FULL ACADEMIC PROFILE — DR BARBARA M. HEINZE

Biography

Dr Barbara M. Heinze is a clinical academic audiologist whose work spans vestibular and cochlear science, aural rehabilitation, adult amplification, and translational clinical innovation. With more than two decades of experience across South Africa and Australia, she brings together expertise in vestibular disorders, hearing device outcomes, digital audiology, and ototoxicity/vestibulotoxicity. She completed her PhD at the University of Pretoria on vestibular involvement in adults with HIV/AIDS.

She is Senior Adjunct Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia (UWA), Implant Innovation Research Lead at the Ear Science Institute Australia (ESIA), and Senior Clinical Audiologist at Lions Hearing Clinics. Dr Heinze supervises Masters and PhD research, leads national and international collaborations with the National Acoustic Laboratories (NAL) and Cochlear Limited, and has published extensively in leading audiology and vestibular science journals.

Her teaching portfolio spans undergraduate and postgraduate audiology, with leadership in adult aural rehabilitation, hearing aid fitting and verification, counselling, and modern approaches to rehabilitation and hearing device outcomes.

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5593-5474
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-henze-a76aa61aa/

Research Overview

Dr Heinze’s research integrates vestibular and cochlear science, hearing device outcomes, ototoxicity/vestibulotoxicity, psychoacoustics, and digital audiology. Her program spans mechanistic investigations, advanced diagnostics, clinical outcomes, and translational care models.

Her work includes:

• vestibular and cochlear dysfunction across infectious disease, oncology, metabolic, and ageing populations
• post‑market cochlear implant outcomes, vestibular implications, and remote care pathways
• sub‑clinical hearing difficulties, real‑world listening outcomes, and psychoacoustic contributors to communication challenges
• digital audiology, mobile/automated tools, and tele‑audiology for low‑resource and remote contexts
• development of advanced vestibular measures and normative datasets

She has contributed to multi‑centre cochlear implant studies with Cochlear Limited, national research programs with NAL, and foundational vestibular diagnostic development including chirp‑evoked VEMPs and computerized rotational head impulse testing.

Roles & Responsibilities

Senior Adjunct Research Fellow, University of Western Australia (2023–present)

• Lead cochlear implant outcomes, vestibular diagnostics, and sub‑clinical hearing difficulty research
• Supervise Masters and PhD students
• Teach and clinically supervise in implant and vestibular clinics

Implant Innovation Research Lead, ESIA (2024–present)

• Lead implant innovation, outcomes research, and remote-care models
• Industry partnership leadership (Cochlear Limited)

Senior Clinical Audiologist, ESIA & Lions Hearing Clinics (2021–present)

• Advanced diagnostics, vestibular rehabilitation, complex adult hearing care, implant candidacy

Lecturer → Senior Lecturer, University of Pretoria (2008–2021)

• Curriculum leadership in adult aural rehabilitation and amplification
• Supervision of numerous Masters and Doctoral students

Research Interests

• Vestibular science & advanced diagnostics (VEMPs, crHIT, vHIT, rotary chair)
• Ototoxicity and vestibulotoxicity
• Cochlear implant outcomes & vestibular implications
• Sub‑clinical hearing difficulties
• Digital audiology and tele‑audiology
• Diabetes‑related hearing and balance changes
• Tinnitus assessment and management
• Psychoacoustics and spectral‑temporal processing
• Measurement reliability & normative datasets

Current Projects

• CLTD5764: Post‑market cochlear implant outcomes & remote care (Cochlear Limited)
• 13: Sub‑clinical hearing difficulties (NAL)

Future Research

• Remote and hybrid implant care
• Vestibular implants
• Lifespan vestibular diagnostics and normative frameworks
• Longitudinal ototoxicity/vestibulotoxicity monitoring
• Spectral‑temporal measures in implant programming
• Hearing, cognition, and falls risk

