We found that the aging brain tries to amplify degraded input from the auditory nerve and that amplified responses are associated with poorer brain structure and trouble with speech understanding.
Subong Kim: How I Got My Start With ERG
My area of study is auditory neuroscience, and I’m especially passionate about how neuroscience can reveal the underlying mechanisms behind why hearing outcomes vary so much from person to person.
Emerging Research Grants Applications Open
Hearing Health Foundation (HHF) is currently accepting applications for 2026–2027 awards through our Emerging Research Grants program.
Personalizing Cochlear Implant Care in Single-Sided Deafness
Many single-sided deafness patients perform perfectly on standard speech-in-quiet tests due to their healthy ear, a “ceiling effect” that masks the real-world challenges they face. We propose using more sensitive metrics that assess sound quality and music perception.
Impact 2025
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Meet the 2026 Emerging Research Grants Scientists
A Computer Model of the Human Middle Ear to Better Understand Bone Conduction
This new computer model can serve as the bedrock not only to better understand how the middle ear vibrates during bone conduction but also to develop new diagnostics for middle ear conditions and inform the design of novel hearing devices.
Zebrafish Study Reveals a Genetic Switch Controlling Ear and Balance Cells
Hearing Restoration Project member and Emerging Research Grants scientist Tatjana Piotrowski, Ph.D., and team show that the transcription factor prdm1a plays a key role in determining hair cell fate in the zebrafish lateral line.
Megan Beers Wood: How I Got My Start With ERG
My focus is studying pathologies following noise overexposure. This includes noise-induced hearing loss and pain hyperacusis. I specifically look at how the immune system interacts with the neurons of the ear after noise.
Studying a Genetic Cause of Hyperacusis Using Foxg1 Variant Mice
This study shows that a single variant in the Foxg1 gene can affect how the brain processes sounds and lead to a heightened sensitivity to noise.