ÕýÆ·À¶µ¼º½

Bio

Dr. Zahra Jafari is an Assistant Professor at ÕýÆ·À¶µ¼º½ University. She brings a multidisciplinary academic background and a research program that spans cognitive neuroscience, auditory science, and artificial intelligence. Her work focuses on healthy aging, frailty, cognitive decline, and dementia, with additional research interests in auditory processing, speech analysis, multilingualism, and music perception.

Dr. Jafari leads an interdisciplinary lab that welcomes graduate students and postdoctoral fellows interested in cutting-edge research at the intersection of neuroscience and data science. She is particularly keen to supervise trainees with experience in electrophysiological recording and analysis, machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), big data analytics, and the integration of AI in health-related research.

She supervises PhD students in the Health program and Master’s thesis students in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program, including Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology streams.

Education/Training

• Postdoctoral Fellowship (Neuroscience) – University of Lethbridge, Canada
• PhD (Rehabilitation Sciences) – University of Ottawa, Canada
• PhD (Cognitive Neuroscience) – University of Tabriz, Iran
• MSc and BSc (Audiology) – Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran

Research Interests

• Healthy aging and frailty
• Biomarkers and interventions for cognitive decline and dementia
• AI integration in neuroscience and health research
• Speech analysis, NLP applications

Teaching

• CMSD 6420: Advanced Diagnostic Audiology
• CMSD 6070: Topics in Audiology Procedures
• CMSD 6630" Cochlear Implants and other Implantable Devices

Selected Publications

• Jafari Z, Harari RE, Hole G, Kolb BE, Mohajerani MH. 2025. Machine Learning Models Can Predict Tinnitus and Noise-Induced Hearing Loss. Ear and Hearing, 48, 1-12.
• Jafari Z, Andrew M, Rockwood K. 2025. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses of Air Pollution and Increased Risk of Frailty. Age and Ageing. 54 (5), 1-14.
• Jafari Z, Ryait H, Habibnzhad M, Niehaus C, Cantwell E, Dudley J, Kolb BE, Mohajerani MH. 2025. Reaction Time, Speech Recognition, and Verbal Memory Performance: Non-native vs. Native English Speakers. Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research, 68 (4).
• Jafari Z, Kolb BE, Aiken S, Wilson S. 2025. Updates on Auditory Outcomes of COVID-19 and Vaccine Side Effects:  An Umbrella Review. Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research, 2025;68(3):1311-1332.
• Jafari Z, Afrashteh N, Kolb BE, Mohajerani MH. 2023. Hearing Loss and Impaired Short-Term Memory in an Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Model of Amyloid-beta Pathology. Experimental Neurology. 365, 114413.
• Jafari Z, Fitzpatrick EM, Schramm DR, Rouillon I, Koravand A. 2023. An Umbrella Review of Cochlear Implant Outcomes in Children with Auditory Neuropathy. Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research. 30:1-17.
• Jafari Z, Villeneuve C, Thompson J, Koravand A. 2022. Evidence of Subcortical Plasticity and Enhanced Neural Synchrony in Multilinguals. Bilin: Lang Cogn. 26(2):307-16.
• Jafari Z, Baguley D, Kolb BE, Mohajerani MH. A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Extended High-frequency Hearing Thresholds in Tinnitus with a Normal Audiogram. Ear and Hearing. 2022;43(6):1643-52.
• Jafari Z, Copps T, Hole G, Nyatepe-Coo F, Kolb BE, Mohajerani MHH. Tinnitus, Sound Intolerance, and Mental Health in Long-term Noise Exposure. European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology. 2022 279(11):5161-70.
• Jafari Z, Kolb BE, Mohajerani MH. Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, and Dizziness in COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Canadian Journal of Neurological Science. 2021, 12: 1-12.
• Jafari Z, Kolb BE, Mohajerani MH. Age-related Hearing Loss, and Cognitive Decline: MRI and Cellular Evidence. Annals of the New York Academy of Science. 2021, 1500(1):17-33.
• Jafari Z, Perani D, Kolb BE, Mohajerani MH. Bilingual Experience and Intrinsic Functional Connectivity in Adults, Aging, and Alzheimer's Disease. Annals of the New York Academy of Science. 2021, 1505(1):8-22.
• Jafari Z, Kolb BE, Mohajerani MH. Neural Oscillations and Brain Stimulation in Alzheimer's Disease. Progress in Neurobiology. 2020, 194: 101878.
• Jafari Z, Kolb BE, Mohajerani MH. Prepulse Inhibition of the Acoustic Startle Reflex and P50 Gating in Aging and Alzheimer's Disease. Ageing Research Reviews. 2020, 56: 101028.
• Jafari Z, Kolb BE, Mohajerani MH. Auditory Dysfunction in Parkinson's Disease. Movement Disorders. 2020, 25(4): 537-50.
• Jafari Z, Kolb BE, Mohajerani MH. Age-related Hearing Loss and Tinnitus, Dementia Risk, and Hearing Amplification Outcomes. Ageing Research Reviews. 2019, 56. 100963.
• Jafari Z, Copps T, Hole G, Kolb BE, Mohajerani MH. Noise Damage Accelerates Auditory Aging and Tinnitus: A Canadian Population-based Study. Otology Neurotology. 2020, 41(10): 1316-26.
• Jafari Z, Kolb BE, Mohajerani MH. Noise Exposure Accelerates the Risk of Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease: Adulthood, Gestational, and Prenatal Mechanistic Evidence from Animal Studies. Neuroscience Biobehavioral Reviews. 2020, 117: 110-28.