HEARAZ-Colloquium
October 2025: Participation in IEEE-EMBS International Conference on Biomedical and Health Informatics
One of our associated PhD students attended the IEEE BHI 25 conference from the 26th to the 29th of October 2025. There, he presented a poster poster about radar-based sleep-wake classification in acute stroke patients. Positive discussions took place with visitors to the poster, and a broad exchange of ideas and networks with numerous participants was possible.
September 2025: HEARAZ Summer School in Leer
From 3 to 5 September, the first summer school of the Research Training Group took place at the Ostfriesen-Hof in Leer. Over three inspiring days, PhD candidates and principal investigators came together to exchange ideas, discuss internal developments, and future directions.
A highlight of the event was the poster session, where all PhDs presented their work and received valuable feedback from the PIs. The program was rounded off by a social evening of traditional nine-pin bowling, offering a relaxed setting to connect and get to know each other beyond the academic setting.
July 2025: Participation in the 1st Oldenburg Open Science Conference
On July 18, four doctoral researchers from the HEARAZ Research Training Group participated in the 1st Oldenburg Open Science Conference. As part of the program, one of the doctoral researchers presented her work in a poster session entitled: “Exploring the Role of Hearing Assistance Technologies on the Social Health of Individuals in Need of Care and Support: A Scoping Review Protocol”.
The poster introduced a preregistered scoping review protocol that explores how hearing assistance technologies ranging from traditional hearing aids to emerging hearables affect social health and participation among individuals in need of care and support. Particular emphasis was placed on dimensions of social health such as social interaction, participation, loneliness, and well-being.
The conference provided a valuable opportunity to highlight the importance of Open Science practices such as preregistration, methodological transparency, and protocol sharing. At the same time, it offered a platform for the HEARAZ researchers to engage with colleagues from various disciplines, exchange experiences, and discuss strategies for implementing Open Science in applied health and care research.
July 2025: Attending IEEE EMBC 2025 in Copenhagen
From July 14th to 17th, one of our PhD students attended the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Conference (EMBC) 2025 in Copenhagen. As part of the HEARAZ Research Training Group, Lea Feld presented her work in a poster session. The contribution was titled „Stiffness and Damping in Human Walking Across Different Directions and Walking Trials“.
A notable part of the conference was a mini symposium on “Ear-centered sensing for wearable monitoring and interaction,” which directly related to the focus of the HEARAZ GRK. The session featured presentations on topics such as gait analysis, human activity recognition, heart rate estimation, and person authentication using chewing artifacts – all highlighting the growing role of the ear as a sensor position. Attending the conference offered a valuable opportunity to engage with current research in the field, receive feedback on ongoing research, and build connections with other researchers working on related topics.
July 2025: Workshop: “Beyond the Lab: Integrating Patient Perspectives into Doctoral Studies”
The PhD candidates of the HEARAZ research training group were invited to join a two-day workshop on Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in health and social care research. The event was organized and delivered by PD Dr. Anna Levke Brütt (University of Oldenburg) together with Dr. Elspeth Mathie and Prof. Julia Jones from the University of Hertfordshire, England. At the venue, the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg in Delmenhorst, everyone came together to learn about the theory and practice of PPI – especially when it comes to successfully integrating it into research projects in areas such as dementia, learning disabilities, and psychiatry. On the second day, the PhD candidates were able to develop and present ideas on how to incorporate PPI into their own PhD projects, followed by individual feedback and group discussions on possible challenges. The workshop presented valuable insights and paved the way for integrating PPI in the HEARAZ RTG.
June 2025: First Meeting of the HEARAZ Industry Advisory Board
Directly following this year’s Hearing Instrument Developers Forum in Oldenburg, the first meeting of the HEARAZ Industry Advisory Board took place. Participants included representatives from the graduate college as well as from various hearing aid companies. The main focus was on introducing HEARAZ, exploring shared interests, and identifying potential opportunities for collaboration. As part of the meeting, three doctoral researchers from the college presented their projects and received direct feedback from industry professionals.
The meeting provided valuable insights for both sides, and a follow-up is already planned for November of this year.
Lecture Series
| Date & Time | Location | PI | Subject |
| 11.04.2025 – 10:00-12:00 | OL – V03 0-E002 | Hein (& Schultz) | Introduction: Hearables and Overview |
| 25.04.2025 – 10:00-12:00 | OL – A07 0-025 | Zieschang & Radeloff | Clinical Practice: Diseases from a Medical and Nursing Perspective – Geriatrics & ENT |
| 23.05.2025 – 10:00-12:00 | HB – CART 0.01 | Schultz & Hein | Technical Fundamentals: Biosignals |
| 06.06.2025 – 10:00-12:00 | OL – W30-0-033/34 | Kollmeier (& Schultz) | Technical Fundamentals: Signal Processing |
| 20.06.2025 – 10:00-12:00 | OL – W30-0-033/34 | Kollmeier | Technical Fundamentals: Hearing Aids & Acoustics |
| 27.06.2025 – 10:00-12:00 | OL – V03 2-A208 | Brütt | Clinical Research Methods: Assessments, Diagnostics, Questionnaires |
| 04.07.2025 – 10:00-12:00 | OL – V03 0-E002 | Hein & Schweda | Clinical Research Methods: Research Data Management & Ethics |
| 08.07.2025 – 08:30-10:00 | online | Wolf-Ostermann | Clinical Research Methods: Study Design |
| 14.07.2025 – 08:30-10:00 | online | Wolf-Ostermann | Clinical Research Methods: Literature Review |
February-March 2025: Hearables Workshop
Hearables and scientific studies:
This workshop covered the fundamentals of hearables and scientific studies. Doctoral students developed their own research questions and worked in groups to plan, conduct and evaluate small-scale studies.
Participants also visited the University of Oldenburg’s Virtual Reality Lab.
December 2024: PhD-KickOff Event
Interdisciplinary work:
At the PhD kick-off event in Varel, networking and the opportunities and challenges of interdisciplinary work were the main focus.
