WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2026

8:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Ear & Hearing Editorial Board Meeting  CAMELBACK LODGE BOARDROOM

1:00 PM - 5:00 PM: AAS Executive Board Meeting  CAMELBACK LODGE BOARDROOM

1:00 PM - 5:30 PM: Registration  CONVENTION DESK

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2026

7:45 AM - 5:00 PM: Registration  CONVENTION DESK

8:00 AM - 8:10 AM: Opening Comments  GRAND BALLROOM ABC

Rachael Frush Holt, PhD, AAS President
Aaron C. Moberly, MD, President-Elect and Program Chair

8:10 AM - 9:10 AM: Translational Research I  GRAND BALLROOM ABC   Moderator: TBD

Using Acoustic Modeling to Understand Middle-Ear Pathologies and Improve Diagnosis and Treatment
Susan E. Voss, Ph.D.
Achilles Professor of Engineering, Smith College, Northampton, MA

9:20 AM - 11:40 AM: Concurrent Podium Presentations 

PODIUM SESSION I   GRAND BALLROOM ABC  
PODIUM SESSION II   GRAND BALLROOM DEF  
PODIUM SESSION III   LA VALENCIA  

11:45 AM - 12:45 PM: Lunch  CYPRESS COURT TERRAZA

11:45 AM - 12:45 PM: Reviewer Training Workshop   GRAND BALLROOM ABC  

Interested in learning how to be an effective reviewer? This workshop, hosted by members of the Ear and Hearing Editorial Board, will offer active learning opportunities for current and prospective reviewer trainees to write impactful reviews.

12:45 PM - 1:00 PM: Poster Session I Setup - Put Up Posters  TERRAZA

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Student Travel Award Poster Forum  GRAND BALLROOM DEF  

Student travel awardees will have the opportunity to do a “sneek peek” of their posters in 5-minute podium presentations. The purpose of this forum is to highlight student research and to interest attendees in attending posters to get more information and meet presenters. Selection is based on merit scores from blinded review and diversity factors (race, ethnicity, gender, region).

2:00 PM - 4:55 PM: TECHNOLOGY UPDATES (Industry Sponsored Sessions)

2:00 PM - 2:25 PM: First Round / 2:30 PM - 2:55 PM: Repeat of Sessions
3:00 PM - 3:25 PM: Second Round / 3:30 PM - 3:55 PM: Repeat of Sessions
4:00 PM - 4:25 PM: Third Round / 4:30 PM - 4:55 PM: Repeat of Sessions

5:00 PM - 6:15 PM: Carhart Memorial Lecture  GRAND BALLROOM ABC   Moderator: TBD

Sing, Ear of Charming Echo
Christopher Shera, PhD
Department of Otolaryngology and Physics & Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

6:30 PM - 7:30 PM: Opening Reception (not eligible for CEU)  CYPRESS COURT

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2026

7:45 AM - 1:30 PM: Registration  CONVENTION DESK

8:00 AM - 8:30 AM: Early Career Research Award Presentation  GRAND BALLROOM ABC   Moderator: TBD

From Controlled Environments to Clinical Reality: Evaluating How We Hear with Two Ears
Coral Dirks, AuD, PhD, CCC-A
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

8:30 AM - 9:30 AM: Translational Research II - Killion Lecture  GRAND BALLROOM ABC   Moderator: TBD

Transforming Hearing through Evidence, Policy, and Awareness
Frank Lin, MD, PhD
Professor of Otolaryngology and Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD  

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM: Awards & Recognitions (not eligible for CEU)  GRAND BALLROOM ABC

Membership Update: Rachael Frush Holt, PhD, AAS President
Life Achievement Award: Robert Burkard, PhD, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
Ear and Hearing Update: Ruth Litovsky, PhD, Editor-in-Chief
Ear and Hearing Editor's Award: TBA
Ear and Hearing Readers' Choice Award: TBA

10:30 AM - 12:30 PM: Poster Session I Presentations  TERRAZA

Presenters with odd numbered posters should plan to present between 10:30 am - 11:30 am. Presenters with even numbered posters should plan to present between 11:30 am - 12:30 pm. Presenters are also free to be available at any other time the poster is on display.

