Top US scientist set to deliver charity sponsored lecture at Nottingham

Sept. 4, 2012 - PRLog -- The Ted Evans lecture, sponsored by national charity Deafness Research UK and delivered by US Professor John Middlebrooks, is just one of the highlights at this year’s British Society of Audiology Conference, being held from 5-7 September at the Nottingham Conference Centre.

Now in its third year, the conference is an opportunity for experts in all aspects of hearing loss and tinnitus from around the world to gather to discuss their own work and the latest advances in research and the focus on research makes Deafness Research UK a key player.

Vivienne Michael, Chief Executive of Deafness Research UK, said: ‘Experience shows that many of the most significant advances made in hearing loss occur when experts can come together to discuss ideas and share the fruits of their research and this sort of forum is proving the perfect place to do it.’

This year’s conference has been billed by organisers as a truly multi-disciplinary gathering; providing clinicians, scientists and students alike with an opportunity to present and discuss basic, translational and clinical research in all areas of hearing and balance. In addition to the Deafness Research UK sponsored Ted Evans lecture, other highlights will include more than 30 oral presentations from other internationally renowned speakers, including Professor Deborah Hall, the Director of Nottingham’s National Biomedical Research Unit in Hearing and one of Deafness Research UK’s five Auditory Centres of Excellence (ACE) units, specialising in tinnitus.

Tinnitus will be a hot topic at this conference, with a speech on “Techniques to investigate the tinnitus brain” due to be delivered on Thursday by Dr Phillip Gander, last year’s winner of the Deafness Research UK Pauline Ashley prize and himself a researcher at the Nottingham ACE. Tinnitus remains one of the most common chronic hearing-related conditions in the world. Around five million people in the UK suffer from the condition, yet the mechanisms of tinnitus remain poorly understood.

Professor Middlebrooks is an expert on brain mechanisms of hearing and his speech is keenly anticipated, as it covers the specialised field of “High-acuity spatial stream segregation by human listeners and cortical neurons”. His speech is being introduced by  Professor Mark Haggard of the University of Cambridge and Deafness Research UK Chairman.

‘We are delighted that so many of our colleagues and that so many of the scientists we have sponsored are taking part in this event,’ added Vivienne. ‘Their success is important not just for the hopes of those suffering from all forms of hearing loss living in hope of better treatment and cures, but it also shows that the funding provided by charities like ours does indeed bear fruit in bringing the very finest minds to bear on the issue.’ The common misconception remains that the majority of scientific advances are made overseas; while the fact is the UK remains a driving force in new research, particularly in the fields of hearing loss and tinnitus.

The three day conference gets underway on 5 September. Full details of the programme can be found by visiting http://www.thebsa.org.uk/images/stories/PROGRAMME150812.pdf while those who would like to know more about Deafness Research UK and the work they fund can do so by visiting the charity’s website at www.deafnessresearch.org.uk