Audiology and deafness
The Audiology and Deafness Research Group aspires to be the leading centre in the UK and a world leader in two broad areas:
- Innovative research that translates basic underpinning research into direct benefit to people who have a hearing dysfunction
- Research that underpins and delivers improved services in health care and education for adults and children with a hearing loss.
Research
Our research underpins, and is informed by, our leading role in audiology education and audiological service delivery in the UK. Our multidisciplinary research team includes professionals in audiology, deaf education and medicine, in addition to scientists expert in psychophysics, electrophysiology, signal processing and neural imaging.
Our group is currently the lead group in the UK for research that leads to improved services for hearing impaired people. Examples are the:
- Development and implementation of universal newborn hearing screening (MRC Hearing and Communication Group website)
- The modernisation of hearing aid services in the NHS (Modernising Children's Hearing Aid Services website)
This is a unique and valuable aspect of our work, as the resultant connections and access to services position us for effective clinical and translational research.
The recent appointment of two new chairs has brought to the group an influx of expertise in more basic hearing research and research which translates basic research into innovative ideas for clinical benefit. Current research projects in this area focus on:
- Innovative ideas for better hearing devices (psychophysics and signal processing) or their fitting
- Use of neural imaging techniques to study auditory system function and plasticity
Links
Across the university we have links with the:
- Neuroscience Research Institute
- Institute of Health Sciences
- Child Health Research Network
- Biomedical Imaging Institute
The group also has collaborative links across the university with Engineering, Social Sciences, and Medicine. Our research is supported by funding from the Department of Health, UK research councils, industrial partners, and charities. In 2008, Deafness Research UK designated our group as a Centre of Excellence for research that leads to benefit for people with a hearing impairment.
Study volunteers
Our research involves volunteers of all ages, from newborn infants and their families, to elderly people, with and without a hearing problem. If you are interested in participating, see: Audiology study volunteers to find out more (no skills or experience necessary).