Christopher Bergevin
York University
Department of Physics & Astronomy
Of recent/upcoming note...
- [2020.02] A new paper Overtone focusing in biphonic Tuvan throat singing (Bergevin et al. 2020) was recently accepted to eLife and is currently in press. An older preprint is currently accessible via bioRxiv, and you can click here to access some of the audio files (a big thank you to Huun Huur Tu)
- [2020.01] A new paper Evidence supporting synchrony between two active ears due to interaural coupling (Bergevin et al. 2020) was recently published in JASA-EL (accessible here). This paper also was featured on the journal cover (image)
- 2020 Mechanics of Hearing workshop in Denmark (at the Konventum). Several abstracts have been submitted, with the following titles/authors:
- Interpeak characterizations for spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (Bergevin C, Afify T, Whiley R, & van Dijk P)
- Spontaneous otoacoustic emissions provide direct evidence for Hopf bifurcations in the dynamics of the ear (O Maoileidigh D, Roongthumskul Y, & Bergevin C)
- How exceptional is the ear? (Bergevin C, Freeman D, & Coffin A)
- Comparing otoacoustic emissions and evoked potentials in an individual (Whiley R, Carlse G, & Bergevin C)
- Graduate student applications for 2020ff admission are currently being sought. If you are interested in graduate studies (MSc or PhD) in biophysics, neuroscience, psychophysics, acoustics, and/or nonlinear dynamics, please take a look at our research below and consider applying anytime. See here for more details. The lab is also affiliated with the York graduate programs in psychology, biology, and neuroscience (i.e., you can apply through those programs). Domestic (i.e., Canadian) students in particular are encouraged to apply. Feel free to get in touch with any questions.
Slightly in the past...
York University
Education
Research Interests
General
- Biophysics underlying sensory transduction
- Coupled/nonlinear oscillators
- Comparative approaches to understanding the auditory periphery
- Multi-sensory integration
- Acoustics, Signal processing
- Neural processing/networks
- Scotopic vision
- Improving Undergraduate Education in the Life Sciences
(Current) Areas of specific focus
- Auditory biophysics in reptile and avian ears
- Understanding otoacoustic emission (OAE) generation
- Using OAEs to probe functional differences across human groups (e.g., those with visual impairment, absolute pitch)
- Novel strategies in time-frequency analysis
- Phonetics of Tuvan throat singing
Publications
Peer-Reviewed Publications
- Overtone focusing in biphonic Tuvan throat singing (2020)
Bergevin C, Narayan C, Williams J, Mhatre N, Steeves J, Bernstein J, & Story B
eLife (in press) (see bioRxiv pre-print in meantime)
- Evidence supporting synchrony between two active ears due to interaural coupling (2020)
Bergevin C, Mhatre N & Mason A
J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Exp. Lett. (JASA-EL) (pdf)
- Reflections from gems in the old literature (Letter to Editor) (2019)
Bergevin C
Phys. Today (pdf)
- Mammalian behavior and physiology converge to confirm sharper cochlear tuning in humans (2018)
Sumner CJ, Wells TT, Bergevin C, Sollini J, Kreft HA, Palmer AR, Oxenham AJ & Shera CA
Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. (PNAS) (pdf)
- The following appears in To the Ear & Back Again: Advances in Auditory Biophysics (Proceedings of the 13th Mechanics of Hearing Workshop) (2018)
- Comparing external tympanum vibration and spontaneous otoacoustic emissions
Bergevin C, Mhatre N, & Mason A (pdf)
- No otoacoustic evidence for a peripheral basis underlying absolute pitch (2018)
