Dr. Kobrina

Abstract: Comparative studies are critical for understanding the development and progression
of hearing and communication disorders in humans. Laboratory mice have been widely used to
study age-related and noise-induced hearing disorders. In recent years, wild cricetid rodents
have emerged as important models for studying vocal changes that co-occur with hearing loss.
My research has evaluated hearing and vocal abilities in laboratory and wild rodents using
behavioral, electrophysiological, and anatomical techniques. Laboratory and wild rodents
experience age-and noise-related hearing loss similarly to humans. Interestingly, hearing and
communication abilities differed between laboratory and wild rodents. Wild rodents produce
long-distance calls using vocal fold vibrations, a mechanism similar to speech production, and
experience vocal changes with hearing loss. Utilizing both laboratory and wild rodents is critical
for modeling human disorders and establishing safety standards.
Biography: Dr. Anastasiya Kobrina is a Research Psychologist working at the Air Force
Research Laboratory (AFRL) in San Antonio, TX. She received her PhD from the University at
Buffalo, SUNY. Her predoctoral work focused on using behavioral techniques to model hearing
and communication disorders in laboratory rodents and birds. In 2019 she joined Northern
Arizona University as a postdoctoral scholar to study the utility of wild rodent models. She
trained at John Hopkins School of Medicine in 2022 on electrophysiological and anatomical
analysis of the auditory system. Prior to joining AFRL she worked with Dr. Jay Buckey at
Dartmouth College on studying how infections, such as COVID and HIV, effect auditory
processing and cognition in humans.

Biography:

Dr. Anastasiya Kobrina is a Research Psychologist working at the Air Force
Research Laboratory (AFRL) in San Antonio, TX. She received her PhD from the University at
Buffalo, SUNY. Her predoctoral work focused on using behavioral techniques to model hearing
and communication disorders in laboratory rodents and birds. In 2019 she joined Northern
Arizona University as a postdoctoral scholar to study the utility of wild rodent models. She
trained at John Hopkins School of Medicine in 2022 on electrophysiological and anatomical
analysis of the auditory system. Prior to joining AFRL she worked with Dr. Jay Buckey at
Dartmouth College on studying how infections, such as COVID and HIV, effect auditory
processing and cognition in humans.