Hi, I'm Benjamin Masters
I am a PhD student and a Sessional Lecturer in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Waterloo.
My research primarily focuses on understanding and measuring the perception of effort in conversation. I use acoustical, behavioral, and physiological measures (such as pupillometry) to study how cognitive load changes during interactive communication. Currently, I am involved in several projects, including a collaborative initiative with Oticon's Eriksholm Research Centre. See more about my research interests below.
Research Interests
Understanding Effortful Communication
How are the cognitive demands of conversation different from listening?
Markers of Cognitive Effort
How do the brain and body respond to difficulty during communication, and can we detect those changes?
Acoustical & Systems Engineering
How can we build systems to study how people process sounds and interact with each other?
Recent News
- December 2026: I will be in Baltimore for the ASA conference and at the ON-EAR event in Toronto!
- August 2026: Visited Denmark for the Eriksholm Summer School and gave a talk at DTU!
- August 2026: Paper on hearing loss, pupil responses, and conversation accepted to Trends in Hearing
- April 2026: Awarded the NSERC Canada Graduate Research Scholarship (CGRS-D) Fellowship!