Brenda Ryals is a Professor in Communication Sciences and Disorders at James Madison University. Her research on the neural and functional consequences of hair cell regeneration has been funded by the NIDCD/NIH and the Dept. of Veterans Affairs since 1984. She co-authored the first paper describing the discovery of hair cell regeneration in birds. She has published over 100 scientific articles and abstracts, 8 book chapters and given more than 75 presentations in the US, Japan, Russia and Western Europe. She is a former member of the Executive Board of the American Academy of Audiology, and is currently Editor-in-Chief of the journal of Ear and Hearing.