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In recent years, research and technical advancements in the basic biology and genetics of hearing have been rapid and the implications for clinical care, have been far reaching. More than ever, we are in a position to take these advancements and integrate them into our clinical activities with the goal of providing better quality care. Such advancements are greatly facilitated through ongoing collaborations among scientists and clinicians. The Infirmary provides an excellent environment for such collaborations.
We are interested in the hearing function of the very young. Our development of an infant hearing screener based on the recording of brainstem auditory evoked potentials, contributed significantly to the implementation of nation-wide programs for early identification of handicapping hearing loss. Infants with such hearing losses are now routinely identified before they ever leave the newborn nursery.
We are also interested in the hearing function of our seniors. By the age of 75, more than half of us will have a hearing loss significant enough to interfere with our communication with others. Some of us, however, will develop a more severe hearing loss than others.
We are actively studying factors that may shape susceptibility to hearing loss as we age and as we are exposed to noise or other agents that damage our hearing.
The ultimate goal of our research is to improve hearing outcomes for our patients. With more than 25 audiologists on staff and a large and varied clinical caseload, we have the ideal environment for audiologic studies in many different areas.
Our extensive clinical database has been used to improve diagnostic criteria for tumor detection, refine tests of speech intelligibility, and develop better techniques for hearing aid fitting.
Currently, we are involved in the following research projects as primary or collaborating investigators:
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