This Week in Hearing

Auracast has officially launched at the world-renowned Sydney Opera House, setting a new standard for hearing accessibility in live events. In this special episode, Andrew Bellavia takes us behind the scenes of this groundbreaking event, where he explores the powerful capabilities of Auracast technology and its transformative impact on hearing accessibility. Andrew reflects on his personal experie...

Caption Companion is a tool designed to provide real-time captioning without requiring an internet connection. In this conversation, Shari Eberts is joined by Margaret Downs, Executive Director of Premier Visual Voice, and Mathew Call, Director of Technology, to explore how this device can enhance accessibility for people with hearing loss. Equipped with a wireless microphone and user-friendly int...

Widex has introduced the Widex Allure , a new hearing aid platform designed to enhance speech clarity and improve awareness in various listening environments. Featuring the W1 chip and 'Precision Hearing Technology', the platform focuses on delivering clearer speech while maintaining natural sound awareness. In this conversation with Shari Eberts, Dana Helmink, Doctor of Audiology and Seni...

How will personalized audio solutions shape the future of hearing health? Dr. James Fielding, CEO of Audeara, discusses how integrating personalized sound is transforming both hearing care and consumer audio. In this conversation, Fielding takes us through Audeara’s journey, from its early days of custom audio devices to its expansion into hearing aid solutions. Audeara’s innovative approach is re...

A deeper understanding of how the brain regulates sound perception through inner ear nerve fibers could transform the way hearing loss is diagnosed and managed. In this conversation, Dr. John Oghalai explores groundbreaking research that uncovers the brain’s role in modulating cochlear nerve fibers to adjust sound levels in response to hearing loss. These findings provide new insights into auditor...

Dr. Barry Freeman has had a distinguished career that spans academia, private practice, industry and global audiology education. As a past president of the American Academy of Audiology, Dr. Freeman has been instrumental in shaping the profession, advancing the recognition of audiologists, and promoting access to quality hearing care. Dr. Freeman has been at the forefront of transforming audiology...

The Signia Pure Charge&Go BCT IX hearing aids bring several advanced upgrades designed to enhance the user experience. Powered by a newly redesigned chip, these hearing aids offer improved sound quality and extended battery life, providing up to 36 hours of use, including five hours of streaming. New features, such as a convenient LED light indicator and a tactile button for better handling, f...

Access to communication is a fundamental right, yet for many individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing in the prison system, it remains a significant challenge. In this discussion, Paul Lee, COO of InnoCaption, joins Shari Eberts to discuss InnoCaption Connect, a program designed to bring real-time captioned calls to incarcerated individuals. With an estimated 10% of the prison population experi...

AI is rapidly transforming hearing technology, and Femtosense is at the forefront of this shift. Sam Fok, co-founder and CEO of FemtoSense, discusses the company’s AI-driven chip technology and its applications in hearing aids, earbuds, and other audio devices. FemtoSense, founded in 2018 out of Stanford University, specializes in neuromorphic engineering, a method that mimics the brain’s efficien...

Hearing technology is evolving, and fully implantable devices are becoming a reality. In this discussion, Brent Lucas, CEO of Envoy Medical, joins Shari Eberts to talk about the company's fully implantable hearing solutions, including the Esteem active middle ear implant and the Acclaim fully implantable cochlear implant, which is currently in clinical trials. Unlike traditional hearing aids a...

Will genetic therapies revolutionize hearing loss treatment? Dr. Christo Bester, Head of Implant Innovation at Ear Science Institute Australia, discusses the emerging role of gene therapy and personalized medicine in hearing restoration. He highlights the Aussie Earbank initiative, a pioneering effort to collect genetic samples and audiometric data, helping researchers develop targeted treatments....

Hearing therapeutics are advancing rapidly, but how close are we to real breakthroughs? That was the focus of The State of Hearing Therapeutics , a panel discussion held during the 2025 Hearing Therapeutics Summit on February 4. Moderated by Brian Taylor, AuD, the panel featured Hugo Peris (Spiral Therapeutics), Tony Ricci, PhD (Stanford University School of Medicine), Jian Zuo, PhD (Ting Therapeu...

GN’s new ReSound Vivia hearing aids integrate advanced AI to deliver a more adaptive and personalized listening experience. The devices leverage a deep neural network (DNN) trained on 13.5 million spoken sentences, enabling it to differentiate speech from background noise more effectively than previous models. Alongside ReSound Vivia, GN also launched ReSound Savi, a new essentials range featuring...

