Dr. Newman's research focuses on speech perception and language acquisition, especially how the brain recognizes and learns words from fluent speech, particularly in the context of difficult-listening environment, and how this ability changes with development.  This includes listening in both noisy and distracting environments, listening to a degraded signal (such as that through a cochlear implant), and listening to someone with an unkown accent.  Her work with cochlear implants developed out of her interest in children's understanding in noise - like a child listening in noise, a child listening through a cochlear implant is hearing a poorer-quality signal.  But unlike the child listening in noise, the signal is always poor for a child with a cochlear implant.  How do they succeed in learning from such a signal?  And what changes can be made to processing strategies or to training to help individuals make the most of their implant?   She explores these questions both in typically-hearing children and adults, and in those with cochlear implants. For a fuller description of her research interests, please see her profile here, or download her public-oriented research statement.Dr. Newman also serves as Chair of the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences and Associate Director of the Language Science Center, and serves on the Executive Boarde of MCICE.