Three students were recognized for research on surgical barriers, sentence recognition, and Medicare qualification criteria.
The American Cochlear Implant (ACI) Alliance announced the student poster winners from its CI2026 Chicago conference, which was held last week. The student poster competition was chaired by Michael Scott, AuD, and the submissions were reviewed by a panel of hearing health professionals.
The ACI Alliance noted that fostering student participation is an organizational priority to increase clinical and research involvement in the field of cochlear implants.
CI2026 Poster Competition Winners
The winning students and their research topics are:
- Tristin Aguiar, Medical College of Wisconsin: “Identifying Barriers To CI Surgery.” Aguiar is a fourth-year medical student who will be pursuing a residency in otolaryngology.
- Gabriella Cote, Quillen College of Medicine: “Audiovisual Sentence Recognition In CI Candidates.” Cote is a third-year medical student at East Tennessee State University aspiring to a career as a physician-scientist in otolaryngology.
- Lauren Cullen, NYU Cochlear Implant Center: “Qualification In Noise Vs Quiet: Results For Patients Meeting Medicare Criteria.” Cullen is an AuD student at The University of Texas at Dallas who recently completed her externship at the NYU Cochlear Implant Center.
The ACI Alliance is a not-for-profit membership organization that works to eliminate barriers to cochlear implantation through research, awareness, and advocacy for improved access for patients of all ages across the US. The organization will welcome students to its next meeting, CI2027 San Diego.
