Nina Kraus is Professor of Communication Sciences, Neurobiology, and Otolaryngology at Northwestern University. As a biologist and amateur musician, she thinks about sound and brain health. Her research has found that our lives in sound, for better (musicians, bilinguals) and for worse (concussion, hearing loss, language disorders, noise), shape how our brain makes sense of the sounds we hear. Her book OF SOUND MIND - How our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World, was written for the intellectually curious. See www.brainvolts.northwestern.edu

She will examine the partnership of sound and brain, demonstrating that the processing of sound drives many of the brain’s core functions and leaves a fundamental imprint on who we are as human beings. Our hearing brain interacts with what we know, with our emotions, with how we think, with our movements, and with our other senses. Hearing problems, whether in the form of decreased audibility overall or difficulty hearing in noise in particular, are isolating. Kraus will explore the power of auditory training, playing music and learning a second language to strengthen the sound mind. After her lecture, Kraus will lead a discussion on hearing loss and the sound mind. Be prepared to tell her what you wish everyone knew about having hearing loss.