Our research: preventing hearing loss

We fund research to understand what causes hearing loss so we can develop and test ways to prevent it.

Our research goals

We know many of the causes of hearing loss, such as ageing and loud noise. But we don’t fully understand the processes that cause damage to our hearing and the biology behind it. We need this knowledge to develop treatments that can prevent this damage from occurring in the first place – and protect people’s hearing.

We fund research to:

find out what causes hearing loss
help us understand more about the biology behind different types of hearing loss
improve how we measure and monitor hearing loss so that we can diagnose it more accurately
develop and test ways and treatments to prevent it from happening.

Stay up to date with research progress

Our progress

Discovering new genes for hearing loss

In 2019, our funding led to the identification of 44 new genes linked to age-related hearing loss. Helena Wells, a PhD student we funded in Professor Frances William’s lab at King’s College London, used data from the UK Biobank to find these new genes. The UK Biobank is tracking different health characteristics in 500,000 people aged between 40 and 69 over time. Before this study, only five genes had been found. These new genes can help develop new treatments to prevent or treat hearing loss.

Protecting hearing in newborn babies

Drugs called aminoglycosides are antibiotics that are crucial for treating serious infections. They can be life-saving for premature babies, but can also cause hearing loss.

In 2016, we helped fund the development of a quick genetic test to identify if someone was at risk of developing hearing loss from these drugs. Dr Bill Newman, at the University of Manchester, developed the test that is currently being clinically tested. If successful, it could protect around 180 babies a year from losing their hearing.

Find out more about our research achievements

What we’re funding now

Improving our understanding of how cisplatin damages hearing

Researcher: Dr James O’Sullivan
Where: King’s College London

A new approach to preventing hearing loss caused by the anti-cancer drug cisplatin

Researcher: Dr Benjamin Delprat
Where: Université de Montpellier, France

Improving diagnosis of hidden hearing loss

Researcher: Professor Stefan Bleeck
Where: University of Southampton

The role of stress granules in antibiotic-induced hearing loss

Researcher: Professor Jonathan Gale
Where: University College London

Understanding the link between hearing loss and dementia

Researcher: Dr Fabiola Paciello
Where: Universitá Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy

How the immune system interacts with hearing in the inner ear

Researcher: Dr Elisa Martelletti
Where: King’s College London

Can improving blood supply to the inner ear prevent hearing loss?

Researcher: Dr Dan Jagger
Where: UCL Ear Institute

Read more about Dr Dan Jagger’s project

Understanding how changes in inner ear supporting cells are involved in age-related hearing loss

Student: Sarah Hool
Where: University of Sheffield

Understanding the role of mitochondria in hearing loss

Researcher: Thomas Smith
Where: University of Manchester

Read more about Thomas Smith’s project

Researcher: Dr Stuart Johnson
Where: University of Sheffield

Silence, solitude, and serotonin: How hearing loss and social isolation affect serotonin signalling in the auditory brain

Researcher: Dr Laura Hurley
Where: Indiana University, USA

Investigating the role of VRAC proteins in how ototoxic medicines cause hearing loss

Researcher: Professor Corné Kros
Where: University of Sussex

Developing a gene therapy for DFNA21 hearing loss

Researcher: Professor Hannie Kremer
Where: Radboud University Medical Center, Netherlands

Development of a genetic therapy for DFNA9 adult-onset hearing loss

Researcher: Dr Erik de Vrieze
Where: Radboud University Medical Center, Netherlands

Developing new aminoglycoside antibiotics to prevent hearing loss

Researcher: Dr Alan Cheng
Where: Stanford University, USA

Past projects we’ve funded

How the connections between the ear and the brain change with age

Student: Andrew O’Connor
Where: University of Sheffield

How the brain adapts to hearing loss in 1 ear only

Student: Ana Isabel Sanchez Jimenez
Where: University of Oxford

How does hearing loss affect cognition?

Researcher: Dr Emma Holmes
Where: University College London

Read more about Dr Emma Holmes’ project

Does the brain’s blood supply underlie the link between hearing loss and dementia?

Researcher: Dr Nicolas Michalski
Where: Institut Pasteur

Improving the diagnosis of age-related hearing loss

Researcher: Professor Karen Steel
Where: King’s College London

Developing more accurate and specific tests to diagnose hearing loss

Researcher: Dr Torsten Marquardt
Where: University College London

Understanding the links between hearing loss, cognitive decline and dementia

Researcher: Dr Piers Dawes
Where: University of Manchester

Discovering more about how hair cells turn sound waves into a message the brain can understand

Researcher: Professor Walter Marcotti
Where: University of Sheffield

Investigating whether brain inflammation underlies the link between hearing loss and dementia

Researcher: Dr Brian Allman
Where: University of Western Ontario, Canada

Hearing loss and dementia: finding the link

Researcher: Dr Sally Dawson
Where: University College London

Researcher: Dr Morag Lewis
Where: King’s College London

The role of the protein CLIC5 in hearing and deafness

Researcher: Dr Bo Zhao
Where: Indiana University

Get involved

Donate to support our research

Your donation will help to support life-changing research to restore hearing.

Take part in a clinical trial

Find out the latest opportunities to get involved in research into hearing loss and tinnitus.

Apply for funding

Find out about our grants and funding for researchers.