September 27, 2023
Senior Researcher Profile – Samuel Atcherson, Ph.D.
Samuel R. Atcherson, PhD is a nationally-recognized leader, scholar, mentor, and educator in the field of audiology. He is a professor in the Department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, College of Health Professions and a professor in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, College of Medicine. As a person with lifelong hearing loss from childhood, Dr. Atcherson’s areas of interest and expertise include broad strokes across 1) audiologic rehabilitation, 2) auditory electrophysiology, and 3) health literacy and health disparities.
In the area of audiologic rehabilitation, Dr. Atcherson uses a combination of approaches to mitigate the negative effects of hearing loss or auditory processing disorders. His current projects involve transparent face masks and amplified stethoscopes, one of which is currently funded by the National Institutes of Health.
In the area of auditory electrophysiology, Dr. Atcherson focuses mostly on clinically available evoked potential systems and their use in individuals with and without hearing, auditory processing, and balance disorders.
In the area of health literacy and health disparity, Dr. Atcherson has long been involved in research on the readability and accessibility of health materials. More recently, research has expanded to combine health literacy with health disparities research in people with disabilities. Communication is a basic human right, and so is access to quality health care. These areas are multidisciplinary in nature involving collaborators in audiology and deaf studies, speech-language pathology, dental hygiene, and mobility and orientation for the blind and visually-impaired. Recently, Dr. Atcherson and some of his collaborators have begun exploring the use of AI for addressing health literacy issues.
To date, Dr. Atcherson has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles, over 50 non-refereed articles, 3 textbooks, 25 invited book chapters, 2 book reviews, and a Letter to the Editor (in the coveted Science journal). Currently, he has 2 textbook contracts with Thieme Medical Publishers (2nd ed. of Auditory Electrophysiology: A Clinical Guide and 3rd ed. of Audiology: Diagnosis). He has given, or contributed to, over 250 presentations, posters, and panels (including 6 keynote presentations) and has been awarded over $477,000 in grant funding for both intramural and extramural projects. Dr. Atcherson currently sits on the Editorial Board Committee for the Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, and is a Distinguished Scholar Fellow of the National Academies of Practice.
Download Dr. Atcherson's CV
