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Steven Jeffrey Eliades

Associate Professor of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences
Otology, Neurotology & Skull Base Surgery
DUMC Box 3805, Durham, NC 27710
Bryan 427F, Durham, NC 27710

Overview


Research in my group focuses on the neural basis of vocal communication.  Communication is a dynamic process that encompasses both production and perception, occurring in an interactive and contextually-dependent fashion.  We approach this both through basic scientific model systems and through parallel experiments in human subjects, including patients with hearing and communication disorders.  We are particularly interested in questions of vocal self-monitoring, that is, how do you hear yourself when you speak, how does your brain process that information differently than others sound you might hear, and how do you use this to help you control your voice.  We also have interests in sensory processing in naturalistic environments, and how the brain encodes sound differently than when listening in more traditional laboratory testing.  We are also interested in the role of social context and decision making in animal communication.  Finally, we use comparative approaches to determine how these processes are conserved between animals and humans, and how they are affected by hearing loss and other disorders of vocal communication.

In addition to my research lab, I am a clinician-scientist and Otolaryngologists, with a focus in diseases of the ear, hearing, and balance (Otology).  As part of this role, I have research interests in cochlear implants, in particular the learning and plasticity that affects implant outcome.  I also collaborate with other clinicians and investigators to apply quantitative analysis to understanding and categorizing disorders of hearing and balance.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Associate Professor of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences · 2023 - Present Otology, Neurotology & Skull Base Surgery, Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences
Associate Professor of Neurobiology · 2022 - Present Neurobiology, Basic Science Departments

Recent Publications


Evaluating Adverse Outcomes After Myringotomy or Tube Placement in Head and Neck Cancer.

Journal Article Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · June 2025 OBJECTIVE: Evaluate rates of adverse outcomes among patients with a history of head and neck cancer undergoing myringotomy with or without tube placement for middle ear effusion. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: Academic medical center. M ... Full text Link to item Cite

Frontal-auditory cortical interactions and sensory prediction during vocal production in marmoset monkeys.

Journal Article Curr Biol · May 19, 2025 The control of speech and vocal production involves the calculation of error between the intended vocal output and the resulting auditory feedback. This model has been supported by evidence that the auditory cortex (AC) is suppressed immediately before and ... Full text Link to item Cite

Toward a Diagnostic Imaging Algorithm for Undifferentiated Pulsatile Tinnitus.

Journal Article Otol Neurotol · September 1, 2024 OBJECTIVE: Decisions around the diagnostic evaluation for pulsatile tinnitus (PT) remain challenging. We describe the usage patterns and diagnostic accuracy of imaging modalities and propose an evidence-based diagnostic approach for undifferentiated PT. ST ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


Neurobiology Training Program

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2024 - 2029

Medical Scientist Training Program

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPreceptor · Awarded by National Institute of General Medical Sciences · 2022 - 2027

Otolaryngology Surgeon- Scientist career Path (OSSP) program

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2022 - 2027

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Education, Training & Certifications


Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine · 2008 MD./PhD.
Johns Hopkins University · 1999 B.S.

External Links


Eliades Lab Webpage