David Kirkwood

A longtime observer of the hearing healthcare scene, David Kirkwood was editor-in-chief of The Hearing Journal from 1990 through 2010. Among the honors he received was a 2006 President’s Award from the American Academy of Audiology. Previously, he spent 15 years as editor and publisher of a weekly community newspaper in Scarsdale, NY. Before finding his way into journalism, he earned degrees in history from Cornell University (where he was an outstanding pinball player) and the University of California at Berkeley. When he isn’t blogging at Hearing Health & Technology Matters, David enjoys spending time with his wife, Annie, going to plays and movies in New York, traveling, and relaxing in their vacation place in Mid-Coast Maine. His other avocations include rooting for the Yankees and throwing tennis balls for his puli, Isaac.

Hearing industry consortium awards grants to three researchers

MINNEAPOLIS—Three scientists who are conducting research intended to improve the ability of people with hearing loss to understand speech were selected by the Hearing Industry Research Consortium (IRC) to receive the organization’s latest research grants. The consortium was established in 2012 for the purpose of advancing a mutually agreed upon research agenda that will benefit the hearing aid industry, its

Study: Formula 1 fans get a huge overdose of noise unless they wear ear protection

SAN FRANCISCO—Formula 1 Grand Prix racing has got a whole lot safer over the past 25 years or so—at least for the drivers. But that’s not the case for the spectators at these noisy events. Unless race-goers wear proper hearing protection, the odds are that their hair cells are dropping like flies with deadly effects on their hearing. How noisy

Starkey to hold second Hearing Innovation Expo

LAS VEGAS–More than 3000 people from 15 countries will attend the second Hearing Innovation Expo, being held January 15-19 at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Sponsored by Starkey Hearing Technologies, the event is designed to “serve as a catalyst for clinicians and business owners to take action and differentiate themselves in a challenging, competitive, and often disruptive market.” The 2014 Expo

AAA decides to replace executive director after leading members urge a course correction

By David H. Kirkwood For the third time in the past 15 years, the American Academy of Audiology is looking for a new executive director, following the departure of Cheryl Kreider Carey after six years in the position and 14 years on the staff of the organization. A news item that AAA posted last week on the public section of its

Gallaudet football team doesn’t let deafness get in the way of winning

WASHINGTON, DC– Gallaudet University is known for a number of things. It was founded by Abraham Lincoln in 1864 as the world’s first university for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. In 1988, it was the scene of possibly the most successful student protest uprising ever. When Gallaudet appointed a new president with normal hearing, students and some sympathetic

Section from Jerger’s “Audiology in the USA” makes its online debut on this blog

By David H. Kirkwood No one has done more to advance the field of audiology over the past half century than James Jerger. As a researcher, writer/editor, teacher, and founding president of the American Academy of Audiology, Jerger has played an outsized role in shaping the history of audiology and in preparing the profession to meet the needs of the 21st

Online media learn the old news about world’s first made-for-iPhone hearing aid

COPENHAGEN–It was all over the web this week and last: GN ReSound will be introducing the world’s first Made for iPhone hearing aid in the first quarter of 2014. So reported Reuters, followed by PC MAG.com, redorbit.com, news.softepedia.com, appleinsider.com, stockingapple.com, and well over 100 other online news outlets. Certainly this is a big story, but it’s not really news in

Employment company puts audiologist near the top of its “best jobs” list

By David H. Kirkwood CARLSBAD, CA–If you’re an audiologist or planning to become one, you may be happy (or possibly surprised) to hear that your job is the fourth best in the U.S. Who says? Career Cast, an Internet company that helps people find employment opportunities in the industry, function, and location of choice. Why does Career Cast rate audiology

Use of electrical stimulation of the vagal nerve shows promise in treating tinnitus

ANTWERP, BELGIUM—Vagal nerve stimulation, which is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating partial-onset epilepsy and treatment-resistant depression, has shown promise as part of a treatment for alleviating the symptoms of tinnitus. Writing in the November 20 issue of the online journal Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface, the researchers report that a study conducted at University

Employee accused of stealing $1 million in hearing aids before being laid off

PLYMOUTH, MN–When a man who had worked in a Rexton hearing aid manufacturing facility here for 25 years learned that he was going to be laid off in six months, he prepared for unemployment by stealing $1 million worth of hearing aids and related products, such as remote controls and battery chargers. So says the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, which