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Kristal Mills Riska

Associate Professor of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences
Communication Sciences
Duke South Yellow Zone 4000, DUMC Box 3805, Durham, NC 27710
40 Medicine Circle, DUMC Box 3805, Durham, NC 27710

Overview


My research program’s overarching goals are to improve the diagnosis and management of dizziness, falls, and vestibular disorders. Her research focuses in three strategic areas: 1) improving the identification of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo in primary care settings to enable timely access to cost-effective treatment, 2) characterizing the role of vestibular function and rehabilitative strategies in post-concussive/mild traumatic brain injury related dizziness; and 3) identifying and understanding the mechanisms that mediate the association between falls and hearing loss in an effort to develop interventions that will modify falls risk in the hearing impaired population.

Current Duke Appointments & Affiliations


Associate Professor of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences · 2025 - Present Communication Sciences, Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences

Recent Scholarly Works


Evaluating speech dysfunction in patients with congenital cytomegalovirus - A multicenter retrospective study.

Journal article Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol · April 2026 OBJECTIVE: Despite the known impact of congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) on hearing, implications on speech have been understudied. In the absence of hearing loss, 2% of cCMV patients may still develop speech and language impairment. This study will descri ... Full text Link to item Cite

Test-Retest Reliability of the Triangle Completion Test.

Journal article J Am Acad Audiol · March 2026 BACKGROUND: The triangle completion test (TCT) is a clinical measure of spatial navigation that has been associated with vestibular function. There are limited data on its statistical reliability. PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the test-retest reliabi ... Full text Link to item Cite

A description of self-selected treatments and self-reported improvement following treatment among post-9/11 veterans experiencing disruptive dizziness following a comprehensive traumatic brain injury evaluation.

Journal article Brain Inj · 2026 BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore what treatments were sought by post-9/11 Veterans with and without a formal diagnosis related to their long-term dizziness following completion of a Comprehensive Traumatic Brain Injury Evaluation (CTBIE). METHODS: T ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


Identifying mechanisms between hearing loss and falls

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders · 2023 - 2028

Otolaryngology Surgeon- Scientist career Path (OSSP) program

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders · 2022 - 2027

Falls Related Injuries and Hearing Loss: Understanding the role of hearing healthcare intervention

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2021 - 2024

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Education


East Carolina University · 2011 Au.D./Ph.D.
Appalachian State University · 2005 B.S.