Deafness Research UK and Action on Hearing Loss have launched a new initiative to support the early careers of scientists working towards new treatments and cures for hearing loss and tinnitus. This follows the merger between the two charities.

The new Pauline Ashley Awards are now open to applications from research scientists in the UK aiming to further their careers in hearing loss research. The research grants have been established in memory of Lady Ashley of Stoke who co-founded Deafness Research UK along with her husband Lord Ashley of Stoke.

Scientists from across the country can apply for funding to support research projects that will generate data to strengthen future applications for long-term funding from national funding agencies.

Caroline Ashley, daughter of Lady Ashley said: ‘My Dad, Jack Ashley, described hearing loss as being like a bird, suddenly shuttered into a glass cage. He could watch the busy world go by, cut-off from its conversations and cadence. The family, and particularly my Mum, Pauline, witnessed the devastation of deafness and the massive energy and resilience required to keep going, keep up company, in the face of isolation.

‘Thankfully research into hearing loss bears fruit: cochlear implants provide some sound for some people. But so much more research is needed to find causes and cures. The Pauline Ashley grants will help ensure new talent is cultivated, building our chance for long-term treatment for all affected by hearing loss.’

Dr Sohaila Rastan, Executive Director of Biomedical Research at Action on Hearing Loss said: ‘As a result of merging with Deafness Research UK we are delighted to be able to support talented new scientists in the field of hearing loss research through the Pauline Ashley Grants Scheme. This is a great opportunity for researchers at the start of their careers and for scientists changing fields who often struggle to secure long-term funding from the main national funders.’

To apply for the Pauline Ashley Small Grants Scheme, please visit www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/Ashleygrants

We asked Anna, who is hearing impaired and wears hearing aids, what motivated her to take up the challenge. She said:

‘Two big things happened to me last year. I performed in the opening and closing ceremonies of the London 2012 Paralympic Games and I started a new job.

‘As a ceremonies performer in the Paralympic Games, I had the honour of being an Athletes’ Marshal, dancing and marking the route to the athletes’ seating area. It was an unforgettable experience. I made a few friends among my fellow Athletes’ Marshals and, as 2013 dawned, one of these friends challenged herself to seek further amazing experiences, a personal legacy to the Games. She posted on a social network site that she would be doing the BUPA London 10K 2013, and hoped others would be inspired to join her along the London 2012 Olympic Marathon route. I had run 10K for Cancer Research UK a few years ago, so knew roughly the training and effort involved. I was hooked, and bagged myself a place.

‘I wanted to put my run to good use. So, to choose a charity… Which charity could make a big difference with the donations collected by an individual runner?

‘As someone who is hearing impaired, I know that a hearing impairment can be socially isolating and brings challenges in a variety of situations that other people take for granted. I’d heard about some research by a team at Sheffield University led by Dr Marcelo Rivolta, which was supported by Deafness Research UK and Action on Hearing Loss, and I was excited by its potential. They had successfully used stem cells to restore hearing in animals and I was struck by how close we could be coming to repairing the hair cells in the cochlea. Medical research into deafness holds huge potential for improving lives at the moment. We are tantalisingly close to major breakthroughs.

‘This research was published in 2012, increasing the sense of a 2012 legacy for me. I felt passionately that support at this time will drive research forward, which could mean people benefitting sooner. This is why I am running. This is why Deafness Research UK gets my support.’

We’re delighted that Anna is running for us. Please support her at: www.justgiving.com/Anna-HughesL  

The death of tiny sensory hair cells in the inner ear causes the vast majority of hearing loss. In mammals, when these hair cells die they are not replaced. This means that this type of hearing loss is permanent.

But we don’t understand how the death of these cells happens, and what we might do to stop it. To do this, we need to understand how the inner ear copes with oxidative stress and damage. Our ears undergo stress all the time, whether from chemicals, ageing, or exposure to loud noise.

When inner ear hair cells experience stress they go into an emergency state. Recent studies have shown that bodies called ‘stress granules’ are formed, and normal processes are put on hold so that the cell can focus on responding to the stress.

A Deafness Research UK-funded PhD studentship project, led by Dr Jonathan Gale and Dr Sally Dawson at the UCL Ear Institute, aims to understand how these stress granules help keep the cells in a healthy state. The researchers hope to find out:

• whether the stress granules protect hair cells during ototoxicity (inner ear damaging drugs)
• which specific mRNAs are recruited to, or excluded from, stress granules in inner ear hair cells. (mRNAs are the molecules that copy the genetic blueprint from DNA to make proteins).

This will help us understand the importance of these stress granules, what the granules are composed of and which mRNAs are prioritised for protein production during cellular stress.

The long-term aim of this research is to help us develop new targets for drug therapies aimed at protecting the inner ear from cellular stress and damage. We hope that this will help us better protect our hearing against the damage caused by ageing, chemicals and noise damage.