Paid Testosterone Voice Research Study

The Stepp Lab at Boston University is recruiting assigned female at birth (AFAB) individuals (transgender, genderqueer, nonbinary, genderfluid, etc.) seeking testosterone therapy for the first time (but have not yet started hormones) to participate in longitudinal voice research. This study consists of 13 monthly in-person visits over the course of your first year of taking Testosterone. Each visit is about 2.5-3 hours long. Each visit, you will be asked to read and speak various words and sentences, complete self-rating scales, and provide a saliva sample to measure the amount of salivary Testosterone. Depending on the visit, you may also be asked to participate in a 10 minute trans-nasal exam and/or a 20 minute MRI to measure your vocal folds and throat. For the trans-nasal exam, a very thin tube with a camera at the end goes through your nose to look at your vocal folds. It doesn't hurt, but may be slightly uncomfortable at first. Once that is in place, you will be asked to say some words into a headset microphone while wearing a small sensor on your throat. For the MRI, we will take scans at rest and while you are using your voice. Per MRI safety guidelines you will be required to change into an MRI-safe gown and remove any metal on your person (i.e. sports bras or binders without metal are okay; anything with underwire or clasps need to come off). For the first and last visit, we will also do a quick finger-prick. At the beginning of the first visit, we will do a hearing screening to make sure that you qualify for all of the study tasks. Compensation is $30/hour.