Aleksandra Koprowska

I am one of the Research Audiologists at Eriksholm. Our team is responsible for running the hearing clinic, where my daily tasks involve performing hearing tests, fitting hearing aids, and providing counselling to our patients. At the same time, I support research projects with audiological consultation and handle practical aspects, like recruiting test participants, maintaining the documentation and running the experiments.

As a teenager, I attended a lot of music classes, and I was thinking about a career that would be closely related to music. I decided to take up bachelor studies in sound engineering at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan. During the first year, we shared several courses with students from the audiology major. That is how I first came across the idea of getting an education in hearing healthcare. My interest in that field was growing to the extent that after one year I decided to change to the other study path and become a hearing healthcare professional.

After finishing my PhD at the Technical University of Denmark, I was looking for an opportunity to combine my competencies as an audiologist with my research experience. Additionally, I wanted to try how it is to work in an industrial setting as opposed to the academia. At that point, I already knew some people at Eriksholm Research Center, and it naturally became one of the most interesting potential workplaces for me. When I saw an opening that matched my profile, I did not hesitate to apply.

One of the most motivating aspects of my work is meeting our patients and being able to observe how our devices make a genuine difference for people with hearing loss. Another one is the opportunity to interact with my talented and enthusiastic colleagues, which is always very inspiring and makes me want to become better at what I do. The team spirit and friendly working environment are also of great importance for me. Finally, I enjoy coming to Eriksholm for its beautiful surroundings. Not everyone has a privilege to work in a modern research facility which looks like a place from a fairy tale.

I would like to continue developing my knowledge within the hearing healthcare field and better understand how I can apply my competencies to help people with hearing loss. I hope that I will stay enthusiastic about what I do, and every day have the feeling that the result of my work is making a difference. I would also like to continue growing as a musician, although it can be challenging to find time and have enough discipline to do it when music is not your primary profession.

I still dedicate quite a lot of time to music when I am not in the office. Currently, I am a member of a small vocal ensemble. Singing together is a very fun and rewarding activity and our weekly rehearsal has become a fixed appointment in my calendar. On a typical week, I also enjoy swimming and social dancing after my working hours.

The Internet and its accessibility changed everything and sped up the progress in all areas of science. With all the exciting opportunities it offers, it unfortunately became good at undermining our productivity with constant distraction and the overflow of information. I have a feeling that being efficient when working on-line requires a lot of wisdom and discipline. I am very happy that nowadays we have access to various productivity tools that help us limit the distraction and stay focused on our goals.

I hope for a good communication and collaboration between scientists and policymakers. I think that only in this way scientific discoveries, e.g., in the field of medicine and health research, will be able to benefit large populations. I also hope that scientific advice will be heard and respected when it comes to handling the global challenges related to climate change.