NeuroAud Hemodynamics Aging Lab

 Hear, balance, and age well. At the NeuroAud Hemodynamics Aging Lab (NAHAL), these three goals drive our science. We investigate the interactions between auditory/vestibular networks, cerebrovascular hemodynamics, and cognition to mitigate fall risk and preserve memory in aging and vulnerable populations, particularly those affected by Ménière’s disease or sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Somayeh (Bahar) Shahsavarani, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Director, NeuroAud Hemodynamics Aging Lab
Interim Co-Program Director, Department of Audiology

Dr. Somayeh (Bahar) Shahsavarani is an Assistant Professor of Audiology at San José State University and the Director of the NeuroAud Hemodynamics Aging Lab. With a multidisciplinary background in electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, computer science, and communication disorders, she completed postdoctoral fellowships at Columbia University, the Section on Functional Imaging Methods at the NIH, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Her research integrates vestibular physiology, cerebrovascular hemodynamics, cognitive neuroscience, and advanced computational modeling to understand how vascular and sensory systems interact to influence brain function and fall risk in aging populations. Previously, her work explored the neural basis of hemodynamic signals, characterized brain reorganization in hearing loss and tinnitus, and advanced novel analytical frameworks for directional neural dynamics.

Dr. Shahsavarani's current research, supported by funding from the Society for Vascular Ultrasound and San José State University, focuses on vestibular–vascular coupling and hippocampal-dependent memory as mechanistic pathways underlying balance impairment and fall risk. Alongside this core research, she leverages her computational background to advance artificial intelligence applications in tele-audiology.