Hearing Sciences
Our research aims to find innovations that can lead to improvements in daily living for people who have hearing-related problems.
We study how the auditory system works, how and why it can go wrong, and what we can do to help those with problems by innovations in technology or treatment strategies. Our purpose is to deliver research-led innovations that can change these effects and lead to improvements in daily living for people who have hearing-related problems. We do this because hearing disorders (including hearing loss, tinnitus, hyperacusis, ototoxicity) affect around 20% of the population, cause direct difficulties in every aspect of hearing, listening, conversing and being aware of the environment through sound, and are also associated with increased risks of social isolation, depression, dementia, and reduced quality of life.
Our research falls into four natural themes:
- Decoding the Auditory System (the brain circuity of hearing, how auditory perceptions arise, and how people listen in everyday situations)
- Understanding Disability (listening by individuals with hearing-related problems with or without hearing devices, deep phenotyping, and determination of patients’ priorities)
- Measuring Ability (core-outcome scales, development of hearing-test materials and methods, objective measures, and ecological momentary assessment)
- Advancing Treatment (telecare, hearing-device fitting methods and potential treatments for tinnitus)
We are a core theme of the Nottingham NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and also hold major grants or fellowships from NIHR, UKRI (MRC, EPSRC), third-sector and industry. We also teach on undergraduate degrees and offer CPD masterclasses.
We have been established for over 45 years, with offices and purpose-built laboratories on three sites: the Hearing Sciences building on the University Park campus, NHS Ropewalk House in Nottingham city centre, and the New Lister Building of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
Our research