Deafness Research UK maps out next 25 years of research at Royal Event

14 June 2010

The country's medical charity for hearing impaired people, Deafness Research UK, has marked its silver jubilee with a prestigious Royal reception in the State Apartments, St James's Palace in the presence of the charity's Patron, His Royal Highness, The Duke of York KG. At the reception, His Royal Highness, who has been Patron of Deafness Research UK since 1986, met researchers, supporters and many of those who have benefited from the charity's work and was informed of the charity's new Auditory Centres of Excellence Initiative which aims to expand hearing research teams across the country.

Speaking at the reception, Andrew Goodwin, a profoundly deaf young man in his early 30s, gave a moving account of his personal experience of deafness and brought some of the key issues to the fore.

Over the past 25 years, Deafness Research UK has been responsible for a number of major scientific advances that have helped the deaf community immeasurably and, speaking at the reception, the charity’s Chief Research Adviser, Professor Quentin Summerfield, highlighted three of these,namely:

• Testing hearing in newborn children
• Cochlear implants
• Revolutions in genetic research

(full details below in Notes to Editors).

Quentin Summerfield, Professor Department of Psychology, The University of York, said:

“Deafness Research UK funds outstanding hearing research. Over the past 25 years, it has already supported more than 300 scientists, many of them at the beginning of their careers when funding is very difficult to secure. Their research has made discoveries that have improved the lives of hearing impaired people.”

Vivienne Michael, Chief Executive of Deafness Research UK, said: “His Royal Highness has done so much to support us over the years, encouraging others to join the charity’s fundraising, so vital to new research, and helping raise awareness of our unique work.  We are delighted that His Royal Highness has shown his support once again today, helping us mark the charity’s achievements over the last quarter of a century and announce our plans for the future. This has been a wonderful opportunity to thank our donors, to demonstrate how much we value their support and how vital they remain to the work we do.”

David Livermore, Chairman of Deafness Research UK, said: “Being deaf is an immense challenge at best, at worst, it’s a nightmare. We are now in desperate need of the research into genetics and molecular biology to help deaf people further and to prevent others from becoming deaf.”

The future for the next 25 years in hearing research is very exciting. Research could deliver better cochlear implants and hearing aids, particularly devices that help people to hear speech, in noisy environments for example. Stem cell research may enable us to prevent deafness in adults, particularly deafness in middle age and perhaps even cure children who are born deaf. Drugs could also be developed to help tinnitus, and these may go hand in hand with cognitive-enhancing drugs that could help older people to listen more effectively.

Vivienne Michael added: “These discoveries can only be made if research continues to be funded, and is sustainable, so that we can recruit the brightest young researchers and support them throughout their careers. The new Deafness Research UK Centre’s of Excellence appeal aims to fund five outstanding research groups who undertake world leading research into hearing loss. At Manchester the focus will be on childhood deafness, in Sheffield on stem cell research, in Cambridge the development of hearing aids, in Nottingham on tinnitus and in London on multi-disciplinary approach.

“We need the continued support and generosity of the public to help ensure that their research makes a big difference to the lives of people with hearing impairments.”

Deafness affects one in seven of the UK population, a staggering nine million people, yet there is still less than £2 per person spent on research into deafness each year.

For information on deafness and deafness-related conditions e-mail  or download our free factsheets and leaflets at www.deafnessresearch.org.uk

                                                        

ENDS
Notes to editors
Speaking at the event Professor Quentin Summerfieldoutlinedthree major transformational discoveries that Deafness Research UK has contributed to that have changed lives:

• Testing hearing in newborn children: 30 years ago, Professor David Kemp was working as a young researcher in the Royal National Throat, Nose and EarHospital in London and found that if a tiny click is presented to the ear, a fraction of a section later the ear would generate an echo of the click. He discovered, rather surprisingly, this was not a mechanical echo, but a biological one, and it demonstrates that the ear is working normally. This discovery enabled a method for testing the hearing of newborn children in a very precise and easy way. This technique is now being used throughout the world. Deafness Research UK has funded part of David’s work.

• Cochlear implants: Cochlear implants were like science-fiction 30 years ago - it didn’t seem possible that they could restore hearing in adults who had become deaf, let alone create the ability for deaf children to acquire language. Today over 150,000 people use implants around the world, many in the UK. Children now get implants for each ear, and the majority go on to develop speech, attend mainstream schools and thrive. Deafness Research UK funded and supported fundamental work on the hearing mechanism in the 1980s and has recently campaigned to show the cost-effective benefits of cochlear implants to the NHS.
• Genetics: revolutions in research: if you looked at the hospital notes of a deaf patient 30 years ago, they would probably say the cause of deafness was unknown. Today we have a wealth of research showing what goes wrong and why. However, we are still on the brink of an extraordinary revolution in developing the ways hearing impairments are diagnosed, prevented and treated. Deafness Research UK continues to fund vital research into genetics and molecular biology that helps deaf people and prevents others’ from becoming deaf.

About Deafness Research UK

• Deafness Research UK is the country’s only charity dedicated to finding new cures, treatments and technologies for deaf, hard of hearing and other hearing impaired people.
• The charity supports high quality medical research into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of all forms of hearing impairment including tinnitus.
• The Deafness Research UK Information Service provides free information and advice based on the latest scientific evidence and informed by leading experts. The Information Service can be contacted on Freephone 0808 808 2222
• For more information on research into deafness, tinnitus and other hearing conditions, log on to the website at www.deafnessresearch.org.uk where you can access a wide range of information. Alternatively you can e-mail Deafness Research UK at
• One in seven people in the UK – almost nine million people - suffer hearing loss.

• Deafness Research UK was founded in 1985 by Lord (Jack) and Lady Ashley of Stoke.
• In January 2008, Action for Tinnitus Research (ATR) was linked with Deafness Research UK under a uniting direction order under section 96(6) of the Charities Act 1993.

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Ref: DRUK0264 – St James’s Palace Reception follow-up