Lenarz to give Senturia lecture

Thomas Lenarz, MD, PhD, will give the 2022 annual Senturia Lectureship to the Department of Otolaryngology at Washington University School of Medicine. The title of his presentation will be, Hearing4All: functional restoration of hearing using auditory devices. Lenarz studied medicine and biochemistry at universities in London and Tübingen, Erlangen, and Heidelberg, Germany,  from 1975 until […]

Grant awarded to Washington University researchers to study cochlear implant use

ACIA Grant

The American Cochlear Implant Alliance has awarded a $30,000 grant to Department of Otolaryngology researchers to study under-utilization of cochlear implants in the U.S. The objectives of the study, Adult Cochlear Implant Utilization in the United States: A Nationwide Analysis, are to: Better describe the under-utilization of cochlear implants across the U.S. to significant geographic […]

Cochlear implants in mice allow study of cellular responses

photo of Keiko Hirose in the lab

Understanding the cellular and molecular responses that underlie cochlear implant-induced fibrosis (scar tissue) and neo-ossification (new bone formation) has been hampered by the lack of a suitable animal model for research. Cochlear implantation provides enhanced hearing for thousands of hearing-impaired Americans each year. And, with expanded criteria allowing health insurance to cover severe hearing loss […]

Washington University researchers one step closer to preventing noise-induced hearing loss

photo of Mark Rutherford at the microscope

More than 48 million Americans suffer some degree of hearing loss. As the average age of our population increases, so will that statistic. Excessive noise exposure is considered a leading cause of hearing loss, and no FDA-approved treatment is available to prevent noise-induced damage. Scientists working at Washington University School of Medicine may soon change […]

Cochlear implants turn ‘hearing back on’ for patients with single-sided deafness

photo of young woman with cochlear implant

Washington University School of Medicine experts have long been at the forefront of improving hearing for individuals with single-sided deafness (SSD). Now, with improvements in cochlear implant technology and recent FDA approvals for cochlear implants for those with single-sided deafness, Washington University’s Department of Otolaryngology is poised to treat even more patients with SSD while […]

Hearing researchers share findings

Researchers from the Department of Otolaryngology at Washington University recently attended the Midwinter Meeting of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology, the largest meeting of hearing scientists in the world. Due to pandemic restrictions, the 2022 meeting, Feb. 5-9, was forced to move to an all-virtual format, but that did not dampen participation by the […]

Understanding how hearing loss interferes with the lives of older adults

As our aged population grows, so does the incidence of age-related hearing loss. In fact, about 50% of those over 70 years of age experience notable hearing loss and difficulties associated with that loss. Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology at Washington University Kate McClannahan, PhD, hopes to alleviate those difficulties by better understanding how personality, cognition, […]

Q&A with Deaf Education student Liberty Moore

photo of Liberty Moore

Liberty Moore is a graduate student in Deaf Education here at Washington University. A bilateral cochlear implant recipient, she has garnered experience as both a research subject and research scientist and hopes to become a teacher of the deaf. How did your deafness develop and at what age did you receive cochlear implants? I was […]

ENT residents garner research awards

photo of Walia in operating room

Washington University otolaryngology residents Amit Walia, MD, and David Lee, MD, received research grants from the American Hearing Research Foundation (AHRF). The awards are $1,000 each and will provide supplies and other expenses related to their research projects. Title: Optical Coherence Tomography of Inner Ear StructuresPI: David Lee, MDMentor: Nedim Durakovic, MD Hearing instability disorders, […]

ENT celebrates 41st Senturia Lecture

Senturia Lectureship montage

The Department of Otolaryngology at Washington University celebrated the 41st annual Senturia Lectureship on Nov. 17, 2021. Invited guest speaker Michael Hoa, MD, presented his recent work on hearing instability disorders, which includes Meniere’s disease, a disorder of the inner ear that often causes hearing loss and vertigo (dizzy spells). Hoa, an associate professor in […]