National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR)
Curtis Billings, Ph.D.
Telephone: 503.220.8262, ext. 54574
Email: curtis.billings2@va.gov
Current Appointments
- Research Investigator and Audiologist, NCRAR, VA Portland Health Care System
- Research Associate Professor, Dept. Otolaryngology, Oregon Health and Science University
Research Projects
"Longitudinal Changes in Auditory Function Among Veterans with Diabetes"
Co-Principal Investigators: Dawn Konrad-Martin, PhD & Marilyn Dille, PhD
Co-Investigator: Curtis Billings, PhD
VA Merit Review Award, 2015-2019
“The Brain-Behavior Relationship: Age, Hearing, and their Effects on Understanding Speech in Noise”
Principal Investigator: Curtis Billings, PhD
Co-Investigator: Frederick Gallun, PhD
National Institutes of Health, NIDCD, R01 2016-2021.
“Using Electrophysiology to Complement Speech Understanding-in-Noise Measures”
Principal Investigator: Curtis Billings, PhD
Co-Investigator: Frederick Gallun, PhD
VA RR&D, Merit Award 2017-2021.
“Hearing Aids and the Brain”
Principal Investigator: Curtis Billings, PhD
Co-Investigator: Gabrielle Saunders, PhD
VA RR&D, SPiRE Award 2017-2019
Research Interests
Dr. Billings uses human electroencephalography, specifically auditory evoked potentials, and behavioral methods to understand the effects of auditory deprivation and stimulation on the brain. This includes interests in the neural effects of hearing aids, hearing impairment, aging, and auditory training. The long-term goal of this research program is to improve diagnosis and treatment of hearing impairment by determining how experience-related changes in the brain facilitate and/or inhibit successful auditory rehabilitation. Dr. Billings is also a licensed audiologist.
Selected Recent Publications
For complete list of publications, click here.
Maamor, N., Billings, C.J. (2017). Cortical signal-in-noise coding varies by noise type, signal-to-noise ratio, age, and hearing status. Neurosci Lett, 636: 258-264.
Billings, C.J., Grush, L.D. (2016). Signal type and signal-to-noise ratio interact to affect cortical auditory evoked potentials. J Acoust Soc Am, 140(2): 221-226.
Billings, C.J., Penman, T.M., Ellis, E.M., Baltzell, L.S., Mcmillan, G.P. (2016). Phoneme and Word Scoring in Speech-in-Noise Audiometry. Am J Audiol, 25(1): 75-83.
Chun, I., Billings, C.J., Miller, C.W., Tremblay, K.L. (2016). Aided Electrophysiology Using Direct Audio Input: Effects of Amplification and Absolute Signal Level. Am J Audiol, 25(1): 14-24.
Konrad-Martin, D., Billings, C.J., Mcmillan, G.P., McDermott, D., Gordon, J., Austin, D., Dille, M.F.. Diabetes-Associated Changes in Cortical Auditory-Evoked Potentials in Relation to Normal Aging. Ear Hearing, 37(3): 1-15.
Billings C.J., Penman T.M., McMillan G.P., Ellis, E. (2015). Electrophysiology and perception of speech in noise in older listeners: effects of hearing impairment & age. Ear & Hearing, 36(6): 710-722.
Papesh, M., Billings C.J., Baltzell, L. (2015). Background noise can enhance cortical auditory evoked potentials under certain conditions. Clin Neurophys, 126(7). 1319-1330
Baltzell, L., Billings, C.J. (2014). Human cortical auditory evoked offset and onset response sensitivity to signals in noise. Clin Neurophys, 125(2): 370-380
Billings, C.J. (2013) Uses and limitation of electrophysiology with hearing aids. Semin Hear, 34(04): 257-269.
Billings C.J., McMillan G.P., Penman T.M., Gille S. (2013). Predicting perception in noise using cortical auditory evoked potentials. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol, 14(6): 891-903.
Bennett, K.O., Billings, C.J., Molis, M.M., Leek, M.R. (2012). Neural encoding and perception of speech signals in informational masking. Ear Hear. 32(1):53-60.
Billings, C.J., Bennett, K.O., Molis, M.R., Leek, M.R. (2011). Cortical encoding of signals in noise: effects of stimulus type and recording paradigm. Ear Hear, 32(1): 53-60.
Selected Recent Presentations
Billings, C. (2016). EEG approaches to assist with HA fitting and future hearing aid design. Invited presentation, World Congress of Audiology, Vancouver, Canada.
Billings, C. (2016). How can brain measures improve the diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss. Invited presentation, The Oregon Hearing Society, Summer Seminar. Yachats, Oregon.
Billings C. (2015). Potential clinical uses of cortical auditory evoked potentials. Invited presentation at American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Convention, Nov 12-14, Denver, CO.
Billings C, Pendergraft P, Srinivasan N, Penman T, Gallun F. (2015). Signal-in-noise electrophysiology and behavior: noise type, age, and hearing effects. Podium presentation at the Annual Scientific and Technology Conference for the American Auditory Society, Mar 5-7, Scottsdale, AZ.
Maamor N, Billings C. (2014). Human auditory cortical coding of speech in background noise as a function of age and noise type. Poster at Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, Nov 15-19, Washington, DC.
Billings C. (2014). What aided auditory-evoked potentials can tell us about the aided auditory system. Invited presentation at the Academy Research Conference, part of the American Academy of Audiology AudiologyNOW! Conference; 2014, March 26, Orlando, FL.
Billings C, (2013). Speech in noise and the brain-behavior relationship. Invited presentation at Boystown National Research Hospital Workshop on Use of Evoked Potentials to Measure Central Auditory Function; 2013, Sept 30-Oct 1, Omaha, NE.
Billings C, (2013). Acoustic signal-to-noise-ratio dominates auditory long latency responses. Podium at the International Evoked Response Audiometry Study Group Biennial Conference; 2013, June 9-13, New Orleans, LA.
Billings C, Penman T. (2013). Electrophysiology & Perception of Speech in Noise: Effects of Age & Hearing Impairment. Poster at Association for Research in Otolaryngology MidWinter Meeting; 2013, Feb 16-20, Baltimore, MD.
Billings, C. (2011). “Cortical auditory evoked potentials in clinical research.” Invited presentation at the 7th Tanta International Meeting on Advanced Otorhinolaryngology, Cairo, Egypt.
