David Horn, M.D., M.S.
Primary Investigator
Dr. Horn is an Associate Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Washington and holds an adjunct appointment with the Department of Speech and Hearing
Sciences. He is a pediatric otolaryngologist and Co-director of the Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program at Seattle Children’s Hospital. His research employs behavioral (psychoacoustic) methods to study auditory development in pediatric cochlear implant patients. Dr. Horn’s research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, American Otological Society, Seattle Children’s Research Fund, and private donations.
Dr. Horn earned his medical degree at the Medical College of Wisconsin and then completed an Otolaryngology residency at Indiana University. During residency, he completed 2 years of dedicated research with Drs. David Pisoni and Richard Miyamoto on cognitive and behavioral development in pediatric cochlear implant patients. His Pediatric Otolaryngology fellowship training was subsequently completed at the University of Pittsburgh and he joined the UW faculty in 2010. Originally from Los Angeles, Dr. Horn is thrilled to be back on the west coast. His lovely wife and three tempestuous daughters keep him busy enough when away from the hospital and the lab. When he has a free moment, he spends his time cycling, cooking, watching old movies, and playing guitar.
Destinee M Halverson, AuD, CCC-A
Research Audiologist
Dr. Destinee Halverson is the Research Audiologist for PADL. She is also a Pediatric Audiologist at Seattle Children’s Hospital where she sees newborn infants through young adults with hearing loss. Dr. Halverson graduated with her Doctorate of Audiology from Western Washington University in 2021. Prior to graduation, she received a NIH/NIDCD T35 research traineeship at Boys Town National Research Hospital. Her research and clinical interests include pediatric cochlear implants, brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) testing, auditory development and processing differences, and audiovisual speech perception. In her free time, Dr. Halverson enjoys thrifting, road trips, live music, and searching for all the best happy hour spots in the city!
Mariette Broncheau, B.S.
Research Coordinator
Mariette is the Research Coordinator for PADL. She is the first point of contact for most people who enroll their infants in any of our studies. Mariette studied Speech and Hearing Sciences here at the University of Washington, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 2013. She is the proud mom of two and enjoys campfires, video games, and attending live music concerts with her uproarious life partner.
Olga Peskova, M.S., Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Postdoctoral Scholar
Dr. Olga Peskova is a postdoctoral scholar for PADL. She earned her Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2017 and her Ph.D. in 2020 from The University of Texas at Dallas, where she worked with Dr. Emily Tobey and Dr. Peter Assmann. She completed her clinical fellowship at Listen and Talk and earned her license in Speech Language Pathology in 2022. Her research focuses on the development of communication skills in children with cochlear implants (CIs). In her dissertation, she examined perception and production outcomes and associated error patterns in children using CIs. She likes to spend her free time with her husband and their twins. She also enjoys reading, yoga, board games with friends and family, long walks along the ocean, and travelling.
Echo Baraquio
Research Study Assistant, Graduate Student Clinician
Echo is one of the research lab assistants and is a graduate student in the medical speech-language pathology program at the University of Washington. She received a psychology degree from Seattle University and completed a post-baccalaureate year in speech and hearing sciences at UW. She enjoys working with children and adults and wants to work back in Hawai’i in the intensive care unit after graduating. In her free time, she likes reading, farmer’s markets, and being in the sun (when it’s out).
Megan Hawtree
Research Study Assistant
Megan is an undergraduate student of Speech and Hearing Sciences who has several years of experience with children from infancy to school-age. She aspires to begin graduate studies to one day serve those in rehabilitation for head and neck oncology, where she can continue to advocate for those across the lifespan, but especially those with disabilities.
Originally from South Florida, you will find her paddle boarding and enjoying other water activities in the summer months. Pursuing nature photography, volunteering in her community and reading are her other pastimes outside of academia.
UW Prosthetic Auditory Development Lab 