Michele Hurley is a Senior Education & Training Audiologist with Starkey Hearing Technologies. She has over 25 years of experience in the hearing industry in a variety of roles: training, sales, and technical support. Dr. Hurley has presented on a variety of topics at state, national and international meetings. She earned her M.S. in Audiology at North Texas State University and Au.D. from the Arizona School of Health Sciences.
Ashley Hughes
Ashley Hughes, Au.D. works for e3 Diagnostics as a National Field Trainer. Prior to joining e3 Diagnostics, Dr. Hughes worked clinically, then as a research audiologist, and most recently as a support and training audiologist for a diagnostic equipment manufacturer. She has served as an invited speaker at state and national conferences and is an author of multiple published articles and posters on topics including real-ear measurements, subjective outcome measures, advocacy, mentorship, negotiations, and more. She is highly involved in the American Academy of Audiology along with her state audiology organization, the Minnesota Academy of Audiology.
Zack Pollack
Zach Pollack is a Senior Product Manager specializing in cochlear implants and intraoperative monitoring products, dedicated to advancing innovative solutions that improve hearing and quality of life for individuals with hearing loss. With a background in Biomedical Sciences and a passion for technology in healthcare, Zach works closely with R&D to bring patient centered products to market.
Speaker disclosures can be found by clicking here.
Sponsors:
Thank you to our sponsors for making this event possible!
Lodging Recommendations:
The Benson Hotel and Faculty Club
The Benson Hotel is a ~10 minute walk to the meeting location inside the Anschutz Health Sciences Building.
Address: 13025 E Montview Blvd, Aurora, CO 80045
To book, please visit this website.
Hyatt House Aurora-Denver
Hyatt House Aurora is a ~15 minute walk to the meeting location inside the Anschutz Health Sciences Building.
Address: 12230 E Colfax Ave, Aurora, CO 80011
To book, please visit this website.
For questions, please contact the Department's Special Projects Coordinator, Katie Schroder, at katherine.schroder@cuanschutz.edu