This Week in Hearing

What happens when the technology that restores your hearing comes with ongoing costs that insurance often won’t cover? Angela Irwin—bilateral cochlear implant recipient, TEDx speaker, confidence coach, and founder of the Joyful Life Cochlear Implant Fund—shares her personal journey and why she’s working to ensure no one loses their hearing a second time due to equipment costs. In this in-depth con...

What if we could treat hearing loss before it shows up on a standard audiogram? Celia Belline, CEO and co-founder of Cilcare, shares progress on the company’s lead compound, CIL001, developed to treat cochlear synaptopathy—often referred to as hidden hearing loss. A Phase 2A clinical trial is planned to begin later this year, targeting individuals with type 2 diabetes who are more likely to presen...

What happens when technology, human connection, and sign language expertise come together to close access gaps for the Deaf community? In this episode, Shari Eberts sits down with Cirrus co-founders Chris Fillman and Rhett Youngberg to explore the mission behind CirrusTranslate—a new AI-assisted, human-delivered platform for American Sign Language (ASL) translation. The platform aims to increase a...

What happens when hearing loss shapes an artist’s path? Priscila Soares—a Brazilian-American artist, illustrator, and mother—draws on her experience with single-sided deafness and raising a child with profound hearing loss to create artwork that reflects, honors, and connects with the hearing loss community. In this thoughtful conversation, Priscila shares how reconnecting with her creativity thro...

What happens when audiology students learn directly from people living with hearing loss? In this episode, Shari Eberts talks with Dr. Kathleen Cienkowski, audiologist and professor at the University of Connecticut, about her recent efforts to incorporate community-engaged learning into the audiology curriculum. Their conversation centers around a class project where students read Hear & Beyon...

What happens when a global hearing aid manufacturer and a fashion house join forces to challenge stigma? In this episode, host Andrew Bellavia speaks with Marie Schleimann Nordlund, Director of Communication and Community at GN Hearing, and Kristian Rye, CEO of Han Kjøbenhavn, about their recent collaboration showcased at Copenhagen Fashion Week. Together, the two companies brought hearing health...

For many with hearing loss, traditional meditation practices fall short—one woman is working to change that. Janaki Zaremba is a lifelong meditator who also lives with hearing loss, she’s developing a more inclusive and sensory-friendly approach to mindfulness that goes beyond traditional audio-based guidance. In this conversation with Shari Eberts, Janaki shares how meditation helped her navigate...

Dr. Tena McNamara’s audiology journey has spanned clinical practice, academic leadership, advocacy, and national service. With more than four decades of experience and dual certification in audiology and speech-language pathology, Dr. McNamara has worked across educational systems, early intervention, and higher education. She currently serves as a pediatric audiologist at Midwest Children’s Thera...

Hearing care professionals often face challenges when trying to evaluate and compare performance claims across hearing aid brands. Andrew Bellavia speaks with Michael Preuss, Audiology Manager at Sonova, about Phonak’s approach to validating its claims through objective, lab-based methods designed to better reflect real-world listening environments. Preuss explains how Phonak uses a 12-speaker arr...

What does it take to build sustainable hearing care infrastructure in underserved regions of the world? In this inspiring interview, Andrew Bellavia is joined by Richard Brown, Chairman and President of the Starkey Hearing Foundation, and Alfred Mwamba, Executive Director of the Starkey Hearing Institute in Zambia, to explore the foundation’s evolution from mission-based outreach to a scalable, co...

How well do hearing aids handle noisy, real-world environments? Dr. Bob Traynor sits down with Drs. Sheena Oliver and Eric Branda of WS Audiology to discuss a recent independent study conducted by Hörzentrum Oldenburg. The research compared speech understanding performance between Signia's Integrated Xperience (IX) hearing aids and another leading device featuring an AI co-processor. The conversat...

What if a digital tool could help bridge the gap between hearing loss and informed action? In this session from the 2025 Future of Hearing Healthcare Conference , Dr. Mel Ferguson of Curtin University introduces the Hear Choice project—a co-designed, evidence-based decision aid developed to empower adults with hearing loss. Backed by Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council, Hear C...

Tinnitus is one of audiology’s greatest challenges—and opportunities. In this episode, Dr. Ben Thompson of Treble Health joins host Bob Traynor to share how he built a successful telehealth practice focused exclusively on tinnitus care. Ben outlines his journey from in-person visits in San Francisco to scaling a nationwide virtual clinic that now serves thousands of patients, and then to his next...

