Professor Suzanne Carolyn Purdy

MSc, PhD, DipAud, FAAA, MAudSA, MNZAS

Head of School

In: Psychology » Faculty of Science

Biography

Academic background includes an MSc in Psychology (Auckland, 1982), PhD in Speech Pathology and Audiology (Iowa, 1990) and a Diploma of Audiology (Melbourne, 1982). Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Audiology in the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland 1990-1999. Senior Research Scientist, National Acoustic Laboratories, Sydney, Australia 2000-2003. Head of Speech Science 2003-2017. Currently Head of School of Psychology, Principle Investigator Centre for Brain Research and Brain Research New Zealand - Rangahau Roro Aotearoa and Eisdell Moore Centre for Hearing and Balance Research Deputy Co-director.

Research | Current

Communication disorders in adults and children
Electrophysiological assessment of auditory function
Auditory processing disorder
Hearing loss & speech discrimination
Cochlear implants
Choral singing therapy for people with neurological disease (aphasia & Parkinson’s disease)
Perception & production of speech prosody
Sensory processing in mild cognitive impairment

Teaching | Current

Course Director SPCHSCI 733. Teaching PSYCH 313 and SPCHSCI 733.

Postgraduate supervision

Bachelor Honours in Psychology, PYSCH 308, MSLTPrac, MSc(SpchSc), MSc/MA(Psych), PhD(SpchSc/Psych)

Distinctions/Honours

2016 National Foundation for the Deaf Inc. Hearing Hero Supreme Award

2012 NZ Speech-language Therapists’ Assoc. Marion Saunders Literary Award

2005 Inaugural Outstanding Service Award, NZ Audiological Society

2004 Certificate of Outstanding Service, Audiological Society of Australia

1989 University of Iowa Collegiate Associations Council Research Award

1987-1990 University of Iowa Graduate Assistantship

1987-1990 New Zealand Department of Health Study Award

1987-1990 Fulbright Travel Award for PhD study at the University of Iowa

1978 University of Auckland Senior Psychology Prize

Responsibilities

Head of School of Psychology
Chair, International Evoked Response Audiometry Study Group
Deputy Co-Director, Eisdell Moore Centre for Hearing and Balance Research
Member of Brain Research New Zealand Theme 4 Leadership team

Areas of expertise

Research areas: communication disorders and hearing loss in children and adults, auditory processing and electrophysiology, sensory and cognitive processing in people with neurological disease
Principal Investigator, The University of Auckland Centre for Brain Research (CBR)
Principal Investigator, Brain Research New Zealand - Rangahau Roro Aotearoa Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE)

Committees/Professional groups/Services

Member, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Auckland Neuroscience Network

Member, Minds for Minds Autism Spectrum Disorder Research Network

Member, CATALISE Consortium

Trustee, Hearing Research Foundation

Trustee, M.G. Martin Charitable Trust

Member, Paediatric Technical Advisory Group (PTAG) , New Zealand Audiological Society

Member, New Zealand Audiological Society Complaints Board

Member, Auckland District Health Board Newborn Hearing Screening (ADHB NBHS) Implementation Monitoring and Advisory Group

Selected publications and creative works (Research Outputs)

Asad, A. N., Purdy, S. C., Ballard, E., Fairgray, L., & Bowen, C. (2018). Phonological processes in the speech of school-age children with hearing loss: Comparisons with children with normal hearing. Journal of communication disorders, 74, 10-22. 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2018.04.004
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Elaine Ballard, Liz Fairgray
Smart, J. L., Purdy, S. C., & Kelly, A. S. (2018). Impact of Personal Frequency Modulation Systems on Behavioral and Cortical Auditory Evoked Potential Measures of Auditory Processing and Classroom Listening in School-Aged Children with Auditory Processing Disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 29 (7), 568-586. 10.3766/jaaa.16074
Purdy, S. C., Sharma, M., & Morgan, A. (2018). Measuring Perceptions of Classroom Listening in Typically Developing Children and Children with Auditory Difficulties Using the LIFE-UK Questionnaire. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 29 (7), 656-667. 10.3766/jaaa.17053
Plourde, J. M. H., Purdy, S. C., Moore, C., Friary, P., Brown, R., & McCann, C. M. (2018). Gavel Club for people with aphasia: communication confidence and quality of communication life. Aphasiology, 1-21. 10.1080/02687038.2018.1453043
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Clare McCann
Cañete OM, Purdy, S. C., Neeff, M., Brown, C. R. S., & Thorne, P. R. (2018). Cortical auditory evoked potential (CAEP) and behavioural measures of auditory function in an adult with a single sided deafness: case study. Hearing, Balance and Communication, 16 (1), 64-72. 10.1080/21695717.2018.1426297
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Oscar Canete Sepulveda, Peter Thorne
Távora-Vieira D, Wedekind, A., Marino, R., Purdy, S. C., & Rajan, G. P. (2018). Using aided cortical assessment as an objective tool to evaluate cochlear implant fitting in users with single-sided deafness. PloS one, 13 (2)10.1371/journal.pone.0193081
Friary, P., Fairgray, L., Donaldson, S., & Purdy, S. C. (2017). What does speech-language therapy look like in New Zealand and how does it interface with psychology?. Psychology Aotearoa, 9 (2), 78-82.
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Selena Donaldson, Philippa Friary
Cañete OM, Purdy, S. C., Neeff, M., Brown, C. R. S., & Thorne, P. R. (2017). Cortical auditory evoked potential (CAEP) and behavioural measures of auditory function in a child with a single-sided deafness. Cochlear implants international, 18 (6), 335-346. 10.1080/14670100.2017.1373499
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Oscar Canete Sepulveda, Peter Thorne