McKetton L, Purcell D, Stone V, Grahn J, Bergevin C
Hear. Res., 370: 201-208 (pdf, open access)
- Scanning Electron Microscopy of the Basilar Papilla of the Lizard (Anolis Carolinensis) (2018)
Negandhi J, Bergevin C, & Harrison RV
Canad. Acoust. 46(1):7-12 (link, pdf)
- The following appears in Understanding the Cochlea (Springer Handbook of Auditory Research, SHAR) (2017)
Remote sensing the cochlea: Otoacoustics
Bergevin C, Verhulst, S, & van Dijk P (link, early draft)
- Salient features of otoacoustic emissions are common across tetrapod groups and suggest shared properties of generation mechanisms (2015)
Bergevin C, Manley GA, & Koppl C
Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. (PNAS) 112(11):3362-3367 (pdf)
- The following appear in Mechanics of Hearing: Protein to Perception (2015; link)
- Slow dynamics of the amphibian tympanic membrane
Bergevin C, Meenderink SWF, van der Heijden M, & Narins PM (pdf)
- Otoacoustic interrelationships of the barn owl
Bergevin C, Manley GA, & Koppl C (pdf)
- Dynamics of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions
Bergevin C & Salerno, A (pdf, poster)
- Common substructure in otoacoustic emission spectra of land vertebrates
Manley GA, Koppl C, & Bergevin C (pdf)
- MoH 101 session (slides)
- External and middle ear sound pressure distribution and acoustic coupling to the tympanic membrane (2014)
Bergevin C & Olson E
J. Acoust. Soc. Am. (JASA) 135(3):1294-1312 (pdf, or via ASA website)
- Obtaining reliable phase-gradient delay trends from otoacoustic emission data (2012)
Shera CA & Bergevin C
J. Acoust. Soc. Am. (JASA) 132(2):927-943 (pdf)
- Probing cochlear tuning and tonotopy in the tiger using otoacoustic emissions (2012)
Bergevin C, Walsh EJ, McGee J, & Shera CA
J. Comp. Physiol. A 198(8):617-624 (pdf)
- Interrelationships between spontaneous and low-level stimulus-frequency otoacoustic emissions in humans (2012)
Bergevin C, Fulcher A, Richmond S, Velenovsky D, & Lee J
Hear. Res., 285:20-28 (pdf)
- The following appear in What Fire is in Mine Ears: Progress in Auditory Biomechanics (American Institute of Physics) (2011; link)
- Coupled, active oscillators and lizard otoacoustic emissions
Bergevin C, Velenovsky D, Bonine KE (pdf)
- Stiffness vs damping in the cochlea: A negative conclusion?
Binder A, Aranyosi AJ, Bergevin C (pdf)
- Otoacoustic estimates of cochlear tuning: Testing predictions in macaque
Shera CA, Bergevin C, Kalluri R, Mc Laughlin M, Michelet P, van der Heijden M, Joris PX (pdf)
- MoH101: Basic concepts in the mechanics of hearing
Bergevin C, Epp B, Meenderink SWF (pdf)
- Frequency selectivity in Old World monkeys corroborates sharp cochlear tuning in humans (2011)
Joris PX*, Bergevin C*, Kalluri R, Mc Laughlin M, Michelet P, van der Heijden M, Shera CA
Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. (PNAS), 108(42):17516-17520 (pdf)
- Comparison of otoacoustic emissions within gecko sub-families: Morphological implications for auditory function in lizards (2011)
Bergevin C
J. Assoc. Res. Otolaryngol. (JARO), 12:203-217 (pdf)
- Tectorial membrane morphological variation: Effects upon stimulus frequency otoacoustic emissions (2010)
Bergevin C, Velenovsky D, Bonine KE
Biophys. J., 99(4):1064-1072 (pdf)
- Coherent reflection without traveling waves: On the origin of long-latency otoacoustic emissions in lizards (2010)
Bergevin C, Shera C
J. Acoust. Soc. Am. (JASA), 127(4):2398-2409 (pdf)
- Towards improving the integration of undergraduate biology and mathematics education (2010)
Bergevin C
J. Microbiol. Biol. Edu. (JMBE), 11(1):28-33 (pdf)
- The auditroy midbrain of people with tinnitus: Abnormal sound-evoked activity revisted (2009)
