André Ahrens completed both his BSc and MSc in Mechanical Engineering at Leibniz Universität Hannover in Germany. His Bachelor's and Master's thesis focused on the in vitro behavior of platinum electrodes in cochlear implants. After he interned within the engineering team at the Deutsches HörZentrum at the Hannover Medical School (Germany), he studied abroad at Università di Pisa (Italy). As a Research Assistant at Leibniz Universität Hannover, he investigated sensory safety through detection of critical processes at the electrode-nerve interface. André is currently pursuing his PhD at MED-EL in Innsbruck, Austria. His research focuses on enhancing the usability of vestibular implants.