Prof. Dr. Hatice Seyra Erbek is a distinguished Turkish otolaryngologist and academic, currently serving as a Professor in the Department of Surgical Medical Sciences at Lokman Hekim University, Faculty of Medicine, in Ankara. She holds a medical degree from Ankara University Faculty of Medicine (1986–1992) and has extensive experience in the field of otolaryngology.

With a publication record of 48 journal articles indexed in SCI, her research interests encompass clinical medicine, particularly in the areas of audiology and vestibular disorders.

In addition to her academic role, Prof. Dr. Erbek is affiliated with Lokman Hekim Akay Hospital in Ankara, where she provides clinical services in the field of otolaryngology.

For more information on her academic and clinical work, you can visit her profile on the Lokman Hekim University AVESİS portal: avesis.lokmanhekim.edu.tr

Navid Shahnaz, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Audiology at the School of Audiology & Speech Sciences, University of British Columbia, Canada. He leads an internationally recognized research program focused on middle ear and vestibular assessment across the lifespan, with strong integration of clinical practice, biomedical engineering, and translational research.

Dr. Shahnaz is widely recognized for his contributions to advancing wideband acoustic immittance (WAI) as a clinically meaningful diagnostic tool. His work has helped bridge the gap between research and practice by developing normative datasets, stimulus paradigms, and interpretation frameworks that enhance the accuracy of middle ear and auditory system assessment. His research spans a broad range of conditions, including otosclerosis, tympanic membrane pathologies, age-related changes, and the effects of hearing loss and instrumentation on acoustic measures.

In newborn hearing screening, Dr. Shahnaz is leading efforts to move beyond the traditional binary pass/refer model by developing a mechanism-informed screening paradigm. This approach integrates otoacoustic emissions, WAI, and acoustic reflex measures to better identify the underlying causes of screening failure, with the goal of improving early diagnosis and optimizing clinical decision-making.

His vestibular research includes work on cervical and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMP and oVEMP), particularly comparing air- and bone-conducted stimulation methods, and investigating the clinical utility of computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) in the assessment and management of patients with balance disorders.

Dr. Shahnaz has published extensively in leading audiology and hearing science journals and is an invited speaker at major international conferences. He is actively engaged in collaborative research initiatives and works closely with clinicians, industry partners, and health authorities to ensure that research findings translate into improved clinical practice and health policy.

At IFOS 2026 in Türkiye, Dr. Shahnaz looks forward to contributing to the global otology and neurotology community and engaging in scientific exchange that advances patient care.