|
DRF funds innovative scientists whose promising research has contributed to the following achievements:
Cochlear Implants
A Cochlear Implant is a surgically implanted hearing aid that enables people who are deaf to perceive sounds and speech. Over 90,000 procedures have been completed worldwide with beneficial results, particularly when the procedure is undertaken in infants.
DRF Contribution: Since 1972, DRF has funded close to 40 research grants that have been instrumental in the development, evaluation, and improvement of cochlear implants.
Universal Newborn Hearing Screening
Universal Newborn Hearing Screening detects potential hearing impairments in newborn infants.
DRF Contribution: The following research was initiated by DRF efforts and enhanced by DRF-funded research: Outer Ear Hair Cell Motility (the movement of hair cells responsible for extending the hearing range) and Otoacoustic Emissions (sounds produced by healthy ears in response to acoustic stimulation). These discoveries led to a new method for measuring the health of a newborn’s inner ear at birth, initiating a major national effort to overcome the effects of deafness through early recognition and treatment.
Surgical Therapy for Otosclerosis
Otosclerosis causes hearing loss due to the immobilization of the middle ear bones.
DRF Contribution: Surgical therapy to correct otosclerosis is now a common procedure that has restored hearing to hundreds of thousands of Americans. This achievement represents 40 years of clinical research by many otologists and DRF Centurion members.
Hair Cell Regeneration
According to the Society for Neuroscience, hair cell damage is the leading cause of nerve deafness, affecting more than 14 million Americans. Since hair cells do not naturally regrow in humans, research findings suggest that hair cell regeneration could hold the greatest potential to one day restore hearing.
DRF Contribution: DRF dedicates a large portion of its research funding to this initiative.
Auditory Research
Auditory research includes research relating to the process and organs of hearing.
DRF Contribution: Through DRF’s young investigator grants program, the hearing and balance science community has advanced its understanding of how the ear works, how the brain processes sound, how hearing is measured, how age affects hearing loss and important topics including tinnitus, otitis media, and Meniere’s disease. These investigations have filled preexisting research gaps and will continue to advance and inform the field.
DRF is proud to have awarded over $23 million through nearly 1,900 research grants since it was founded in 1958. |
