Celia Zhang

Celia Zhang

Asst. Professor
San Francisco

At Pacific Since: 2021

Celia Zhang, AuD, PhD, CCC-A, F-AAA, earned her Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Hearing Sciences from University at Buffalo. She continued her studies at the University at Buffalo where she earned her dual doctorate, AuD and PhD in Communicative Disorders and Science. She completed her Audiology Externship at the NIH Clinical Center, Audiology Unit and worked as a clinical audiologist prior to starting her academic position. She joined the Department of Audiology at Pacific in 2021 as an Assistant Professor.

Dr. Zhang joins the Pacific faculty with extensive experience in auditory research, both clinical and basic science research. What she loves about Pacific is the diverse student body, outstanding environment for active learning and collaborative colleagues. As a faculty, she strives to foster a welcoming atmosphere so that all students feel supported and encouraged throughout their graduate education. She is excited by the opportunity to engage students with energizing lectures and hands-on labs and sharing her enthusiasm for learning and research. Her ultimate goal is to empower and inspire the future generation of clinicians and provide positive contributions to the professional field.

Dr. Zhang holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology. She is also a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the American Academy of Audiology and the Association for Research in Otolaryngology. Her most recent research activities focused on the cochlear immune response following age-related, noise-induced and gene-mutation related hearing loss. She has several publications in highly reputable journals in the field including Neuroscience and Hearing Research.

Education
  • PhD, Communication Disorders and Sciences, University at Buffalo, 2021
  • Audiology Externship, NIH Clinical Center, NIDCD, Audiology Unit, Bethesda, MD
  • AuD, Audiology, University at Buffalo, 2020
  • BA, Speech and Hearing Science, University at Buffalo, 2016
Teaching Interests

Teaching Philosophy

My goal as a faculty is to provide students with the foundational knowledge to grow as critical thinkers in the field. I want encourage conceptual understanding and help students develop critical thinking. I aim to use multiple teaching methods and provide reliable clinical examples to engage and motivate students. Overall, an unwavering passion for what I teach, respect for students as individuals and a willingness to help them succeed are the foundation of my teaching philosophy.

Courses

  • AUDI 305 — Diagnostics I
  • AUDI 309 — Electrophysiology I
  • AUDI 310 — Electrophysiology I Lab
  • AUDI 343 — Research Methods
  • AUDI 361 — Comprehensive Differential Diagnosis
  • AUDI 363 — Electrophysiology II
Research Focus

Dr. Zhang’s research focuses on developing novel methods to evaluate early changes in the auditory system in complex auditory disorders such as age-related and noise-induced hearing loss and auditory processing disorders. During her PhD studies, she used mouse models to examine how cochlear stressors including age-related hearing loss, noise-induced hearing loss and various genetic mutations modulate the cochlear immune response. Dr. Zhang is interested in using her knowledge and experience in basic science research to conduct clinical research to bridge the gap between patient needs and treatment development.

Research Interests

  • Cochlear Immunology
  • Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
  • Age-Related Hearing Loss
  • Genetic Hearing Loss
  • Sex Differences in Auditory Function