Melcher JR, Levine RA, Bergevin C, Norris B
Hear. Res., 257:63-74
- Modeling stimulus-frequency otoacoustic emissions in the gecko (2009)
Bergevin C, Shera CA
Concepts and Challenges in the Biophysics of Hearing (World Scientific, Singapore; link), pg. 85-90 (pdf)
- Otoacoustic emissions in humans, birds, lizards, and frogs: evidence for multiple generation mechanisms (2008)
Bergevin C, Freeman DM, Saunders JC, Shera CA
J. Comp. Physiol. A, 194(7):665-683 (pdf)
- A comparative study of evoked otoacoustic emissions in geckos and humans (2006)
Bergevin C, Freeman DM, Shera CA
Auditory Mechanisms: Processes and Models (World Scientific, Singapore; link), pg. 388-389 (pdf)
Previous Conference Presentations
- Towards clinical evaluation of frequency selectivity using stimulus frequency otoacoustic emissions [IHLC 2019, abstract, poster, talk]
- Overtone Focusing in Tuvan Throat Singing [ARO 2019, abstract, poster, website (w/ audio files)]
- Overtone Focusing in Tuvan Throat Singing [ARO 2019, abstract, poster, website (w/ audio files)]
- Comparative otoacoustic insights (ASA 2018 abstract, slides). Note: This session was in honor of David Kemp
- Connecting the dots: Empirical approaches to the OAE inverse problem (OAEs: Evoking the future Workshop, Los Angeles, CA, Feb. 7-8, 2018), (abstract)
- Interaural Coupling and Synchronization of Two Active Ears (ARO 2018, abstract)
- Dynamics of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions: Theory and experiment (BPS 2016, abstract)
- Introducing global coupling to nearest-neighbor models of SOAE generation (ARO 2016, abstract, poster)
- Energy propagation via traveling waves on the bullfrog tympanic membrane (ARO 2016, abstract)
- No otoacoustic evidence for a peripheral basis underlying absolute pitch (2015 CVR International Conference on Perceptual Organization; poster)
- Active nonlinear oscillators underlying peripheral auditory transduction (BSC 2015, abstract)
- The notion of "frequency clusters" in spontaneous otoacoustic emission generation (ASA 2015, abstract)
- No otoacoustic evidence for a peripheral basis underlying absolute pitch (ASA 2015, abstract)
- Spectral patterns of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions are not dependent on morphology (ARO 2015, abstract)
- Where is the energy stored? Energy flow in the eardrum can account for long transmission delays in the frog (ARO 2015, abstract)
- The Role of Resonance in Middle Ear Transmission (ARO 2015, abstract)
- Recasting coherent reflection (Gordon Research Conference: Auditory System 2014, slides; this poster was also presented)
- Slow to hear: Traveling waves on the eardrum (Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) Congress 2014, slides)
- Peripheral sensory transduction (CVR Summer School 2014, slides)
- Dynamics of auditory hair cells (Cell Dynamics Workshop 2014, slides)
- Interrelations between otoacoustic emission delays and neural tuning in the barn owl (ARO 2014, abstract)
- Comparing Otoacoustic, Auditory-Nerve, and Behavioral Estimates of Cochlear Tuning in the Ferret (ARO 2014, abstract)
- Reverse-engineering the Copernican Revolution: Exploring how inverse problems lead to models (CUPC 2013, abstract, poster)
- Frequency selectivity measured behaviorally in the ferret using forward masking (British Soc. Audiol. 2013, poster - pdf)
- Comparative Auditory Biomechanics Probed by Otoacoustic Emissions (ASA 2013, talk - abstract)
- Sound transmission in a simple model of the ear canal and tympanic membrane (ASA 2013, talk - abstract)
- Probing otoacoustic emissions in the budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) (ARO 2013, poster - pdf)
