National Biomedical Research Unit in Hearing
11 March 2009
The National Biomedical Research Unit in Hearing was launched today in Nottingham.
It has been established by the UK Department of Health through its National Institute for Health Research. It is based on a partnership between the Medical Research Council Institute of Hearing Research, the University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals Trust and has funding of £3.75million over 4 years (2008 to 2012) to explore translational research in hearing. It will employ approximately 25 academic, technical and administrative staff contracted to any of the three partners.
The proposed research programme will build on established programmes of research on, and intervention using, hearing instruments, auditory learning and the auditory brain to offer further development of three broad research areas:
- Hearing and learning in early childhood,
- Auditory habilitation in hearing loss and
- Tinnitus.
Linking these areas is an emphasis on novel research into the management of sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, and the prevention of handicap, using behavioural and cognitive techniques derived from auditory perceptual learning. A cross-cutting theme of auditory learning will underpin all the research areas. Learning will be the common route to improved intervention. Staff working on this theme will advise on design in the three areas, but will be principally engaged in the development of novel and age-appropriate technologies to enable effective learning.
The new Unit will have a base in Trust accommodation in Ropewalk House in the City of Nottingham which also houses the adult and paediatric audiology service and the Nottingham Cochlear Implant programme. Staff working on projects in the cross-cutting theme of auditory learning will also have research space on Jubilee campus of the University of Nottingham to facilitate working closely with colleagues in the Learning Science Research Institute. All staff of the Unit will collaborate with academic and clinical colleagues based at the MRC Institute of Hearing Research on the main University campus and in Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, QMC campus.
