Preventing and finding cures for deafness
Deafness Research UK's research projects that aim to prevent and find cures for deafness
The effect of noise on the neonatal unit and on neonatal transfer
Deafness Research UK supported a study led by Dr Lesley Jackson at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary to assess the risk to newborn babies of hearing loss after exposure to noise during neonatal care.
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.
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.
Calcium channels in the inner hair cells
Deafness Research UK awarded a grant to Dr Walter Marcotti at the University of Sheffield to investigate the process of transforming sound into electrical signals to be interpreted by the brain.
Discovering how Sprouty shapes the inner ear
Deafness Research UK has awarded a new grant to Dr M Albert Basson and Dr Yuichiro Yaguchi of the Department of Crainiofacial Development at King's College London, to study how a gene called Sprouty2 affects the inner ear and deafness.
Investigating tumours that cause deafness
Researchers at the Peninsula Medical School have received a grant of over £39,000 from Deafness Research UK, to investigate the role of brain tumours causing deafness in children and adults, and the development of therapies using in vitro models.
Filling a gap in our knowledge of hearing
Approximately one in 1,000 babies are born with some degree of deafness, making this the most common sensory deficit in humans. Around half of these cases have a genetic cause and more than 100 mutations have so far been identified in the genes that are responsible for normal function of a critical part of the auditory system, the cochlea. Deafness Research UK is funding a new pilot study to better understand the genetics behind this type of hearing loss.
Protecting hearing from environmental stress
Dr Sally Dawson and Dr Jonathan Gale at the UCL Ear Institute have been awarded a Deafness Research UK grant to continue their investigation into the response of sensory cells in the cochlea to environmental stress.
Using stem cells to develop a cure for deafness
Deafness Research UK is funding a research programme that is the first to try to develop a cure for deafness using stem cells taken from umbilical cord blood or bone marrow.
Investigating the process of hearing
The 2nd Deafness Research UK UCL Ear Institute Fellowship was awarded to Dr Joerg Albert, who joined the Institute from the University of Cologne.
Calcium signalling in outer hair cells
Deafness Research UK awarded an equipment grant to Dr Michael Evans at Keele University to shed light on the inner-workings of sensory hair cells inside the cochlea.
Hair cell production and regeneration
The Inaugural Deafness Research UK UCLEI Research Fellowship was awarded to Dr Nico Daudet at the UCL Ear Institute in London to investigate the role of the protein Notch in the inner ear.
Establishing the causes of sudden deafness
A Deafness Research UK grant to researchers at the Wythenshaw Hospital in Manchester has enabled a study aimed at establishing the causes of sudden 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.
Understanding auditory learning disabilities
Dr Jennifer Linden, a researcher at the UCL Ear Institute, received a grant from Deafness Research UK to study how neurons in the brain contribute to a specific variation in electrical activity recorded that can be recorded from the scalp.
Investigating gap junction formation in the cochlea
The 2nd Deafness Research UK UCLEI Postgraduate Studentship was awarded to John Kelly, who is working with Dr Daniel Jagger at the UCL Ear Institute in London.
Improving our understanding of the way the cochlea processes sounds
Deafness Research UK is helping to support a four-year study conducted by Dr Nigel Cooper at Keele University in conjunction with scientists from Harvard University in the USA.
Understanding sound localisation
The Inaugural Deafness Research UK UCLEI Postgraduate Studentship was awarded to Jason Mikiel-Hunter to work with Professor David McAlpine at the UCL Ear Institute in London.
Unravelling the genetic basis of BOR syndrome
A Deafness Research UK PhD student, Bernardo Blanco, 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.
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.
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.
