Top students supported on hearing research path

2 September 2010

Four top university science and medical students have been awarded the Deafness Research UK Vacation Scholarships, giving them an opportunity to experience cutting-edge scientific research in action in hearing loss and tinnitus research laboratories.

Every year, national charity Deafness Research UK awards a number of scholarships to the most promising students undertaking their first degree, enabling them to undertake a specific project in a hearing research laboratory. The aim is to encourage the cream of lab based students to consider a career in hearing research once they graduate, while also exploring new areas of enquiry.

The research projects are eight weeks in duration over the summer holidays, with Deafness Research UK covering the students’ stipend for the two month period of the project. The students get a unique opportunity to be mentored and advised by some of the current leading lights in deafness research throughout the country.

Vivienne Michael, Chief Executive of Deafness Research UK, said:  “We are committed to funding scholarships because they offer a wonderful opportunity for the brightest young students to gain valuable experience of the research laboratory, while encouraging them to develop their talents. We hope they will then seriously consider further research in the field of hearing loss, deafness and tinnitus in their future careers. It can be difficult to tell at the outset which projects will succeed, but many of our most fruitful research has begun in this way, so we wish all our students every success with their respective research projects.”

The four students who have been awarded scholarships include Annie Wolley, Amelia Davies, David Green and Leah Glover.

Leah is currently working in the laboratory of Deafness Research UK’s Chief Research Adviser, Professor Quentin Summerfield, who is based in the Psychology Department at the University of York on a project on cochlear implants and Annie is working in the School of Psychological Sciences at Manchester University also around cochlear implants, under the supervision of Dr Karolina Kulk-de-Kort.

Ameila is focusing on the way speech is processed by the brain with Dr Jennifer Bizley at the celebrated Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics at Oxford University; while David Green is working with Dr Mark Wallace at the National Biomedical Unit for Hearing Research in Nottingham. The Nottingham Unit is one of Deafness Research UK’s Auditory Centres of Excellence and has a focus on tinnitus, so it is no coincidence that David is researching tinnitus caused by noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).

David’s see his scholarship as a valuable opportunity to learn some essential new skills prior to undertaking his PhD, which will be supervised by Dr Wallace in October this year. “Being awarded a scholarship is great,” said David. “It gives me the opportunity to get a head start on my PhD work and avoids the need for me to take a break away from my research during the summer months. I will be able to hit the ground running in October so I am grateful to Deafness Research UK for giving me the means to carry on my research. Tinnitus research is an exciting field and I’m looking forward to playing my part in hopefully unearthing some new discoveries, particularly in NIHL.”

Anyone interested in scholarships and the latest research into hearing loss, tinnitus and deafness related issued in general, can contact the charity’s Advisory Service on or visit the website at www.deafnessresearch.org.uk

ENDS                                                       

Notes to editors:
Photo: Student David Green working on tinnitus research at the National Biomedical Unit for Hearing Research in Nottingham

Auditory Centres of Excellent (ACES): Deafness Research UK continues to campaign for funding for much needed research into the causes, treatments and prevention of deafness. One new project set to benefit directly from the charity’s work is the Auditory Centres of Excellence (ACE) initiative. This project sees several ACE research centres located throughout the UK charged with researching a specific aspect of deafness in the hope of finding better treatments and cures. The centres and their areas of expertise are Manchester (childhood deafness), Sheffield (stem cell research), Cambridge (development of hearing aids), Nottingham (tinnitus) while London will focus on the multi-disciplinary approach that has yielded good results in recent years. Read a most recent press release on the Nottingham Centre www.deafnessresearch.org.uk/5950/press-office/pioneering-research-centre-launches-in-nottingham.html

About Deafness Research UK

• Deafness Research UK is the country’s only national 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 Advisory Service provides free information and advice based on the latest scientific evidence and informed by leading experts. The Advisory Service can be contacted on freephone 0808 808 2222
• For more information on research into deafness, tinnitus and other hearing conditions, visit www.deafnessresearch.org.uk where you can access a wide range of information. You can also e-mail us:
• 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.

Press enquiries
Jon Gardner, BeyondPR. www.beyondpr.co.uk Mobile 07930 697773. Direct line 0114 275 6996. e-mail:

Ref: DRUK0280 – Vacation Scholarships 2010
 
                                   www.deafnessresearch.org.uk