Hearing loss affects millions worldwide, but could a cure be within reach? Researchers at Stanford’s SICHL are making significant strides in regenerative medicine and innovative therapies to address one of the most common sensory impairments. Dr. Tina Stankovic, Chair of Otolaryngology at Stanford University, discusses the latest advancements in hearing loss research and the collaborative approach...

How are hearing loss and musicality connected? In a recent conversation, Brian Taylor spoke with Dr. Srishti Nayak, a researcher at the Vanderbilt Music Cognition Lab, to explore the relationship between hearing and musical abilities. Dr. Nayak discussed emerging research on how musical engagement may support hearing health and introduced the MAPLE framework, which suggests that musical skills, la...

With auditory training gaining renewed attention, Neurotone’s revitalized LACE AI Pro is emerging as a powerful tool for improving hearing outcomes. In this discussion, Dr. Miles Aron, COO of Neurotone, explores how the company is modernizing auditory training through AI technology, gamification, and an expansive library of customizable exercises. LACE focuses on synthetic auditory training, helpi...

Can cell therapy revolutionize hearing loss treatment? In this follow-up discussion, Brian Culley, CEO of Lineage Cell Therapeutics, shares exciting updates on the ReSonance™ (ANP1) program, a pioneering preclinical study exploring auditory neuron cell transplantation. Culley explains how lab-grown auditory neurons are being delivered to the inner ear to potentially restore damaged auditory pathwa...

Neuroimaging is an essential tool in diagnosing and managing complex auditory and vestibular conditions, and the new textbook 'Neuroimaging of the Auditory and Vestibular Systems: A Clinician’s Guide' is designed to equip healthcare professionals with the knowledge needed to excel in this field. In this discussion, Dr. Matthew Bush, otolaryngologist and department chair at the University of Kentuc...

Can a unified network of patients, clinicians, and researchers finally transform tinnitus care? The team at Stop The Ring presents an ambitious plan to do just that with the creation of a Tinnitus Learning Health Network. Originally presented at the 'InFocus: Rethinking Tinnitus Symposium' and moderated by Dr. David Holcomb, this discussion brings together Jeffery Reagan, a tinnitus patient and fo...

Shyam Gollakota, a professor at the University of Washington and digital health innovator, is pioneering a revolutionary solution to the 'cocktail party problem,' a longstanding challenge in hearing technology. His team has created a groundbreaking "sound bubble" device that enables users to amplify voices within a specific range while minimizing external noise and distractions. Designed to adapt...

The integration of hearing health into mainstream consumer audio technology is gaining momentum, driven by innovative collaborations like that of Mimi Hearing Technologies and Knowles Corp. Florian Schneidmodel and Mehul Kochar explore how Mimi’s personalization technology and Knowles’ balanced armature receivers are transforming devices like true wireless earbuds, making tailored audio experience...

This week, host Amyn Amlani sits down with Professor Marcus Atlas, founder of the Ear Science Institute Australia, to discuss the institute's groundbreaking work, particularly the development of ClearDrum. ClearDrum is an innovative biosynthetic prosthetic designed to reconstruct the human tympanic membrane using silk fibroin. Unlike traditional graft materials like cartilage, ClearDrum offers tra...

In this thought-provoking presentation from the InFocus: Rethinking Tinnitus Symposium , Dr. James Jackson explores the gap between what tinnitus patients expect and the care they actually receive. Drawing on his extensive research and expertise, Dr. Jackson delves into the Primary Patient Pathway in the United Kingdom, highlighting the challenges faced by patients and healthcare providers alike....

Can we standardize tinnitus care to improve outcomes? In this insightful presentation, Dr. James A. Henry introduces the Tinnitus Stepped-Care model—a groundbreaking framework designed to standardize clinical services for tinnitus. This six-step approach aims to ensure that patients receive the right level of care at the right time, from initial triage to advanced treatment options. Dr. Henry emph...

How has tinnitus care evolved over the decades, and what does the future hold for its management? In this presentation from the 2024 'InFocus: Rethinking Tinnitus Symposium', Dr. James A. Henry, a renowned expert in tinnitus research, offers a comprehensive overview of tinnitus clinical management. He explores the evolution of care from the 1970s to today, emphasizing evidence-based approaches lik...