"Can you think of a time you struggled to follow a friend’s words in a noisy coffee shop? The chatter and clinking dishes make it hard to hear, and despite focusing, you still miss parts of the conversation? The effort might feel draining. For many, especially older adults, this is more than an occasional frustration, it can be a daily challenge.

My research explores how the brain and body respond to these difficult listening situations, particularly in older adults with age-related hearing loss. By analyzing brain activity using fNIRS and pupil changes, I aim to uncover how listening effort affects speech understanding in noisy environments with hearing aid users.'