A special publication orchestrated by five of the nation’s leading hearing experts compiles the latest research into hearing loss caused by drugs and solvents—how it occurs, how to treat it, and how to prevent it.

A free e-book comprising 23 scientific articles from 93 authors, “Cellular Mechanisms of Ototoxicity” was published by Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience in March 2018. “We’re trying to elevate ways for the human population to avoid losing this important sensation for experiencing and communicating with the world around us,” says co-editor Peter Steyger, Ph.D. (1995–96 ERG), a professor of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery in the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Medicine. A member of HHF’s Council of Scientific Trustees, Steyger lost hearing at age 14 months after being treated with antibiotics for meningitis.

“Ototoxicity is a threat to hearing at any age, and hearing loss remains a significant side effect of chemotherapy,” says co-editor Jian Zuo, Ph.D., of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Additional editors included experts from the Department of Defense Hearing Center of Excellence and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. —OHSU News