Funding

• Demant (Oticon) Foundation
• NRF National Equipment Program
• University of Pretoria Research Development Program
• NRF Rating (Y2) + Incentive Funding
• Vice Chancellor Doctoral Sabbatical Grant
• ACU Early Career Grant
• Ongoing industry funding from Cochlear Limited

Teaching Overview

University of Western Australia

• PHYL5511 — Auditory & Vestibular Pathophysiology
• PHYL5616/5614 — Research Project
• PHYL5615/5611 — Advanced Clinical Audiology

University of Pretoria

• Major curriculum contributions including Audiology 110–420 including diagnostic and rehabilitative audiology
• Leadership in adult aural rehabilitation and amplification
• Practical modules: REM verification, tinnitus management, vestibular assessment and rehab, implant exposure, paediatrics

Teaching Philosophy

Clinically realistic, research‑led, outcomes‑based. Emphasis on:

• Validity and reliability of measures
• Reflective practice
• Ethical decision‑making
• Interprofessional practice
• Adult aural rehabilitation as core competency

Industry Relevance

• Cochlear Limited post‑market implant research
• NAL collaboration on sub‑clinical hearing difficulties
• Development of vestibular diagnostic protocols
• Translation into remote and hybrid care models

Engagement

• Audiology Australia; Vestibular Disorders Association; TRT Association
• Peer reviewer for leading journals
• Invited national & international speaker
• Presentations at AAA, Bárány Society, American Balance Society, WCPT, Oxford Movement & Cognition, RehabWeek

Community Engagement

• Public education on dizziness, imbalance & falls risk
• Stay On Your Feet initiatives
• Otitis/ototoxicity awareness workshops
• Open‑access training resources
• Public health collaboration on ototoxicity training

HDR SUPERVISION

Supervision Overview

Dr Heinze supervises postgraduate research in vestibular diagnostics, cochlear implant outcomes, ototoxicity/vestibulotoxicity, psychoacoustics, sub‑clinical hearing difficulties, and digital audiology. She has supervised multiple PhD and Masters research students to completion and welcomes enquiries from prospective HDR candidates.

Completed Doctoral (PhD) students – University of Pretoria

• Andoret van Wyk (2019) — Eye movement disorders and vestibular dysfunction in post‑stroke patients (sub‑acute phase)
  Supervisors: Prof Carina Eksteen, Dr Barbara Heinze
• Katerina Ehlert (2022) — Cochleo‑ and vestibulotoxicity in patients receiving chemotherapy
  Supervisors: Prof De Wet Swanepoel, Dr Barbara Heinze
• Tarryn Reddy (2025) — Clinical utility of chirp‑evoked VEMPs
  Supervisors: Dr Barbara Heinze, Prof Leigh Biagio de Jager, Prof Leen Maes

