Find out what’s on for audiologists at PAC 2023

Our Professional Advancement Conference for Audiology brings together audiology professionals from across the country to explore key topics within the profession.

This year’s conference opens with the exploration of hearing aid verification, a topic widely discussed within the profession and will be led by world-renowned lecturer and award-winning teacher Professor Susan Scollie.

Professor Susan Scolle – Keynote Speaker

This year’s PAC will see world-renowned lecturer and award-winning teacher Professor Susan Scollie join us to host one of our keynote sessions.

Susan Scollie is a clinically trained Audiologist and Professor of Audiology in Western’s School of Communication Sciences and Disorders. As a member of the development team for the award-winning DSL hearing aid prescription software, she leads technology transfer to ensure its accurate implementation within the hearing industry globally.

Professor Scollie will be talking to us about how modern hearing aid verification includes more than just fitting to targets. Starting from best practices for the basics, she’ll also be discussing new development for achieving and measuring speech audibility in quiet, as well as exploring other uses of hearing aid analysers and real ear measurements.

Onward Referral Guidance – Changes on when and who to refer – Breakout Session

This year saw BAA and BSHAA release newly reviewed joint guidance for onward referrals for adult audiology service users. Join us at PAC where board member for BAA, Jason Smalley, will be hosting a breakout session talking through the changes from previous versions, some of the grey areas and of course answering frequently asked questions on who should be referred on for medical opinion.

Untangling tinnitus and hyperacusis – Dr Kathryn Fackrell

A question we ask our patients is ‘do you suffer with any noises in your ears such as any ringing or buzzing sounds?’, we then often follow this question with ‘do you find everyday sounds louder than they should be?’.

Dr Kathryn Fackrell, senior research fellow at University of Nottingham, will be hosting a breakout session where she introduces both tinnitus and hyperacusis, the problems associated with both and what to consider when assessing and managing tinnitus and hyperacusis.

Professor Sophie Scott – Keynote Speaker

Join us as Professor Sophie Scott, Director of the Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London, leads our second keynote session talking about the listening brain.

Professor Scott uses brain imaging to ask questions about how speech is processed as a sound, the neural basis of speech and sound processing and the social roles of vocalizations. Professor Scott gave the Royal Society Christmas Lectures in 2017, was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2020 and was awarded the Royal Society Faraday Prize in 2021.

Sign up to this year’s PAC here.