PhD Students

Andie DeFreese is an audiologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and PhD candidate in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences at Vanderbilt University. Her research aims to better understand the variability in cochlear implant (CI) outcomes she sees in the clinic. Currently, her work focuses on identifying biomarkers in the central auditory system that can be used to help predict CI outcomes. She is also interested in large scale genomics projects, identifying variants related to hearing outcomes. She holds a Bachelors of Science in Neuroscience and Disability Studies, as well as a Doctor of Audiology, both from Vanderbilt University. Outside of work, Andie enjoys mountain biking with her dogs, baking and reading.

Ansley Kunnath is a sixth-year doctoral student in the Vanderbilt Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). She graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor’s degree in Cell Biology and Neuroscience. She is currently completing her doctoral research under the supervision of Dr. Mark Wallace and Dr. René Gifford, where she studies the effects of audiovisual training and cholinergic therapy on speech recognition in cochlear implant users. Her research interests include neuroplasticity and hearing loss, and she is excited to collaborate on a project exploring the intersection of musicality, cognition, and hearing. Outside of the lab, Ansley enjoys rock climbing, swing dancing, and playing her ukulele.

Tanguy du Mérac is an incoming second-year doctoral student in the Human Genetics Graduate Program at Vanderbilt University, currently interested in unravelling the neural and genetic basis of human musicality traits under the supervision of Dr. Reyna Gordon. During his MSc in Biomedical Sciences (University of Amsterdam), he dedicated his research to the genetic underpinnings of reading ability in Dr. Beate St. Pourcain’s research group (MPI for Psycholinguistics), as well as the genetic aetiology of inherited neurodegenerative disorders (i3S, Portugal). He holds a BSc in Microbiology and a BA in Philosophy, both awarded by the Catholic University of Portugal, and is eager to bring his contributions to both fields. Outside of work, Tanguy really enjoys playing piano, baking, writing poems, and reading books.