This Week in Hearing

A fully implantable cochlear implant isn’t just a technical milestone—it's a fundamentally different way of living with hearing loss. In a candid conversation, Gael Hannan speaks with Michael Seufer, one of the first recipients of the Envoy Medical Acclaim, an investigational fully implanted cochlear implant that eliminates external hardware. Michael shares how his hearing loss, first identifi...

A growing number of people are exploring hearing help earlier, and LXE Hearing believes there is a place for devices that bridge the gap between everyday earbuds and traditional hearing aids. In a detailed discussion, LXE Chief Commercial Officer Brian Maguire explains how the newly formed company—created from the merger of Lexie, hearX, and Eargo—is blending strong hardware engineering with deep...

Can lost hearing cells be replaced? Lineage Cell Therapeutics CEO Brian Culley returns to discuss the company’s new collaboration with William Demant Invest. Together, they’re advancing ReSonance™ (ANP1) — an experimental cell therapy designed to replace damaged auditory neurons and potentially restore communication between the ear and the brain. Culley explains how the partnership combines Lineag...

Hearing loss stigma continues to be one of the biggest barriers to seeking help — even as awareness and technology improve. In this discussion, host Shari Eberts speaks with Dr. Katie Ekberg (Flinders University) and Dr. Louise Hickson (University of Queensland) about their research on hearing loss stigma — exploring how social perceptions, disclosure dilemmas, and outdated stereotypes affect help...

At EUHA 2025, Phonak presented the latest advancements to its Infinio platform, including the Virto R Infinio custom rechargeable hearing aid and the new Infinio Sphere Ultra upgrade. In a discussion at the Phonak booth, Gareth Griffiths, Director of Campaign Management, outlined how these updates build on the company’s ongoing commitment to improving real-world hearing experiences. The newest ver...

At EUHA 2025, Oticon introduced its newest in-the-ear hearing aid, Oticon Zeal, bringing the company’s second-generation AI sound processing and BrainHearing™ technology to a smaller, ready-to-fit form factor. In a discussion at the conference, Anja Nagel L’Harraki, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing at Demant, and Ole Asboe Jørgensen, President, Hearing Instrument Group, described Zeal as...

Earlier this month, Starkey released its Omega AI hearing aid platform, and at EUHA 2025, Chief Technology Officer Achin Bhowmik discussed how the company’s latest generation builds on prior AI-driven models with new neural-network architecture designed to improve both hearing performance and health monitoring. Omega AI introduces what Starkey describes as the industry’s first use of three deep ne...

Andrew Bellavia joined Phonak ambassadors — Olympian Aaron Small and pro skier Robin Gillon — on stage to share honest conversations about hearing loss, stigma, and the role technology plays in staying connected — on and off the field. Both athletes spoke candidly about the challenges they’ve faced, how hearing aids have supported their performance and confidence, and the importance of visibility...

Early detection of hearing loss shouldn’t stop at birth. In this episode, Dr. Bob Traynor speaks with Dr. James W. Hall III, an internationally recognized audiologist, educator, and author with more than 40 years of experience in clinical and academic audiology. Together, they discuss a new evidence-based approach to preschool and early school-age hearing screening that goes beyond traditional pur...

With the Atom X, Audien introduces a new touchscreen-based hearing aid designed for simplicity and accessibility. Andy Bellavia speaks with Audien Hearing CEO Ishan Patel about the device’s key features and the company’s broader mission to make hearing care more approachable for people around the world. In this conversation, Patel explains how user feedback from over a million customers shaped the...

Audiologists took to Capitol Hill on Thursday, September 25, 2025, to advocate for better patient access to hearing and balance care as part of ADA Lobby Day in Washington, D.C.Held during the Academy of Doctors of Audiology’s AuDacity conference, the event brought hundreds of audiologists, students, and supporters together to meet with legislators and promote the Medicare Audiology Access Improve...

How do you help people truly understand what modern hearing aids sound like? In this episode, Bob Traynor speaks with Rob Koch, Founder and CEO of AHead Simulations , to introduce ALEX (Audio Listening EXperience) — the company’s newest innovation designed to make hearing aid technology more tangible and relatable for patients, families, and the public. Building on the success of CARL, AHead’s tra...

