British Tinnitus Association

The British Tinnitus Association - registered charity no: 1011145

Latest News from the Ear Institute

The new UCL Ear Institute opened its doors for work on the 1 January 2005. The Institute is one of University College London’s new showpiece institutes designed to make a real impact in the science of hearing and the treatment of hearing disorders. It has grown out of the Institute of Laryngology and Otology, a venerable institute associated with the Royal National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital (RNTNE) – the largest ENT hospital in the UK. What the Ear Institute has however, is brand new and much needed laboratory space to house some of University College London’s internationally renowned hearing researchers and bring them all together on one site in Grays Inn Road.

The new building which forms the new core of the Ear Institute is known as the UCL Centre for Auditory Research and forms the new showpiece laboratory of the Ear Institute. It was built with funding from the Wellcome Trust. Part of the decision by the Trust to fund the Centre was the proximity of the RNTNE Hospital. It is anticipated that work undertaken in the Centre will find rapid clinical relevance in the hospital and help with the detection and treatment of deafness and related disorders.

The new Centre has drawn in leading hearing research scientists from across University College London. They have moved their equipment and research teams into the Centre and are preparing a major research assault on deafness. There are now 35 research scientists working in the laboratories of the Centre. The Centre houses several state-of-the-art laboratories dedicated to hearing research including laboratories devoted to cell and molecular biology, audiology, physiology, biophysics and imaging.

As examples of the kind of research being carried out, one group in the Centre is studying how to make the delicate sensory hair cells of the inner ear re-grow after injury or loss. Another group is investigating genetic and environmental basis of age related hearing loss and working on characterising patient DNA samples for genetic studies. A third group is developing methods for human hearing assessment and designing a new generation of audiological diagnostic technologies. A fourth group is researching the neuroscience of auditory pathways in the brain and investigating central nervous system mechanisms of hearing loss and tinnitus.

This is just a selection of several strands of current research. The essence of the Centre’s approach is to bring researchers together so that they can collaborate. The advantage of having different sorts of research teams under one roof means that many unexpected ideas and new solutions to old problems appear as researchers find common interests and enthusiasms.

One of the further roles of the UCL Ear Institute is to train new generations of audiologists and ENT specialists. As a result, the Institute provides undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in Audiology, Medical student education, postgraduate short courses, including an MSc in Voice Pathology and specialist General Practitioner training. Programmes are also held under the umbrella of the Ear Institute, continuing the reputation of the Institute of Laryngology and Otology for excellence in teaching.

Research in the Ear Institute, as in all University departments, depends on grants and donations.

Professor Jonathan Ashmore - article taken from Winter Quiet magazine 2005

It is into this milieu of outstanding auditory research that the BTA is hoping to sponsor the Professorship in Tinnitus Studies. With the recent advances into the mechanism of tinnitus generation and the development of pharmacological and molecular biological methods which will undoubtedly eventually find a solution for the condition, we need a financial push to realise our long-held vision of a complete cure. The cost of such a sponsorship is about £1.5 million and to date we have gathered some £200,000 so we have a long way to go.

Any help you can give, large or small will be gratefully appreciated by the BTA and University College London Centre for Auditory Research.

Dr Ewart Davies PhD - BTA Chairman

[Page updated 26 January 2006]