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The Community-Engaged Research for Communication Access (CERCA) Lab is dedicated to improving access and equity of hearing care with the overall goal of enhancing communication and quality of life.

Vision – A world without communication barriers, allowing each person to thrive and reach their fullest potential.
Purpose – To improve access to hearing care for individuals with age-related hearing loss and to advance prevention strategies for those at risk of noise-induced hearing loss.
Values – Equity, access, communication, empowerment, proactivity.

cerca_lab

We post about audiology, disability, communication access and resources en español + asl.
Lab Director: Laura Coco, PhD, AuD

The inaugural meeting of RAÍCES!! SDSU’s studen The inaugural meeting of RAÍCES!! SDSU’s student-led group focused on farmworker health and wellbeing. Join us next time! Follow @raices_sdsu for updates
🌟 Lab Member of the Week 🌟 Esmeralda is a 4t 🌟 Lab Member of the Week 🌟
Esmeralda is a 4th-year student and in her second year with the CERCA Lab! She’s working toward a career in Speech-Language Pathology and loves gaining hands-on experience through the lab. One of her favorite memories was learning to conduct an otoscopic exam 👂with her teammates! Outside of the lab, you can find her behind the camera doing photography 📸 or spending time with friends at the beach! 🌊
🧦🧣 Support Farmworkers – Donate Today! 🧢🧤

Help provide new unisex socks, as well as hats, beanies, and blankets for farmworkers this season.

📦 Two ways to give:
	1.	Order directly from our Amazon Wishlist (QR code ships to us).
	2.	Purchase items yourself and drop off at SLHS 248 (Tues–Fri, 9am–4pm).

📅 Deadline: Friday, November 7

🤝 In collaboration with: CERCA Lab – SDSU, Yuma County Farmworker Services Coalition, and Campesinos Sin Fronteras

Questions? Contact Laura Coco, AuD, PhD at lcoco@sdsu.edu

✨ Every donation makes a difference. Let’s show our gratitude and support for those who feed our communities!
🌟Lab Member of the Week🌟 Ariel is a first-ye 🌟Lab Member of the Week🌟
Ariel is a first-year AuD student who recently graduated from CSUSM with her B.S. in Speech-Language Pathology. Her favorite memory has been bonding with teammates on the Jolene project while practicing new skills like soldering 💥🔧! She plans to specialize in pediatric audiology👂and continue contributing research to the field. Outside of the lab, she enjoys drawing, reading, and playing piano! 🎶📚✏️
We’re recruiting SDSU undergraduate and graduate We’re recruiting SDSU undergraduate and graduate students to join RAICES (Red de Alianzas Integrales para el Cuidado, Equidad y Salud Campesina), a student-led initiative promoting health equity for farmworkers through service and cultural humility.

Thanks to SDSU Student Success Fee funding, we are able to focus on promoting hearing health among farmworkers, with a strong emphasis on student interdisciplinary collaboration. As this is our first year, students will help shape the direction of the project.

Students from all disciplines are welcome! They’ll gain outreach experience, strengthen Spanish skills, and make a real impact in underserved communities.
🌟 Lab Member of the Week 🌟 Madison is a 4th- 🌟 Lab Member of the Week 🌟
Madison is a 4th-year transfer student and in her 2nd year in the lab! She serves as lead for the OTC/cognition project, and plans to pursue audiology in the future! 👩‍🔬 Favorite lab memory? Using a jigsaw 🪚 on our mannequin head 👤 —it was way more fun than expected!
Let’s take a look at what our team has been up t Let’s take a look at what our team has been up to!

First, is our Jolene/Joél project. The drill team has completed the first steps for modifying a mannequin 👤 to incorporate a prosthetic ear 👂 . Shoutout to our electrical team— this week they overcame obstacles related to taking apart a sound level meter and have been working diligently to resolve all our technical issues!

In addition, the bilingual members of our OTC/Cognition team has been hard at work transcribing 44 (😮!) interviews conducted by Dr Coco and grad student Cynthia Algara when they were in Oaxaca this past summer. This will allow our team to help identify cultural views, barriers, and solutions related to hearing healthcare in rural Mexico. 

Last but not least, is AuD student Chris Rodriguez presented on his doctoral thesis “Successful Self Management of Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids” at the California Academy of Audiology in San Francisco!

Stay tuned for more progress updates coming soon!
Audiology doctoral (AuD) student Chris Rodriguez p Audiology doctoral (AuD) student Chris Rodriguez presenting on his doctoral thesis: “Successful Self Management of Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids” at the California Academy of Audiology conference in San Francisco!! 👏
Progress report: Jolene/Joel is coming to life! To Progress report: Jolene/Joel is coming to life! Today, we drilled a hole in the mannequin we’ll be using for this research— one step closer to simulating real-world testing conditions!
This July, Dr Coco and CERCA Lab trainee (and SDSU This July, Dr Coco and CERCA Lab trainee (and SDSU/UCSD AuD student) Cynthia Algara spent time in Oaxaca, Mexico🇲🇽 to carry out data collection for a new research study. It was Guelaguetza season - a particularly festive time to be in the city, with parades and celebrations almost every day! @sdsuchhs @sdsu_slhs @sdsuresearch
Join us on Monday!! Join us on Monday!!
🎉And that’s a wrap on the semester folks!🎉 🎉And that’s a wrap on the semester folks!🎉

As the school year comes to a close, our research lab celebrates a year of collaboration, innovation, and academic success. A special congratulations to all of our graduating lab members—your contributions to lab have made a lasting impact. 

Wishing everyone a good summer and continued success in your careers and academic endeavors!
Our AD-RCMAR group wrapped up the semester with th Our AD-RCMAR group wrapped up the semester with their last meeting yesterday! Grateful for the progress, collaboration, and community we’ve built—excited for what’s ahead!#ResearchCommunity #SemesterWrapUp
🌟🌟 Did you know Q-tips can actually do more 🌟🌟 Did you know Q-tips can actually do more harm than good? They can push wax deeper into the ear and even cause damage. Check out this flyer to learn safer, ear-friendly alternatives!👂
🌟🌟 Shoutout to our amazing lab member Brianna for creating this awesome graphic and flyer!
#EarHealth #SafeAlternatives
A heads up for our followers!!👂🚨 Lab directo A heads up for our followers!!👂🚨 Lab director Dr. Laura Coco will be presenting alongside collaborator and SDSU assistant professor Dr. Ariana Stickel on hearing loss and cognition at the Glenner Symposium. The Symposium will be held in Chula Vista on Thursday, May 8th. RSVP by April 28th through the link below:
https://glenner.org/symposium-05-08-25 /
Halfway through the semester, and our lab has been Halfway through the semester, and our lab has been BUSY! 👂🎧 Here’s a little photodump of what we’ve been up to:

📍 Attending the American Auditory Society Conference in Scottsdale, AZ
👂 Practicing otoscopy and sharpening our clinical skills
🎤 Presenting our research at the S3 Student Symposium
📸 Wrapping up a great lab meeting with our amazing team

Excited for what’s to come in the second half of the semester! 💡📚 #HearingResearch #Audiology #SDSU #SLHS #LabLife
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