Completed Master of Audiology students –University of Pretoria

• Yolande v.d. Westhuizen (2012) — Audiological and otological symptoms in adults with HIV
  Supervisors: Prof De Wet Swanepoel, Dr Barbara Heinze
• Jenni-Mari Potgieter (2013) — Audiological profile of sclerosteosis
  Supervisors: Prof De Wet Swanepoel, Dr Barbara Heinze
• Nathalie Meyer (2015) — Systematic review & meta-analysis of cVEMPs
  Supervisors: Prof Bart Vinck, Dr Barbara Heinze
• Laura Leyssens (2015) — Optimising the oVEMP protocol
  Supervisors: Prof Bart Vinck, Dr Leen Maes, Dr Barbara Heinze
• Nolwazi Sambo (2015) — Effect of counselling on the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory
  Supervisors: Dr Barbara Heinze, Dr Maggi Soer
• Tammy Henen (2015) — Impact of vestibular neurectomy on VEMPs in Menière’s Disease
  Supervisors: Prof Bart Vinck, Dr Barbara Heinze
• Marike Gous Venter (2016) — Computerised dynamic posturography in ballet dancers
  Supervisors: Prof Bart Vinck, Dr Barbara Heinze
• Sofie D’Hondt (2016) — Vestibular function before and after cochlear implantation
  Supervisors: Prof Bart Vinck, Dr Leen Maes, Dr Barbara Heinze
• Iris Maes (2016) — oVEMP protocol: effects of stimulus intensity, frequency & hearing loss
  Supervisors: Prof Bart Vinck, Dr Leen Maes, Dr Barbara Heinze
• Nicole Kostlin (2017) — Auditory function in adults with diabetes: systematic review & meta‑analysis
  Supervisors: Dr Barbara Heinze, Prof Bart Vinck
• Marga DeCraene (2017) — Subjective vestibular symptoms in long‑term noise exposure
  Supervisors: Prof Bart Vinck, Dr Leen Maes, Dr Barbara Heinze
• Danielle Minnaar (2018) — Audiovestibular function in adults with Type 2 diabetes
  Supervisors: Dr Barbara Heinze, Prof Bart Vinck, Prof Paul Rheeder
• Marize Brittz (2018) — Mobile/automated hearing health technology in infectious disease clinics
  Supervisors: Dr Barbara Heinze, Dr Faheema Mahomed-Asmail
• Hannelie Kroon (2018) — Audiological–psychological intervention in tinnitus
  Supervisors: Prof Bart Vinck, Dr Barbara Heinze, Dr Linda Blokland
• Andriette Heystek (2019) — Auditory‑vestibular function in adults with Type 1 diabetes
  Supervisors: Dr Barbara Heinze, Prof Paul Rheeder
• Waseema Mahomed (2019) — Audio‑vestibular profile of adults with HIV
  Supervisors: Dr Barbara Heinze, Prof Bart Vinck, Prof Anton Stoltz
• Darike Roesch (2019) — Language‑based risk factors in developmental dyslexia
  Supervisors: Dr Salome Geertsema, Dr Mia Le Roux, Dr Barbara Heinze
• Danielle Grabe (2019) — Vestibular function in Type 1 vs Type 2 diabetes
  Supervisors: Dr Barbara Heinze, Prof Paul Rheeder
• Paige Tucker (2019) — LS CE-Chirp vs click ABR for neuro-diagnostics
  Supervisors: Prof Leigh Biagio de Jager, Dr Barbara Heinze
• Roxy Loock (2020) — Computerised rotational head impulse testing: test–retest reliability
  Supervisors: Dr Barbara Heinze, Dr Alex Kiderman, Dr Jorge Gonzalez
• Larraine van Schalkwyk (2021) — Aminoglycoside cochleotoxicity: systematic review
  Supervisors: Prof Maggi Soer, Dr Barbara Heinze
• Mangelique du Plessis (2023) — crHIT: age‑dependent normative data
  Supervisors: Dr Barbara Heinze, Dr Alex Kiderman, Dr Jorge Gonzalez, Tarryn Reddy
• Nicole Mittendorf (2023) — crHIT: paediatric test–retest reliability
  Supervisors: Dr Barbara Heinze, Dr Alex Kiderman, Dr Jorge Gonzalez, Tarryn Reddy
• Shenique Ferreira (2024) — Bone‑conduction CE‑Chirps (B81 vs B71) for cervical and ocular VEMPs
  Supervisors: Prof Leigh Biagio de Jager, Tarryn Reddy, Dr Barbara Heinze

Completed Master of Clinical Audiology Students – UWA

• Jahnavi Varsani (2025)
• Neil Zuniega (2025)
• Dylan Zaffino (2025)
• Vidhi Patel (2025)

Current Masters Students – University of Pretoria

Zane Jordaan (2024–present) — Predictors of self‑perceived sound quality in adult CI users
Supervisors: Prof Talita Le Roux, Prof Ilze Oosthuizen, Prof Robert Eikelboom, Dr Barbara Heinze

Previous Positions

• Senior Lecturer, University of Pretoria (2016–2021)
• Lecturer, University of Pretoria (2008–2015)
• Senior Audiologist (2001–2008)

Language

English (professional proficiency)