Dr. Mertes studies the ascending and descending auditory pathways in individuals with normal hearing and with hearing loss. He uses a combination of otoacoustic emissions, auditory electrophysiology, and perceptual measures. The long-term of goals of his research program are to determine how sound perception is driven by the interconnections between the peripheral and central auditory systems, to delineate the effect of hearing loss on these interconnections, and to determine the impact of potential treatments such as auditory training when these interconnections are impaired.