Cochlear Implant Program Staff

Otology

Timothy E Hullar, MD - Director, Cochlear Implant Program

Timothy Hullar, MD
Dr. Hullar joined the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in 2015 as Director of Otology, Neurotology, and Skull Base Surgery and Director of the Cochlear Implant Program.  After graduating from Stanford University, he taught high school at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.  He received a Fulbright scholarship to study at the Max-Planck-Institut in Cologne, Germany before his medical studies at Harvard Medical School.  His clinical interests include the treatment of adults and children with hearing loss, tinnitus and imbalance, chronic ear disease, and benign and malignant tumors of the ear and lateral skull base.   He is board certified in Otolaryngology with additional certification in Neurotology.  He runs an active research laboratory focusing on cochlear implantation and imbalance. 

 

Sachin Gupta, MD, FACS - Otology, Neurotology, and Skull Base Surgery

Dr. Sachin Gupta joined the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in 2017. He received his B.A. degree from the University of Virginia, then his M.D. degree from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. After completing his residency in Otolaryngology at the New York University School of Medicine, Dr. Gupta completed a fellowship in Neurotology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Prior to joining our department, he was an attending surgeon in Otology/Neurotology at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

Dr. Gupta's clinical interests include all aspects of otology and neurotology, with a special focus on transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES) and skull base surgery. Outside the clinic, he is engaged in cochlear implant research in collaboration with Dr. Lina Reiss in the Oregon Hearing Research Center. 

Dr. Gupta is board certified in Otolaryngology, with additional subspecialty certification in Neurotology. In his free time, he enjoys basketball, hiking, and classical piano.

Yael Raz, MD - Otology, Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery

 Dr. Raz completed her undergraduate studies at Harvard University and her medical training at UCLA School of Medicine. She completed a residency in Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery as well as a fellowship in Otology, Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She has been extensively involved in basic science and clinic research during her training and early career at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dr. Raz relocated to Portland over the summer of 2016 to join the Otology Division. Dr. Raz's clinical interest focuses on surgical rehabilitation of hearing. In her free time, Dr. Raz looks forward to exploring the gardens, food scene and nature trails of the Pacific Northwest with her husband, two kids and one giant dog.

Sarah Liebler, MS, PA-C

Sarah Liebler, MS, PA-C
Sarah Liebler, PA-C, is originally from the Midwest and received her Bachelor of Science degree at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She subsequently completed her Masters in Physician Assistant Studies at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon in 2004. Sarah is a NCCPA board certified physician assistant and an active member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. Sarah returned to OHSU in 2012 to join the Neurotology/Skull Base Surgery team as an instructor. She works closely with Dr Tim Hullar and enjoys seeing patients with a wide variety of ear and hearing concerns. She also sees patients as part of  the OHSU Cochlear Implant program. Prior to joining the Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery department, Sarah spent seven years practicing with a private ENT group in Portland. She serves as an instructor and mentor for physician assistant students and is actively involved with the Oregon Health & Science Physician Assistant Program.

 

Audiology

Jessica Eggleston, AuD, CCC-A

Jessica Eggleston, AuD, CCC-A
Dr. Eggleston earned her Doctorate in Audiology from the University at Buffalo in 2010.  She earned her Bachelor of Science in Communicative Disorders and Sciences from the State University of New York at Geneseo in 2005.  She specializes in adult and pediatric diagnostic audiology, hearing aids, balance and vestibular evaluations, and cochlear implants.  She conducts research on cochlear implant and hearing aid patient outcomes and is particularly interested in cochlear implant and hearing aid use combined.   Dr. Eggleston, along with the other members of the OHSU Cochlear Implant Team, present information about cochlear implants throughout the year to the Hearing Loss Association of Oregon, in addition to other local organizations. Dr. Eggleston also enjoys mentoring Doctoral Audiology students and helping them develop into confident Audiologists.  She is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

 

Jennifer Fowler, AuD, CCC-A

Jennifer Fowler, AuD, CCC-A
Jennifer received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Speech and Hearing Science from The University of Iowa in 2008. She obtained her Master of Arts Degree in Audiology from The University of Iowa in 2011 and graduated from The University of Iowa as a Doctor of Audiology in 2012. Jennifer specializes in diagnostic audiology for pediatric and adult patients, balance assessments, and working with adult and pediatric patients with hearing aids and cochlear implants. 

