Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mounya Elhilali and her research attract significant attention, funding, and awards. A look back at her journey—from Al Akhawayn to Johns Hopkins University.
Mounya Elhilali is part of the very first graduating class in engineering from Al Akhawayn University (AUI), earning her degree in 1998. Shortly afterward, she moved to the United States to pursue further studies at the University of Maryland, where she earned a master’s degree in 2003 and a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 2004. She then joined Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, where she is currently a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and holds the Charles Renn Chair.
Founder of the Computational Audio Perception Lab, Mounya Elhilali has made a name for herself through groundbreaking research that deepens our understanding of how both the human brain and machines process sound. Her work bridges a crucial gap—between neuroscience and engineering—by focusing on brain function models that shed light on human intelligence and help create intelligent machines capable of replicating human-level performance.
Assisted listening
In her own way, Mounya Elhilali explored the practical applications of artificial intelligence long before they were “industrialized” and made headlines. With over 150 journal articles and conference papers to her name, her research has also led to the development of audio technologies that aid in medical diagnostics and assisted listening. In an intensely competitive environment, her lab consistently secures funding from major agencies, with more than $20 million in direct research support raised to date.
Holding joint appointments in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, she is also affiliated with Johns Hopkins’ Center for Language and Speech Processing and the Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute.
An award-winning academic
Mounya Elhilali has received numerous awards in recognition of the impact of her work. In 2017, she was honored with the JHU Catalyst Award. Two years earlier, she received the Kenan Award for innovative projects in university education, as well as the Young Investigator Award from the U.S. Office of Naval Research.
She was also recognized with the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers at the early stages of their independent research careers.
To learn more:
University profile of Mounya Elhilali
Written in French by Jankari Consulting, edited in English by Nielson English
