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The Nature of Sound and Speech

At the Kishon-Rabin Lab, we study psychoacoustics, speech perception, audiology, and the neural mechanisms of hearing and language

Image by Jason Rosewell

Liat Kishon-Rabin, PhD

Professor of Communication Disorders

Tel Aviv University, Israel​

  • Founding Dean (2020–2025), Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning, Tel Aviv University

  • Past President (2023–2025), European Federation of Audiology Societies (EFAS)

  • Former Head of the Steyer School of Health Professions and Head of the Department of Communication Disorders at TAU (9 years)

  • Ph.D. (1990) in Psychoacoustics, Speech & Hearing Science, The Graduate Center, City University of New York

  • Published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in speech science, psychoacoustics, hearing loss, and cochlear implants across the lifespan

  • Led the establishment of state-of-the-art psychoacoustic and speech perception laboratories for hearing-impaired populations

  • Developed hierarchical speech perception tests in Hebrew and Arabic, including the Hebrew Matrix test for speech-in-noise assessment and training, widely implemented in clinical and research settings

  • Recipient of major research grants (e.g., Binational Science Foundation, Israeli Ministry of Health) and international honors, including the Graham Fraser Memorial Lecture (BCIG, 2017)

  • Founder and Head of Israel’s first B.A. and M.A. programs in Communication Disorders for the ultra-orthodox community, with nearly 200 graduates

  • Founder of a large-scale community language intervention program reaching over 2,500 infants and children from low socioeconomic backgrounds

  • Member of national and international academic and professional committees, including the Israel Auditory Society of Research

Our Research Focus

Image by Yassine Ait Tahit

Sensory and Linguistic Foundations of Auditory Perception

Understanding basic auditory and linguistic mechanisms underlying speech perception, from acoustic resolution to phonetic and lexical processing.

Image by Scott Webb

Speech Perception in Adverse Listening Conditions

Examining how noise, temporal distortion, and complex auditory scenes affect speech perception in typical and special populations

Abstract Color Waves

Auditory Learning, Memory, and Plasticity

Investigating perceptual learning, auditory memory systems, and training-induced plasticity across development and aging.

Image by tao he

Clinical and Developmental Applications

Applying behavioral and experimental methods to hearing-impaired individuals, cochlear implant users, and populations with developmental and communication disorders.

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