Dr. Kate Slade is a Lecturer in Psychology in Lancaster Medical School at Lancaster University. She is an outstanding early-career researcher pursuing research into ageing, hearing, and psychophysiology; specifically, the impact of hearing loss and effort needed for listening on the body and brain. She has a PhD in Experimental Psychology.

Professor Chris Plack is a world-leading auditory scientist, and currently holds a joint appointment as Professor of Auditory Neuroscience at Lancaster University, and Ellis Llwyd Jones Professor of Audiology at the University of Manchester. He has published over 150 peer-reviewed journal articles, 16 book chapters, an introductory textbook on hearing, and two volumes as lead editor. In 2003 he was elected a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America. He has a PhD in Psychoacoustics.