Prof. Dr. Jan Rennies-Hochmuth
Head of division
Mailing address
Prof. Dr. Jan Rennies-Hochmuth
Current position:
- Tenured professor (W3) at University of Oldenburg (Jülich model)
- Head of Group “Personalized Hearing Systems” at Fraunhofer IDMT
Current institutions/sites:
- Department of Medical Physics and Acoustics, Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Germany
- Oldenburg Branch for Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology HSA, Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT, Oldenburg, Germany
Stages of academic/professional career:
- Since 2025: Professor for Hearing, Speech and Neuro Technology (Jülich model) at University of Oldenburg, Germany
- 2023: Habilitation in Medical Physics, mentor Prof. Dr. Dr. Birger Kollmeier, subject “Measuring, modeling, and enhancing human speech perception”, University of Oldenburg, Germany
- Since 2018: Head of Group “Personalized Hearing Systems”, Fraunhofer IDMT, Oldenburg, Germany
- 2017-2018: Postdoctoral researcher, Boston University, Psychoacoustics Group Prof. Gerald Kidd Jr., Boston, MA, USA
- 2012-2017: Head of Group “Personalized Hearing Systems”, Fraunhofer IDMT, Oldenburg, Germany
- 2008-2012: Researcher at Fraunhofer IDMT, Oldenburg, Germany
Degree programmes:
- PhD study programme Neurosensory Science and Systems, 2009-2014, University of Oldenburg
- M.Sc., Engineering Physics, 2006-2008, University of Oldenburg, Germany
- B.Eng., Engineering Physics, 2003-2006, University of Oldenburg, Germany
Doctorate:
- 2013, mentor Prof. Dr. Dr. Birger Kollmeier, subject “Development and assessment of models for temporal and spatial aspects of hearing as revealed by loudness and speech perception”, University of Oldenburg, Germany
Activities in the Research System:
| 2020-present | Ombudsman for Good Scientific Practice at Fraunhofer IDMT |
| 2018-present | Reviewer of research grant proposals of different funding agencies (DFG, Action on Hearing Loss Foundation) |
| 2010-present | Ad-hoc reviewer for various peer-reviewed journals (Trends in Hearing, Plos One, IEEE, JASA, Acta Acustica, Ear and Hearing, …) |
Supervision of Researchers in Early Career Phases:
Lena Schell-Majoor (2018): “Objective quality assessment of product sounds” – Dr. rer. nat.
Aleksandra Kubiak (2020): “Experimental and model-based investigation of individual sound perception and listening preferences”, Dr. rer. nat.
Jonathan Gößwein (2024): Optimization of hearing device (self-)adjustment utilizing model based and psychophysical experiments, Dr. rer. nat.
Ewald Strasser: “On the role of hearing status and fatigue in speech perception”, ongoing Dr. rer. nat. project
Sina Buchholz: “Model-based and experimental investigation of auditory situational awareness with level-dependent hearing protection devices”, ongoing Dr. rer. nat project
Martin Berdau: “Realtime modeling and assessment of listening effort and speech intelligibility”, ongoing Dr. rer. nat project
Selected Publications
Publications (Category A):
1. Rennies, J., Röttges, S., Huber, R., Hauth, C.F. & Brand, T. (2022). A joint framework for blind prediction of binaural speech intelligibility and perceived listening effort. Hearing Research 108598. doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2022.108598, first ever non-intrusive binaural framework for predicting speech intelligibility and listening effort (own role: model analyses, manuscript writing).
2. Rennies, J., Schepker, H., Holube, I. & Kollmeier, B. (2014). Listening effort and speech intelligibility in listening situations affected by noise and reverberation. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 136, 2642-2653. doi.org/10.1121/1.4897398, foundational paper in investigating the relation between perceived listening effort and speech intelligibility (own role: study design, data analyses, manuscript writing)
3. Rennies, J., Brand, T. & Kollmeier, B. (2011). Prediction of the influence of reverberation on binaural speech intelligibility in noise and in quiet. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 130, 2999-2012. doi.org/10.1121/1.3641368, foundation paper for modeling binaural speech perception in CRC HAPPAA (own role: study design, data collection and analyses, manuscript writing)
4. Rennies, J., Holube, I. & Verhey, J.L. (2013). Loudness of speech and speech-like signals. Acta Acust. united Ac. 99, 268-282. doi.org/10.3813/AAA.918609, foundational paper for loudness of speech (own role: study design, data collection and analyses, manuscript writing)
5. Rennies, J., Warzybok, A., Brand, T. & Kollmeier, B. (2014). Modeling the effects of a single reflection on binaural speech intelligibility. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 135, 1556-1567. doi.org/10.1121/1.4863197, foundation paper for modeling binaural speech perception in CRC HAPPAA (own role: study design, data collection and analyses, manuscript writing)
6. Rennies, J., Wächtler, M., Hots, J. & Verhey, J.L. (2015). Spectro-temporal characteristics affecting the loudness of technical sounds: data and model predictions. Acta Acust. united Ac. 101, 1145-1156. doi.org/10.3813/AAA.918907
7. Rennies, J., Drefs, J., Huelsmeier, D., Scheker, H. & Doclo, S. (2017). Extension and evaluation of a near-end listening enhancement algorithm for listeners with normal and impaired hearing. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 141, 2526-2537. doi.org/10.1121/1.4979591, model-based speech enhancement algorithm for adaptive real-time applications (own role: study design, manuscript writing)
8. Rennies, J., Best, V., Roverud, E. & Kidd Jr., G. (2019). Energetic and informational components of speech-on-speech masking in binaural speech intelligibility and perceived listening effort. Trends in Hearing 23, 2331216519854597 ,1-21. doi.org/10.1177/2331216519854597, first experimental investigation to quantify the degree of information masking of speech maskers in listening effort (own role: study design, data analyses, manuscript writing)
9. Rennies, J., Warzybok, A., Brand, T. & Kollmeier, B. (2019). Measurement and prediction of binaural-temporal integration of speech reflections. Trends in Hearing 23, 2331216519854267, 1-21. doi.org/10.1177/2331216519854267, foundational paper showing that in contrast to textbook assumptions, binaural and temporal processed have strong interdependencies (own role: study design, data collection and analyses, manuscript writing)
10. Rennies, J., Schepker, H., Valentini-Botinhao, C. & Cooke, M. (2020). Intelligibility-enhancing speech modifications –The Hurricane Challenge 2.0. Proc. of Interspeech, Shanghai, China, 1341-1345. doi.org/10.21437/Interspeech.2020-1641, Documentation of international challenge for near-end listening enhancement (own role: primary coordinator of the challenge, study design, data analyses, manuscript writing)