- Acoustics of the ear canal and middle ear cavity probed with high spatial resolution (ARO 2012, poster, pdf, abstact)
- Relationships between cochlear tuning and delay probed with a nonlinear transmission-line model (ARO 2012, poster, pdf, abstact)
- Otoacoustic Emission Delays As a Probe To Measure Cochlear Tuning: Comparative Validations (ASA 2011, talk )
⇒ Webpage to the special session can be found here
- Using otoacoustic emissions to explore cochlear tuning and tonotopy in the tiger (ARO 2011, poster, pdf, abstact)
- Stimulus-Frequency Otoacoustic Emissions As a Probe of Cochlear Tuning in the Common Marmoset (ARO 2011, poster, pdf, abstract)
- Otoacoustic Emission Methodology: A Non-Invasive Probe to Inner Ear Function (ARO 2011, talk , pdf, abstract)
- Auditory Brainstem Responses and Otoacoustic Emissions in Lizards: Comparisons Across Species and Temperatures (ARO 2011, poster, pdf, abstract)
- Integrating Mathematics Into Life Science Education (ASMCUE 2010, talk, pdf)
- Otoacoustic Emission Temperature Dependence Across the Lacertilia (ARO 2010, poster, pdf, references)
- Exploring the Interrelationship between Spontaneous and Low-Level Stimulus-Frequency Otoacoustic Emissions (ARO 2010, poster, pdf)
- Long Delays Without Basilar-Membrane Traveling Waves: Correlations Between Tuning Bandwidth and Emission Delay in a Model of the Gecko Inner Ear (ARO 2009, poster, pdf)
- Develops a model for lizard SFOAE generation and associated phase-gradient delays (Mechanic of Hearing 2008, poster, pdf; manuscript, pdf)
- Correlation between SFOAE phase-gradient delays and tuning in auditory nerve fibers for old-world monkeys (ARO 2008, poster, pdf)
- Exploring connections between phase-gradient delays, traveling waves and tuning (OSU Mathematical Biosciences Institute 2007, slides, pdf)
- Systematic comparison of various properties of OAEs across a wide range of species (ARO 2007, poster, pdf)
- Examines OAE level-dependence in humans and geckos and discusses various models (ARO 2006, poster, pdf)
- Comparison of evoked OAEs between humans and geckos (Mechanics of Hearing 2005, poster, pdf)
[NOTE: ARO = Association for Research in Otolaryngology
ASA = Acoustical Society of America
BPS = Biophysical Society
CUPC = Canadian Undergraduate Physics Conference]
Jumps/Downloads/Older bits (links, talks, workshops, data, pictures, etc...)
BPHS 2090 slides (Oct. 2019 class lecture re Peripheral sensory transduction)
2019 CVR Summer school [CB talk slides: pdf]
2019 BSC meeting - Biomechanics of Tuvan Throat Singing [see website (w/ audio files)]
Slides from CAP Congress "DPMB 101" talk Random walkers & electrodiffusion: A primer (pdf, ~17 MB). DPMB also has a new (rough draft) logo.
The York University Department of Physics & Astronomy hosted the 2018 Biophysics Contest, open to all Ontario high school students and with substantial cash awards. Contest details can be found here. The York undergraduate biophysics program webpage can be accessed here
Slides from 2018 CVR Summer School (large download, ~71 MB)
Slides from 2017 CVR Summer School (large download, ~74 MB)
2017 OAPT Conference: Slides from CB presentation "Neuroscience: Mixing physics & biology (and everything else) together" can be accessed here
The first-year Integrated Science was launched in 2016! CB teaching bits from Fall 2016 can be accessed here
Mathematics of Hearing (MathHear) 2017
- A 1-day workshop at the Fields Institute themed around mathematical methods in hearing science. The workshop will take place on Friday June 16, 2017 (Bloomsday), just prior to MoH (see below).
