We have reported since spring 2020 on the astounding resilience of HHF-funded scientists as they continued their work remotely and in hybrid setups. Just as they continued to conduct scientific work during the past year and a half of lab closures and COVID-19 restrictions, so too were Emerging Research Grants applicants busy collecting preliminary data and drafting research proposals.
Autism-Related Language Difficulties Tied to Involuntary Attention Capture
We examined data from individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) peers while they listened to both meaningful and meaningless sentences. ASD individuals show significantly stronger cortical responses to meaningless compared with meaningful speech in the same canonical language regions where TD individuals exhibit stronger responses to meaningful speech.
Specific Group of Cochlear Cells in Mice Demonstrate Regenerative Potential
A surprising finding of this project was that a specific group of cells, called the greater epithelial ridge (GER), contained the majority of cells capable of growing into organoids. This ability can be interpreted as a form of regenerative potential because the GER cells can multiply and generate new sensory hair cells.
Join Us This October for SoundPrint’s Find Your Quiet Place Challenge
Hearing Health Foundation is excited to partner with SoundPrint, the hearing health app, to engage our community to promote hearing health awareness. The contributions from the Find Your Quiet Place Challenge will enable SoundPrint to advocate for safe noise levels, help you and your community find quieter places, and protect the public’s hearing health.
3D-Printed Tumor Guides Brain Surgery for Vestibular Schwannoma
Published in the journal Otology & Neurotology in June 2021, our study details a new, 3D-printed, patient-specific tumor model for quantitatively assessing the accuracy of facial nerve tractography in vestibular schwannoma patients.
Sound of Real: A Music Composer’s Reactions to ‘Sound of Metal‘
One day, a musician’s worst nightmare comes true. Without any warning at all, he permanently loses his hearing, plunging headlong into deep, bottomless silence. This is not only an elevator pitch for “Sound of Metal,” but also a description of what actually happened to me 11 years ago.
A Silent Noise: Tinnitus
As I type this, I’m currently on an airplane, flying back from Colorado to New York. With each passing second, each word, I can feel myself becoming more aware of the noise around me. It’s a very peculiar sound—loud, but not loud, invisible, but present—existing alongside myself and the other passengers on the plane.
Why I Want to #KeepListening
I recently donated to Hearing Health Foundation (HHF) for the first time. When I came across your organization, I knew I wanted to support it. I’m a musician, and I’m really passionate about research efforts on hearing restoration.
I, and My Spirit, Resigned
I was relieved to be part of the industry that not only I understood, but understood me. They promoted the company culture of helping those with hearing loss with pride. And their culture of “white tech” immediately began to show.
New High-Tech Portal Launched to Speed Innovations to Reverse Hearing Loss
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) including Hearing Restoration Project (HRP) member Ronna Hertzano, M.D., PhD., launched a new online tool that could more quickly advance medical discoveries to reverse progressive hearing loss.