Dr. Ray Goldsworthy on Cochlear Implants, Timing, Music, and Identity

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine interviews Dr. Ray Goldsworthy, a cochlear implant (CI) user and USC Associate Professor of Otolaryngology whose work integrates psychoacoustics, signal processing, and auditory rehabilitation to improve CI speech and music perception, especially through more precise stimulation timing. Goldsworthy shares losing hearing suddenly at 13 from spinal meningitis, receiving a CI in 1988 during pediatric trials, and shifting from physics to CI research. He explains cochlear frequency mapping with a “piano in your ear” analogy and discusses why 22-electrode arrays can still support useful pitch perception, though below typical hearing. He describes listening effort in noisy settings, the value of turning the implant off, growing identification as deaf, and emphasizes community engagement, resources for music rediscovery, workshops, and internships for students with hearing loss. Contact Dr. Goldsworthy: goldswo@usc.edu.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

01:04 Ray’s Hearing Loss Story

01:54 Why Cochlear Implant Research

03:27 Timing and Hearing Precision

04:14 Cochlea Explained Like Piano

05:22 Electrodes and Pitch Limits

07:47 Community and Music Programs

09:25 Life as a CI User

10:47 Advice and Building Support

12:58 Identity and Closing Thoughts