Ciarán Stone is a Ph.D. student in the Neuroscience and Cognitive Science (NACS) program at the University of Maryland, housed in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences. As a Graduate Research Assistant in Dr. Samira Anderson’s Hearing Brain Laboratory, his research focuses on translational auditory neuroscience. Specifically, he investigates how the human brain adapts to, tracks, and processes continuous speech across the lifespan and in diverse populations, including older adults with hearing loss and second-language listeners. His work combines electrophysiology (EEG/MEG) and computational modeling to evaluate how targeted auditory training drives neuroplasticity to restore speech comprehension.

Prior to his doctoral studies, Ciarán served as the Laboratory Manager for the UMD Magnetoencephalography (MEG) Lab from 2021 to 2024. He holds a B.A. in Linguistics from the University of Maryland and a B.A. in Theater, Film, and Media Studies from St. Mary's College of Maryland. Ciarán brings a unique, interdisciplinary perspective to his research, drawing on nearly a decade of international experience as an English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instructor and professional voice-over producer. Passionate about public communication and outreach, he was awarded first place in the University of Maryland’s 2026 Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.