Advances in implantable technology are opening new possibilities for people living with hearing loss. In the third installment of our cochlear implant series, we welcome back Brent Lucas, CEO of Envoy Medical, to explore the latest advancements in hearing technology and patient care. He shares the latest updates on the company’s progress toward fully implantable hearing devices and discusses their...

Hearing care is evolving rapidly—are we ready for what’s next? In this conversation from the 2025 Future of Hearing Healthcare Conference, Andy Bellavia and Dave Kemp explore the trends reshaping hearing healthcare. From the growing influence of AI and consumer tech to the mainstreaming of OTC hearing aids, they discuss how new technologies are expanding access and improving outcomes for people wi...

Stigma remains one of the most enduring and complex barriers in hearing healthcare—shaping public perceptions of hearing loss, delaying help-seeking behaviors, and limiting the adoption of hearing technology across all age groups. Despite advances in treatment and expanded access through over-the-counter (OTC) devices, many people still hesitate to pursue care due to fears of looking old, feeling...

Modernizing audiology practice isn’t just about professional progress—it’s about improving patient care. In this session, moderator Dave Kemp leads a timely discussion with Dr. Alicia Spoor (Maryland), Dr. Kelley Linton (Arkansas), Dr. Brian Greenaway (Oregon), and Stephanie Czuhajewski, Executive Director of the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA), on the evolving legislative landscape shaping...

Cochlear implants remain vastly underutilized despite decades of evidence showing their ability to restore hearing and improve quality of life. In this episode, neurotologist Dr. Varun Varadarajan joins host Brian Taylor to explore the clinical, logistical, and cultural barriers that continue to limit access to cochlear implant care. Drawing on his background in music and neuroscience, Dr. Varadar...

From first consult to post-activation, cochlear implant success often depends on the strength of the care team behind the patient. In this episode, Dr. Kevin Zhan, Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology and Director of the Northwestern Medicine Cochlear Implant Program, joins host Brian Taylor to discuss the evolving collaboration between cochlear implant surgeons and hearing care professionals. Dr...

Nuance Audio has officially introduced its over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid glasses to the U.S. market. In this episode, recorded at the launch event in New York, Andrew Bellavia speaks with Davide D’Alena of Nuance Audio and EssilorLuxottica, and John Luna, about the product’s development, regulatory journey, and plans for rollout. The glasses aim to assist individuals with mild to moderate hea...

How can hearing care professionals expand their reach by partnering with primary care? This week, Dr. Angela Morris, audiologist and Account Manager at Shoebox, discusses innovative approaches to integrating hearing screening into primary care workflows. Drawing from her experience as a former private practice owner and audiology leader, Dr. Morris discusses how Shoebox's QuickTest tool allows...

Can hearing aids be personalized for specific environments or even people with no measurable hearing loss? In this episode, recorded at the National Acoustic Laboratories (NAL), host Andrew Bellavia sits down with Dr. Pádraig Kitterick to explore the groundbreaking advancements behind NAL-NL3 and COSI 2.0.Together, they dive into the major updates to the world’s most widely used hearing aid fittin...

Gene therapy is rapidly emerging as a transformative approach for treating genetic hearing loss, with Regeneron advancing one of the field’s most promising candidates: DB-OTO. In this conversation, Regeneron's Auditory Global Program Head Dr. Jonathon Whitton provides an in-depth look at the company’s work developing a gene therapy targeting otoferlin-related hearing loss, a rare but significa...

In this week’s episode, host Bob Traynor is joined by Dr. Frank Musiek to discuss the upcoming second annual "Pathways: Quest for the Best in CAPD and Neuroaudiology ." This virtual symposium, set to take place on April 26, 2025, will focus on advancements and practical applications in diagnosing and treating Central Auditory Processing Disorders (CAPD) and neuroaudiology. Dr. Musiek hig...

Noise-induced hearing loss is on the rise among children, often due to prolonged exposure to loud music and environments without proper hearing protection. In this episode, Dr. Sherilyn Adler, Executive Director of the Ear Peace Foundation and co-author of HearO Saves the Day, discusses how her new children’s book introduces the concept of hearing protection in a fun and accessible way. Created wi...