John Grose, PhD, a professor in both the Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences and the Department of Otolaryngology, recently visited Bangalore, India, as a travel fellow to give a keynote presentation at the annual conference of the Indian Speech and Hearing Association (ISHACON-51).
After the conference, Grose gave a presentation to the student body and met with faculty at the Dr. S. R. Chandrasekhar Institute of Speech and Hearing (SRCISH), a leading clinical and academic institution in India, which includes a school for the hearing impaired.
“India has a thriving speech and hearing profession, and the caliber of clinical and scientific accomplishment is impressive,” said Grose. “There was a large student presence at ISHACON-51, which infused it with particular energy and color.”
The conference was held on the campus of the National Institute Mental Health and Neuroscience (NIMHANS), which is an internationally-renowned facility often referred to as one of the nine jewels of India.
Grose said his pre-conference workshop titled “Psychophysical and electrophysiological assessment of the auditory system,” was well attended. David Eddins, PhD, and a graduate of the division’s audiology program who is now a professor at the University of South Florida, hosted another talk focusing on recent trends in hearing aid technology.
“There was definitely a UNC flavor to the afternoon,” Grose said.
In addition to podium presentations and posters, the conference included several panel discussions. Grose said the debate on auditory neuropathy spectrum disorders (ANSD) was particularly scholarly and lively. The conference included a cultural evening featuring a dance troupe comprised of children who have special needs; the show garnered a standing ovation from the audience.
Grose described the Dr. SRCISH as a hub of activity with clinical practices that serve all aspects of speech and hearing sciences. The institute hopes to expand its research endeavors and features teaching facilities; its graduates are awarded degrees through Bangalore University.
Grose’s trip to India under the auspices of the Dr. SRCISH travel fellowship had origins in Chapel Hill. He was nominated by Shoba Meera, PhD, a graduate of both Dr. SRCISH and of NIMHANS, who is currently a Fulbright visiting scholar in the lab of Joseph Piven, MD, a distinguished professor in psychiatry, pediatrics, and psychology at UNC-Chapel Hill.
The Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences is in the Department of Allied Health Sciences.