12:30 PM - 12:45 PM: Poster Session I - Take Down Posters  TERRAZA

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM: Lunch  CYPRESS COURT

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM: NIH Grant Information Session   GRAND BALLROOM ABC

1:30 PM - 4:30 PM: Concurrent Podium Presentations

Podium Session IV   GRAND BALLROOM ABC   
Podium Session V   GRAND BALLROOM DEF   
Podium Session VI   LA VALENCIA 

2:50 PM - 3:10 PM: Poster Session II Setup - Put Up Posters  TERRAZA

4:45 PM - 6:00 PM: Concurrent Early Career Podium Presentations

Early Career Podium Session I   GRAND BALLROOM ABC
Early Career Podium Session II   GRAND BALLROOM DEF

6:30 PM - 8:00 PM: “Perspectives on Mentoring” Happy Hour Event (not eligible for CEU)  GARDEN COURT RESTAURANT

All trainees - including prospective students, students, postdoctoral fellows, and residents - attending the conference are invited to a “Perspectives on Mentoring” happy hour event. Attendees will gather at round tables to discuss topics related to the mentoring process. Discussions will be facilitated by current postdoctoral fellows affiliated with AAS. A cash bar and light snacks will be available during the event. While registration to participate in the event is required, there is no fee.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2026

7:45 AM - 3:45 PM: Registration  CONVENTION DESK

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM: Translational Research III  GRAND BALLROOM DEF   Moderator: TBD

Maturation of Speech Recognition in Noisy Environments
Lori Leibold, PhD
Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM: (Hearing) Industry Research Consortium Sponsored Session   GRAND BALLROOM DEF

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Poster Session II Presentations  TERRAZA

Presenters with odd numbered posters should plan to present between 10:00 am - 11:00 am. Presenters with even numbered posters should plan to present between 11:00 am - 12:00 pm. Presenters are also free to be available at any other time the poster is on display.

12:00 PM - 12:15 PM: Poster Session II - Take Down Posters  TERRAZA

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Lunch  CYPRESS COURT

1:00 PM - 3:30 PM: Special Session: Cochlear Implantation and Neurodevelopment  GRAND BALLROOM ABC   Moderator: TBD

Understanding Memory and Learning Challenges in Children with Hearing and Balance Impairments
Karen A. Gordon, PhD, CCC-A, Reg CASLPO
Cochlear Americas Chair in Auditory Development
Bastable-Potts Health Clinician Scientist in Hearing Impairment
Professor, Dept. of Otolaryngology-HNS, University of Toronto
Archie’s Cochlear Implant Laboratory
Toronto, Canada

Differences Between Children and Adults with Cochlear Implants: A Neurophysiologic Perspective 
Julie Arenberg, PhD
Director of Research and Education for Audiology at Mass Eye and Ear, Associate Professor, Harvard Dept. of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, and the Herb Silverstein Chair of Otology/Neurotology, Boston, MA

Non-auditory Consequences of Developmental Hearing Loss
Andrej Kral, MD, PhD
Institute of AudioNeuroTechnology & Dept. of Experimental Otology, Clinics of Otolaryngology, Hannover Medical School, Germany
& Australian Hearing Hub, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia 

Thinking Fast and Slow: Speed of Information Processing, Executive Functioning, and Language Development in Children with Cochlear Implants
William G. Kronenberger, PhD
Arthur B. Richter Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN

3:30 PM - 3:45 PM: Summary and Adjournment  GRAND BALLROOM ABC

AAS Conference Registration
Cancellation Policy: If registered and unable to attend the conference, AAS offers a full refund of the registration fee. Email [email protected] for assistance.

AAS Invited, Podium, and Technology Update Session Speakers Bios and Disclosures

AAS Poster Presenter Bios and Disclosures

Financial and In-Kind Support Provided By:

(Hearing) Industry Research Consortium - The session "(Hearing) Industry Research Consortium Sponsored Session" is funded in its entirety by the (Hearing) Industry Research Consortium.