Ashley Whicker Harkrider, Ph.D.

See Also: Human Auditory Physiology Laboratory

Field Specialty

Physiological Correlates of Auditory Perception

Research Interests

Dr. Harkrider’s research focuses on physiological correlates of auditory perception, including electrophysiological and behavioral discrimination of consonant-vowel stimuli, the role of nicotine in the central auditory nervous system in humans and guinea pigs, relations between auditory efferent activity (acoustic reflexes, OAE suppression) and speech performance in noise, and relations between middle-ear measures, otoacoustic emissions, and auditory thresholds. Dr. Harkrider has directed numerous students conducting research projects in these areas (3 theses, 12 doctoral level projects, 2 dissertations, 12 graduate assistantships). She has received several research grants and editorial awards. Dr. Harkrider has published research articles in Clinical Neurophysiology, Hearing Research, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, The Journal of Speech Language Hearing Research, The Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, and The ASHA Newsletter. In addition, she has presented frequently across the United States at research meetings including The Acoustical Society of America, The Association for Research in Otolaryngology, The American Academy of Audiology, and The American Auditory Society.  She is an assistant editor for The Journal of the American Academy of Audiology and is a referee for many of the journals and societies named above.

Education

  • B.A.   University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (1993)
  • M.A.  University of Tennessee, Knoxville (1995)
  • Ph.D. University of Texas at Austin (1999)

Recent Honors and Awards

  • 2008 - University of Tennessee Professional Development Award.  “”Effects of Estrogen and Progesterone on the Female Auditory System.”  May 7, 2009 ($3600).
  • 2008 - “James Jerger Student Research Presentation Award” presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Audiology to C. Dane Bowers, B.S. with Ashley Harkrider, Ph.D. as Research Advisor for presentation of“Cortically mediated release from inhibition in the human cochlea” on April 5, 2008.
  • 2008 - University of Tennessee Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA).  “Neural Responses to Speech in Noise from Elderly Individuals with Normal and Impaired Hearing.”  March 18, 2008  ($3600).
  • 2006 - University of Tennessee Professional Development Award.  “Mirror Neuron Activation During Speech Perception, Production, and Choral Speech.”  Co-Investigator T. Saltuklaroglu, November 7, 2006  ($5000).
  • 2006 - Student Research Forum Award presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Audiology to Joanna Webster Tampas, M.A. with Ashley Harkrider, Ph.D., Research Advisor for “Auditory evoked potentials and background noise acceptance”.
  • 2004 - The Best of Audiology Literature 2004 by H. Gustav Mueller in The Hearing Journal: Manuscript named as one of the “Most Thought Provoking.” Rogers, D.S., Harkrider, A.W., Burchfield, S.B., Nabelek, A. (2003). The influence of listener’s gender on the acceptance of background noise. J Am Acad Audiol, 14, 372-382.
  • 2003 - Feature Article: J Am Acad Audiol, 14, 372-382. Rogers, D.S., Harkrider, A.W., Burchfield, S.B., Nabelek, A. The influence of listener’s gender on the acceptance of background noise.
  • 2003 - National Institutes of Health, Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, “Physiological Contributions to Noise Acceptance,” Pre-doctoral fellowship by Joanna W. Tampas, sponsored by Ashley Harkrider ($61,660).

Representative Publications

  • Crawcour, S., Bowers, A., Harkrider, A.W. & Saltuklaroglu, T. (2009). Mu wave suppression to visual and acoustic speech: EEG evidence of mirror neuron activity. Neuropsychologia, 47, 2558 – 2563.
  • Harkrider, A.W., Plyler, P.N. & Hedrick, M.S. (2009). Effects of hearing loss and spectral shaping on identification and neural response patterns of stop-consonant stimuli in young adults. Ear Hear, 30, 31-42.
  • Harkrider, A.W., Bowers, C.D. (2009). Cortically-mediated release from inhibition in the human cochlea. J Am Acad Audiol, 20, 208 - 215.
  • Harkrider, A.W., Tampas, J.W. (2006).  Differences in physiological responses from the cochleae and central nervous systems of females with low versus high acceptable noise levels.  J Am Acad Audiol, 17, 667-676.
  • Harkrider, A.W., Plyler, P.N., Hedrick, M.S. (2006). Effects of hearing loss and spectral shaping on identification and neural representation of stop consonant stimuli. J Acoust Soc Am, 120, 915-925.
  • Tampas, J.W., Harkrider, A.W.  (2006).  Auditory evoked potentials in females with high and low acceptance of background noise.  J Acoust Soc Am, 119, 1548-1561.
  • Tampas, J.W., Harkrider, A.W., Hedrick, M.S. (2005). Comparison of behavioral discrimination, MMN, and P300 to speech and non-speech stimuli. J Sp Lang Hear Res, 48, 1147-1164.
  • Harkrider, A.W., Smith, B.S. (2005). Acceptable noise level, phoneme recognition in noise, and auditory efferent measures. J Am Acad Audiol, 16,530-545.
  • Harkrider, A.W., Plyler, P.N., Hedrick, M.S. (2005). Effects of age and spectral shaping on identification and neural representation of stop consonant stimuli. Clin Neurophys, 116, 2153-2164.
  • Harkrider, A.W., Hedrick, M.S. (2005).  Acute effects of nicotine on auditory gating in smokers and non-smokers. Hear Res, 202, 114-128.

Courses Taught

  • ASP 507- Anatomy and Physiology of Hearing
  • ASP 576- Physiological Assessment of the Auditory System I
  • ASP 583- Physiological Assessment of the Auditory System II
  • ASP 650- Advanced Seminar in Audiology
Ashley Whicker Harkrider

Contact Information

Ashley Whicker Harkrider
Associate Professor

Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology
University of Tennessee
430 S. Stadium Hall
Knoxville, TN 37996-0740

Phone: (865) 974-1810
Email: aharkrid@utk.edu