Sex Hormones and Voice: From Puberty to Gender-Affirming Therapy
Thursday 6th August 2026, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
How do sex hormones define the human voice?
This course offers a comprehensive exploration of the vocal apparatus as a hormone-sensitive organ, analysing the physiological changes occurring at puberty as well as the changes induced by gender-affirming hormones initiated during adolescence.
The session begins by decoding the sexual dimorphism of the voice. While prepubertal voices remain largely similar, the surge of sex steroids at puberty drives dramatic physiological changes, resulting in clearly distinguishable male and female vocal characteristics. We will analyse how endogenous sex steroids—androgens, oestrogens, and progesterone—act on laryngeal tissues to drive these changes.
For adolescents experiencing gender incongruence, these changes can be a source of intense distress. In transgender and gender diverse people, the experienced gender does not align with the sex at birth. This incongruence often leads to significant distress, that it is referred to as gender dysphoria. Medical interventions aim to alleviate this distress by aligning physical characteristics, including the voice, with an individual's experienced gender. This course presents cutting-edge research on the long-term effects of Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy (GAHT) initiated during adolescence. We will examine the clinical pathway from Gonadal Hormone Suppression (GHS) to the subsequent administration of exogenous testosterone or oestrogens.
Results from the analysis of a cohort of transgender men and women evaluated 5 to 10 years after starting treatment will be discussed. By comparing their vocal outcomes to cisgender men and women of the same age range, we will explore the changes induced by the treatment on voice fundamental frequency, intensity, and quality. Moreover, we will discuss how early start of GHS can help improving vocal outcomes, and the synergistic impact of voice training and gender-affirming vocal surgeries.
🏷️ Price £30 (UK VAT inclusive)
🎥 Recording automatically sent to all who book (even if you cannot attend live)
▶️ Rewatch as many times as you like
📜 Certificate of attendance available
Dr Silvia Ciancia
Silvia Ciancia is a paediatric endocrinologist and researcher. Born in Italy, she earned her Medical Degree from the University of Pisa (2015) and completed her residency in Paediatrics at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (2021). Driven by a global perspective on endocrine health, her training has spanned several continents, including clinical and research experiences in Ethiopia, Kenya, France, Romania, the Netherlands, and the USA.
Attend this course for as little as £22 as part of the Voice Professional Training CPD Award Scheme.
Learn MoreSorry, this is an archived short course...
We have plenty of upcoming short courses coming soon. See details of some of them below or look at the full list of short courses.
Tuesday 18th August 2026
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday 25th August 2026
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday 1st September 2026
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday 8th September 2026
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday 15th September 2026
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday 22nd September 2026
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
(London Time)
Musical Theatre Vocal Pedagogy Certificate
Kevin Wilson
Join Kevin Wilson for this six-part certificated course, offering an in‑depth, practical exploration of contemporary voice teaching for musical theatre. Across six focused classes, participants develop a systematic approach to vocal technique, diagnosis, and repertoire selection that reflects the stylistic, physical, and emotional demands of the genre. The curriculum integrates vocal science, embodied voice work, registration theory, and stylistic awareness across the five major sub‑genres of musical theatre.
Thursday 20th August 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
AI Assisted Voice Training and Business Development
John Henny
Join John Henny as he builds on the foundations of AI for voice educators by focusing on practical applications for running and growing a teaching studio. Designed specifically for voice teachers, the session shows how AI can support studio operations, content creation, research, and business development, with one foundational skill at its core: training AI in your own teaching voice, pedagogy, and communication style.
Wednesday 26th August 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
The Vocal Tract and Singing: A Research Overview!
Dr Brad Story
Fine control of the vocal tract shape is important for producing acoustic characteristics that may be targeted in singing. Join Dr Brad Story as he focuses on how the vocal tract shape can be tuned (i.e. modified) in both large and subtle ways to enhance the signal radiated from a singer to an audience. The session will include the vocal tract shape contributions to the ‘singing formant’, enhancement of vibrato, and harmonic/formant alignment.