14th July 2026
Here at Hearing Sciences Scottish Section, we regularly host visiting PhD and postdoctoral researchers. These placements are a fantastic opportunity to foster international collaboration, advance exciting research, and enrich our academic community.
Most recently, we were delighted to host Kathrine Lowes, a PhD student from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), for a productive 3-month placement in Glasgow.
Here is what Kathrine had to say about her research and her time with us:
"The goal of my PhD project is to establish objective markers of listening engagement. My research focuses on physiological synchrony and whether alignment of physiological signals between individuals can serve as an objective marker of engagement, primarily using EEG and heart rate measures. During the first half of my PhD, I have mainly focused on identifying potential markers in passive listening settings. My next goal is to investigate whether these markers can be extended to conversational scenarios. While visiting HSSS, I have had the opportunity to receive valuable input on my upcoming conversation study, particularly regarding potential behavioural measures of engagement. I have also had the chance to delve further into the analysis of the EEG and heart rate data that I collected last year. Outside the lab at HSSS, I have enjoyed exploring the Scottish Highlands and have especially appreciated being only an hour or two away from such amazing nature."
