Current research
To date, Deafness Research UK, which is supported entirely by voluntary contributions, has awarded over £9 million in research grants. This section provides a brief introduction to some of our current research projects.
Positive support in the lives of deaf children
Over the past two years, almost all families living in England whose child is identified as having a hearing loss by newborn screening have been invited to take part in a major new study into the kind of early support that can lead to a better quality of life for deaf children and their families.
Helping deaf children with the ring of sound
Deafness Research UK PhD student Rosie Lovett is working with Professor Quentin Summerfield at the University of York to look at the potential benefits to young children of being fitted with two cochlear implants.
Testing the effect of caffeine on tinnitus symptoms
A new research grant has been awarded by Deafness Research UK to study the effect of caffeine on tinnitus symptoms.
Using stem cells to develop a cure for deafness
Deafness Research UK is funding a new research programme that will be the first to try and develop a cure for deafness using stem cells taken from umbilical cord blood or bone marrow.
The genes that cause age-related hearing loss
Deafness Research UK scientists working at the UCL Ear Institute are trying to identify genes that cause age-related deafness.
Finding a genetic cause of Ménière's Disease
A major grant from Deafness Research UK has enabled a research team led by Dr Mark Bailey at the University of Glasgow to investigate the genetics of Ménière's Disease.
The mechanisms of age-related hearing loss
A Deafness Research UK study at Keele University is looking at the role of particular types of cells called 'fibrocytes' in age-related hearing loss.
Central auditory processing and learning
A Deafness Research UK PhD studentship has been awarded to Professor Andrew King at Oxford University to carry out research into the functional role of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in central auditory processing and learning.
Ion channel function in the central auditory pathway
A Deafness Research UK studentship has been awarded to Professor Ian Forsythe at Leicester University to investigate the role of ion channels in the central auditory pathway.
Understanding auditory learning disabilities
Dr Jennifer Linden, a researcher at the UCL Ear Institute, is studying how neurons in the brain contribute to the mismatch negativity (MMN), a variation in electrical potential at the brain surface that occurs only when a change is heard in an ongoing or repeated sound.
Unravelling the genetic basis of BOR syndrome
A Deafness Research UK PhD student working with Dr Tanya Whitfield at the University of Sheffield, has spent three years studying the genetics of Branchio-Oto-Renal Syndrome (BOR), an important cause of inherited deafness.
A new deafness gene
A three year project grant was awarded to Professor Karen Steel at the Sanger Genome Institute to carry out a study looking for a new gene associated with deafness.
Diagnostic tests for children with auditory processing disorder
Funding from Deafness Research UK is enabling Dr Justin Cowan at the Institute of Child Health and Oxford University to carry out a study into the better diagnosis of auditory processing disorder (APD).
The optimum age for cochlear implantation in children
A study funded by Deafness Research UK, and carried out by Dr Margaret Tait at The Ear Foundation in Nottingham, has been investigating whether the age of implantation affects how children progress.
Comparing the benefits of bilateral and unilateral cochlear implants in children
A two-year project grant has been awarded to Dr Margaret Tait at the Ear Foundation in Nottingham to carry out a study comparing the pre-verbal communication skills of bilaterally implanted children (two cochlear implants) with age-matched unilaterally implanted children (one cochlear implant).
Extending the value of a large research study into glue ear
Research at the University of Cambridge, led by Professor Mark Haggard, is underway to ensure that children receive the most effective treatment for glue ear.
Improving hearing aid fitting in children
A study being carried out in Cambridge by Professor Brian Moore and colleagues is investigating the effectiveness of the current procedures in hearing aid fitting when applied to children.
Improving clinical tests for hearing aid fitting
A new Deafness Research UK project grant has been awarded to Professor Brian Moore of Cambridge University, to develop new tests of auditory performance that could be used in the clinic to greatly improve the selection and fitting of hearing aids.
Tackling 'dead' hearing regions
Deafness Research UK's adviser on hearing aids, Professor Brian Moore, is leading a three year project that aims to improve the fitting of hearing aids by developing more accurate ways of measuring hearing loss at different frequencies.
Improving the hearing of people with cochlear implants
Deafness Research UK is seeking funding for a project aimed at improving the speech understanding and musical perception for people with cochlear implants.
Improving facilities for people with cochlear implants
Deafness Research UK is aiming to provide facilities to equip sound booths at the new 'South of England Cochlear Implant Centre', which is to be built in Southampton.
Developing a new test for APD
Deafness Research UK is urgently seeking funding to develop a new test for APD (Auditory Processing Disorder).
National Collaborative Usher Study
Deafness Research UK is helping fund part of the National Collaborative Usher Study, in conjunction with Sense and the British Retinitis Pigmentosa Society.
Detecting hearing impairment in premature babies
A Deafness Research UK team at the University of Oxford, lead by Dr Zedong Jiang, is researching hearing impairment in newborn babies caused by a lack of oxygen during labour and delivery.
Possible link between hearing disorder and dyslexia or learning disability
Deafness Research UK awarded a grant to researcher Dr Caroline Witton in the hope of improving treatment for children with auditory processing disorder (APD), thought to affect around 10 per cent of all UK children.
Establishing the causes of sudden deafness
Deafness Research UK researchers are carrying out a pilot study aimed at establishing the causes of sudden deafness.
Glue ear and gastric reflux
Deafness Research UK researchers at Newcastle University investigated the link between chronic glue ear and gastric reflux.
Glue ear and bacteria
Deafness Research UK is supporting an investigation into the possibility that bacteria not only cause persistent or recurrent glue ear, but can also lead to the rare complications of glue ear, such as nerve damage, causing permanent deafness or damage to the tiny bones in the ear that transmit sound vibrations.
Helping deaf and hard of hearing people communicate in social situations
Dr David McAlpine, an expert in binaural processing, recently undertook Deafness Research UK funded research to examine why deaf and hard of hearing people find it hard to communicate in noisy environments.