- The workshop will be open to all interested participants, but is intended to be somewhat pedagogical in nature and thereby be of strong interest to students, postdocs, and early-stage faculty.
- A fantastic lineup of speakers is presently in place (see Fields Workshop link here)
Mechanics of Hearing (MoH) 2017
- Updated flyer (older version here)
- Another webpage related to meeting (courtesy of the Fields Institute)
- The location for the conference will be Brock University, Ontario, Canada
- Some relevant pics for those who are interested
CAP Congress (Queens University, May/June 2017)
- More info coming early 2017 [CB is Chair for the CAP Division of Physics in Medicine and Biology (DPMB) for 2016-2017]
Slide from a recent talk for the York University Scholars Hub speakers series can be downloaded here (~55 MB download)
CAP Congress (Ottawa, June 2016)
- Numerous sessions, including several from the Division of Physics in Medicine and Biology (see here for invited speaker list; CB is Vice-Chair for DPMB in 2015-2016)
SIAM Life Sciences (Boston, July 2016)
- Mini-symposia: Advances in mathematical models of hearing (website)
- Download the flyer here
Centre for Vision Research (CVR) Vision Science Summer School (2016 Slides)
News blurb on a 2015 paper (and here is another, this time in German; see pg.4)
Slides from a Fall 2012 talk at York University for high school physics teachers on the biophysics of hearing (~30 MB)
One particular reptile species that I've been hoping to work with. They have a keen sense of hearing, due to their hunting skills
Geocaching - Go outside and get yourself some fun
Desktop pictures for the sole purpose of decorating something that you likely look at a lot....
The Pygmy Marmoset Conference (PAGE) 2013 - And the keynote speaker is....
BioMath webpage at the University of Arizona
Sense to Synapse: Biophysical Mechanisms of Perception (April 2012)
A one-day conference designed to bring together those in the greater NYC area interested in the biophysics underlying the sensory systems
→ Click here for the flyer
Maryanne Amacher Tribute 'Intelligent Life' (MIT, 10.22.11) [flyer (pdf); talk slides (pdf) ]
UBRP 22nd Annual Conference (January 22, 2011 Tucson, AZ)
Click here for a higher-res image of the poster (picture taken at Central Park Zoo, Jan. 2010)
ASM CUE 2010 (downloads are in pdf format): recent JMBE article , mathematics attitude questionnaire, draft of presentation slides
Simple code that allows you to listen to a spontaneous otoacoustic emission. Via Matlab, you can filter the signal (either high-pass or band-pass) and play it back out. Note that your ear can pick up quite readily what the statistics does for you (i.e. for filtered noise, the amplitude modulation is quite noticeable while for an SOAE, you can hear the stable amplitude). The zipped file should contain everything you need (including an SOAE time waveform from a human female ear containing several nice peaks). [posted July. 2009]
Spontaneous otoacoustic emission data taken from an adult Tokay gecko on 7/19/07. The file is a large time waveform (60 s long at a sample rate of 22050 Hz). For convenience, this file shows how to plot the resulting (averaged) spectrum in order to visualize the SOAE peaks, but many other insightful forms of analysis could be done..... [posted Feb. 2009]
Data on various aspects of cochlear morphology across a wide range of species compiled from various sources. Insightful to plot and do various statistical analyses on. Two files are included (and intended for use in Matlab): this file will create a structure in Matlab containing the data, while this file provides an example of how to extract and plot the data from said structure [posted Feb. 2009]
Math Instruction Colloquium [~0.9 MB pdf, Jan. 2009] Talk given to the mathematics education group at the University of Arizona. Talk highlights some of the challenges associated with integrating mathematics and biology pedagogy.
Mathematical Physics Seminar [~3 MB pdf, Sept. 2008] - Slides from a talk outlining proportionality between phase-gradient delay and tuning bandwidth for the harmonic oscillator. Also fleshes out SFOAE model for the lizard ear, extending the result derived for the HO
Scientific Writing [~3.4 MB pdf, 2008] - Talk given to UofA summer undergraduate biology students (UBRP) on various aspects of technical writing.
