Building the Future of Hearts for Hearing

The Hearts for Hearing Research Institute is ushering in a new era of information about hearing health including novel diagnostic assessments, hearing loss prevention, hearing technologies, and hearing restoration therapies, including gene therapy for congenital deafness. Our scientific team is uniquely suited for this work as we are active clinician-scientists with firm grounding in both worlds. We share a common goal to eliminate communication barriers for adults and children with hearing loss thereby affording each individual the access and opportunity to achieve their own maximum potential in life. Communication is a fundamental right, paramount to our basic human needs for social interaction and meaningful connection.  

The mission of the Hearts for Hearing Research Institute is to translate cutting-edge scientific discovery holding high potential for improving hearing, speech, language, literacy, and quality of life by delivering these innovative practices directly to our patients within our established collaborative environment. The key to our success is in our integrated approach facilitating direct collaboration between scientists and clinicians in a unified environment. We are dedicated to direct clinical application of laboratory findings maximizing patients’ auditory potential while imposing little-to-no burden on clinical practice and efficiency. 

Hearts for Hearing is engaging in high-impact clinical research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), foundations, industry, and our individual donors. Our active areas of investigation are in development and implementation of novel diagnostic measures, evidence-based approaches to maximizing hearing technology benefits, CT image-guided optimization of cochlear implant placement and programming, characterizing development of auditory, speech, language, literacy, and multisensory processing in children with various degrees of hearing loss, effectiveness of molecular and gene therapies for hearing restoration across the lifespan, synergistic effects of combined pharmacological therapies, hearing technologies, and speech-language therapy to promote neuroplasticity and maximize one’s life potential, application of phonological therapy promoting reading comprehension in children with hearing loss, and the critical role of auditory interventions for mitigating one’s risk of dementia due to untreated or undertreated hearing loss in adulthood. We utilize a wide range of experimental methods including behavioral assessments, electrophysiology, and functional neuroimaging to investigate research questions. We utilize a range of experimental methods including behavioral assessments, electrophysiology, and both structural and functional neuroimaging. Our behavioral methods include speech perception in complex listening environments, psychophysical measures of complex auditory processing, spatial hearing abilities, speech production accuracy, language development, reading comprehension, and evaluation of music perception and appreciation. Our electrophysiological methods include electrically evoked compound action potentials (eCAP), frequency following responses (FFR), auditory brainstem responses (ABR), cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEP), and resting state electrical encephalography (EEG). Our structural neuroimaging applications include pre- and post-implant computed tomography (CT) and auditory cortical density analysis via structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Our functional neuroimaging applications include high density EEG and functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to objectively assess auditory, visual, and audiovisual function, neuroplasticity following intervention, and evaluation of cortical activity in response to various auditory, visual, and somatosensory stimuli. 

There are nearly 40M Americans with hearing loss that significantly impairs everyday communication and quality of life3. By 2050, that number will double to 80M, comprised of more than 55 million Americans 65 years or older. Older adults are living longer and significantly outnumber young children in many countries4. The “silver tsunami” is here, meaning the number of people who are 85 or older will more than double between now and 2040. 

Adults need quality hearing healthcare to improve communication abilities, avoid social isolation, and continued professional engagement and economic sustainability. There is mounting evidence that untreated hearing loss is associated with up to a 5-fold increase in dementia, anxiety, and depression 5,6; however, recent studies from Johns Hopkins University have shown that well-fit hearing technology, such as hearing aids and auditory implants, significantly reduces one’s risk for cognitive decline.

Hearing is more than a sense—it’s a gateway to connection, learning, and thriving in everyday life. For children and adults with hearing loss, that gateway must be supported by more than technology alone. Today, we have an extraordinary opportunity to reimagine care: to not only restore hearing, but to unlock the full potential of each individual through an integrated, holistic model of support. Currently, patients and families must navigate a complex web of appointments across multiple providers and locations. This fragmented care leads to delays in treatment, increased stress, and missed opportunities for intervention. For many, especially those with limited resources, comprehensive care simply isn’t accessible. Additional funding will allow space for more professionals to care for the whole child & family. By offering behavioral health, occupational therapy, and physical therapy on-site, Hearts for Hearing will become a clinical home for individuals with hearing loss and related conditions —a place where care is not only coordinated but truly connected.