Deborah Vickers is funded by a Medical Research Council Senior Fellowship in Hearing Research. She leads the ?Sensory Optimisation Using Neuroscience for Devices? (SOUND) Lab, where research is focussed on understanding sound perception, impact of neuroplasticity on auditory discrimination, and clinical interventions to optimise outcomes with hearing devices. Dr Vickers is a Speech and Hearing scientist with extensive research experience in: improving speech perception for profoundly deafened adults; understanding cochlear dead regions; speech and language development in children; using electrophysiology measures to guide remapping and understand brain changes in cochlear implant users. Dr Vickers has been instrumental in updating the NICE guidelines on cochlear implant candidacy in the UK and hosts the Translational Auditory Research Group (TARG) bringing together clinicians and researchers in hearing to maximise the impact of her research programme.