Lizard OAEs [~4.1 MB pdf, 2008] - Talk given at the UofA math depatment modeling seminar about a model describing the phase-gradients delays in lizard otoacoustic emissions.
Appendix chapter from PhD thesis outlining a relatively simple (i.e. 1-D, passive and linear) model of the mammalian cochlea [~0.3 MB pdf, 2007].
Slides from a talk given based upon the aforementioned Appendix chapter [~1.4 MB pdf, 2007].
Synchronization of chaotic systems [~0.6 MB pdf, 1999] - Undergraduate paper written on how to get two chaotic electronic circuits to synchronize with one another (also see here for brief overview)
Thermometry [~0.3 MB pdf, 1999] - Undergraduate (REU) paper written on a thermometry system operating down towards absolute zero with sub-millikelvin resolution
Teaching
Present Courses Taught (York University; Academic Year 2019-2020)
- PHYS 2010 - Classical Mechanics (Winter 2020)
- BPHS 4080 - Cellular Electrodynamics (Winter 2020)
Previous Courses Taught [University of Arizona (2007-2010), York University (2012-2016)]
- PHYS 1420 - Physics with Applications to Life Sciences (Fall 2019)
- ISCI 1310 - Integrated Science: Physics I (Fall 2017)
- PHYS 2030 - Computational methods for physicists & engineers (Winter 2018)
- BPHS 4080 - Cellular Electrodynamics (Winter 2018)
- ISCI 1301 - Integrated Science: Physics I (Fall 2016)
- PHYS 2030 - Computational methods for physicists & engineers (Winter 2016)
- BPHS 4080 - Biophysics I (Winter 2016)
- BPHS 2090 - Current Topics in Biophysics (Fall 2015) w/ Prof. Stan Jerzak
- BPHS 4090 - Biophysics II (Fall 2015)
- BPHS 3090 - Biophysics I (Winter 2015)
- PHYS 2030 - Computational methods for physicists & engineers (Fall 2014)
- BPHS 4090 - Biophysics II (Fall 2014)
- BPHS 3090 - Biophysics I (Winter 2014)
- PHYS 4310 - Physics Project (Winter 2014)
- BPHS 4090 - Biophysics II (Fall 2013)
- PHYS 1410 - Physical Science II (Winter 2013)
- BPHS 3090 - Biophysics I (Winter 2013)
- BPHS 4090 - Biophysics II (Fall 2012)
- BioMath - developing new approaches to math/biology education. Also see this link for information about the new Integrated Science program at the UofA.
- Math 250B - Calculus and Differential Equations II (Spring 2010)
- Math 250A - Calculus and Differential Equations I (Fall 2009)
- Physiology 472 - Quantitative Modeling of Biological Systems (Fall 2009) (w/ Prof. Tim Secomb )
- Math 363 - Introduction to Statistical Methods: Calculus-based Statistics for Life Sciences (Spring 2009 w/ Prof. Joe Watkins )
- Math 250 B - Calculus and Differential Equations II for Biology Majors (Spring 2009 w/ Prof. Joceline Lega )
- Math 250 A - Calculus and Differential Equations I for Biology Majors (Fall 2008 w/ Prof. Joceline Lega)
- Physiology 472 - Quantitative Modeling of Biological Systems (Fall 2008 w/ Prof. Tim Secomb)
- Math 596a - Quantitative Biology Colloquium (Fall 2008 w/ Prof. Joe Watkins; see here for general link)
- Math 129 - Calculus II (Spring 2008)
- Math 250A and 250B - Calculus and Differential Equations I & II for Biology Majors (Fall 2007 & Spring 2008 w/ Prof. Jim Cushing )
Contact Info:
Dynamic range of hearing dimensional analogy [courtesy of D. Freeman]
