Congratulations to Melissa Hazen

Congratulations to CPIN student member Melissa Hazen (Institute of Medical Science, supervised by Dr. Karen Gordon) on completing the CPIN requirements and graduating from her PhD program. Melissa Hazen, PhD, is a clinical audiologist, lecturer in the Department of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, and graduate of the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto, where she completed the Collaborative Program in Neuroscience. Her doctoral research investigated motor, cognitive, and spatial outcomes in children with hearing loss treated with cochlear implants. Her findings highlight the impact of hearing history, vestibular and balance dysfunction, and socioeconomic marginalization on motor and developmental outcomes, while also demonstrating that children with hearing loss retain the capacity for multisensory, experience-dependent spatial improvement in real-world, camp-based settings. Her work has been published in top journals. Her doctoral training was supported by multiple competitive awards, including the Clinician Scientist Training Program PhD Scholarship at the SickKids Research Training Centre, three IMS Open Fellowships, two Raymond Ng PhD Graduate Awards and a multi-year Departmental Research Award from the Department of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, and the Margaret & Howard Gamble Research Grant. She also received national recognition from Speech-Language & Audiology Canada through the Isabel Richard Scholarship and the Audiology Leadership Scholarship. At SickKids, she spearheaded the growth of the pediatric vestibular program, expanding clinical services & triaging, and training new clinicians. She also contributed to Project Horizon, the hospital’s long-term redevelopment initiative, and led additional project management initiatives to advance clinical and research priorities.