Professional soccer players Rylee Foster and Trip Neil share their inspiring journeys of living—and thriving—with hearing loss, both on and off the field. Foster, a Phonak Ambassador and the first athlete with hearing loss to sign with a Division I professional women’s soccer team, uses her platform to raise awareness and advocate for hearing health. Neil, founder and COO of Dallas Trinity FC, bri...

Live from the Academy of Doctors of Audiology conference, Andrew Bellavia catches up with John Luna of Nuance Audio, winner of the 2025 Hearing Technology Innovator Awards 'Innovator of the Year' title. Luna discusses how the recognition is driving new interest in their hearing glasses and shares how the technology is expanding into both audiology and vision care channels.

What happens when people report real hearing difficulties, but their audiograms show “normal” results? In this episode, Brian Taylor speaks with Dr. Brittan Barker and Dr. Aryn Kamerer from Utah State University about their recent research on adults with unexplained hearing concerns. Despite normal test results, many of these individuals struggle with everyday communication, particularly in noisy...

Rock guitar legend Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big, Racer X) joins host Shari Eberts to share his personal journey with hearing loss and how it has shaped his life, both on and off the stage. He opens up about the challenges of understanding speech compared to music, the role of hearing aids in his daily life, and how he has learned to advocate for his needs by asking people to speak slowly, clearly, and fa...

What does it really take to keep a private audiology practice running smoothly? In this episode, Operations Manager Carla Taghvaei of A&A Audiology in Scottsdale, Arizona, offers a behind-the-scenes look at the daily challenges and rewards of managing a growing clinic. Carla shares how her practice organizes patient scheduling, handles insurance and third-party billing, manages staff training,...

Comedian D.J. Demers joins Gael Hannan to explore the intersection of humor and hearing loss. Known for his appearances on America’s Got Talent, late-night talk shows, and his Canadian sitcom One More Time, Demers has built a career making audiences laugh while also normalizing conversations about hearing aids and everyday challenges of hearing loss. In this conversation, he shares how stand-up co...

Can regenerative medicine move beyond managing symptoms to actually restore natural hearing? Brian Taylor speaks with Simon Chandler, CEO of Rinri Therapeutics, about the company’s pioneering cell therapy for hearing loss. They discuss Rincell-1, Rinri’s first-in-human clinical trial, and how regenerative medicine could complement or even surpass today’s treatments like hearing aids and cochlear i...

What if a regenerative therapy could not only halt sudden hearing loss but also help the inner ear repair itself? Dr. Reimar Schlingensiepen, CEO of Berlin-based biotech AudioCure, joins Brian Taylor to discuss AC102, the company’s lead compound now in Phase 2 clinical trials for sudden sensorineural hearing loss. With limited treatment options available today, the drug is being closely watched as...

Madison Levine sits down with Dave Kemp to share her journey from founding a private practice to shaping it into a clinic that bridges hearing care with the wider healthcare system, emphasizing the role of hearing in cognition and aging well. She discusses her recent TEDx talk, the importance of physician and patient education, and how hearing care professionals can strike the right balance betwee...

Phonak has introduced the Virto R Infinio, its first fully rechargeable custom in-the-ear hearing aid. Built on the Infinio platform, Virto R offers a deeply recessed, discreet fit while delivering the same advanced performance as Phonak’s behind-the-ear models. Key features include RightFit technology for personalized acoustics, biometric calibration for optimized directionality, and AutoSense OS...

What if a cochlear implant could adapt and improve throughout a patient’s lifetime? Hearing health advocate and author Gael Hannan sits down with Brendan Murray, Vice President of CI Product Portfolio at Cochlear, to discuss the launch of the Cochlear™ Nucleus® Nexa™ System. The Nexa is the first cochlear implant platform with upgradeable firmware, allowing recipients to benefit from future innova...

For the first time, optical coherence tomography (OCT) is being used to study the human inner ear directly in patients. In this follow-up conversation, Dr. John Oghalai, Professor and Chair of the Caruso Department of Otolaryngology at USC, shares the latest advances in this groundbreaking research. Dr. Oghalai describes how his team has transitioned from animal studies to human imaging, uncoverin...

ReSound has introduced the Enzo IA, its newest super-power hearing aid built for people with severe-to-profound hearing loss. Smaller and rechargeable, Enzo IA offers up to 28 hours of battery life while delivering powerful gain without feedback. It also brings advanced hearing-in-noise performance through the new Clear Focus beamforming system, along with Auracast™ compatibility for next-generati...