I’m Jamie and have joined the CDT after spending a few years in underwater acoustics (sonar) and most recently teaching secondary maths! I am a big music fan and enjoy producing and playing guitar as well as being active with things like bouldering and bikepacking.
Project title: Personalised Auditory and Listener Preference Modelling for Headphone Audio Optimisation
Project Partner: Sonos
University: University of Salford
Supervisors: Dr Bruno Fazenda and Dr Rebecca Vos
What is your PhD is about?
My PhD research focuses on improving headphone sound reproduction for people with hearing loss by personalising the headphone output to an individual’s hearing abilities and listening preferences. My industry partner on this project is Sonos.
Why is it important to do this research?
Everyone should have the opportunity to access and enjoy music and entertainment which provides benefits to health and wellbeing. However hearing loss can negatively affect this experience. With the World Health Organisation estimating that 2.5 billion people could have some degree of hearing loss by 2050 – there is an increasing need to research and develop audio technologies that can better support people with hearing loss.
What drew you to studying this PhD?
I had wanted to work in research for a while and this PhD project perfectly aligned with my interests – psychoacoustics and signal processing. I really enjoy learning about the science and maths that underpin sound and linking this to the actual human perception of sound. This project combined all of this whilst having a real positive impact on those with hearing loss.
What does a Sustainable Sound Future mean to you?
It means creating a future where our soundscape is more positive. Either reducing the noise pollution in our environment or creating more positive sounds for people.
What were you doing before joining the CDT?
I worked as a secondary school Maths teacher in London for a few years. It was a rewarding and interesting job where I learnt a lot and felt that I could make a positive impact. Despite this I ultimately knew that I wanted to return to working in audio and I’m really glad to now be part of the CDT, where I can continue to make a positive impact in a different way.
What do you do on a typical PhD day so far?
Currently my typical day is very varied which I enjoy! My day consists of completing some induction meetings, reading around current research in my area to help shape my project and attending lectures in signal processing and psychoacoustics to build my foundation knowledge of these subjects.