Sara Funatake, AuD, CCC-A

Dr. Funatake is a Portland native who recieved her undergraduate degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences at Portland State University in 2011. She completed her Doctor of Audiology at Idaho State University in 2016. Dr. Funatake specializes adult and pediatric cochlear implants, hearing aids, and diagnostic audiology. Her research interests include patient-outcome assessments for cochlear implant users. 

Carrie Lakin, AuD, CCC-A

Carrie Lakin, AuD, CCC-A
Carrie received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Willamette University in 2002.  She graduated from San Diego State/University of California-San Diego as a Doctor of Audiology in 2008.  Carrie specializes in diagnostic audiology for both pediatrics and adults, balance assessment, and working with adult hearing aid and cochlear implant patients. 

Lindsay Schlobohm, AuD, CCC-A

Lindsay Schlobohm, AuD, CCC-A
Dr. Schlobohm is originally from the Seattle area, and received her Doctorate of Audiology from the University of Washington in 2017. While at the University of Washington, she was awarded a LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities) fellowship. She completed her undergraduate studies in neuroscience at Washington State University in 2013. She specializes in adult and pediatric cochlear implants, hearing aids, and diagnostic audiology. Her research interests include optimizing patient benefit from a cochlear implant in adult recipients.

Ashley Sobchuk, AuD, F-AAA

Ashley Sobchuk, AuD
Dr. Ashley Sobchuk received her Doctorate of Audiology from Pacific University in 2017. Ashley specializes in vestibular diagnostics, both pediatric and adult diagnostics, and amplification. Her externship year was spent gaining experiences in vestibular diagnostics and rehabilitation in Newport Beach, CA, and pediatric diagnostics in Los Angeles, CA. She most recently practiced in Ashland, OR at Imaginears specializing in adult amplification. Ashley originally grew up in Canada and the Pacific Northwest, and is happy to call Portland home.

Jessica Van Auken, MA, CCC-A

Jessica Van Auken, MA, CCC-A
Jessica graduated from Western Washington University – Bellingham, Washington, with her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2002, and her Master of Arts Degree in Audiology and Aural Rehabilitation in 2005.  Jessica specializes in diagnostic audiology and cochlear implants for both pediatric and adult patients, and provides aural rehabilitation therapy for pediatric and adult patients with hearing loss. 

Brittany Wilson, AuD, F-AAA

Brittany Wilson, AuD
Dr. Wilson graduated from The University of Texas at Dallas with a Doctorate in Audiology (Au.D.) in 2016. She received her B.S. in Communication Disorders from The University of Texas at Austin in 2012. She completed the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) fellowship at Oregon Health and Science University. She is a full time clinical audiologist serving pediatric and adult patients who utilize hearing aids and cochlear implants. She has experience serving on the interdisciplinary OHSU IDD Transition committee and serves many individuals who experience developmental disabilities. She participates in outcomes-based cochlear implant research through the OHSU Cochlear Implant Program.

Research

Lina Reiss, PhD

Lina Reiss, PhD
Dr. Lina Reiss joined the department in January 2010 as a researcher in the Cochlear Implant Program and Oregon Health Research Center. She completed a B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering from Princeton University in 1997 and went on to earn a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 2005. Dr Reiss completed a Postdoctoral fellowship in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Iowa ( 2005-2009). She joined the OHSU Otolaryngology Department as an Assistant Professor in Otolaryngology and Biomedical Engineering, working as a researcher in outcomes (results)  in patients with cochlear implants.

Dr. Reiss is the director of the Cochlear Implant and Hearing Aid Research Lab (CIHAR Lab). She is currently recruiting children and adults (normal-hearing, hearing-aid users, and cochlear implant users) for research studies on auditory perception.

  • More about CIHAR Lab research participation opportunities, click here.
  • Cochlear Implant and Hearing Aid Research Lab, click here.