Hearing News Watch

TUCSON, AZ–Frank E. Musiek, PhD, whose distinguished research career has contributed substantially to our fundamental understanding of the workings of the human auditory system, has joined the lineup of prominent audiologists at the blog Hearing Health and Technology Matters (HHTM). Musiek’s new section, called Pathways, debuted March 26, the first day of the 2014 American Academy of Audiology Convention in

SILVER SPRING, MD–A new hybrid cochlear implant system that combines the functions of a cochlear implant and a hearing aid received clearance on March 20 from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Developed by the Australian company Cochlear Limited, the Cochlear™ Nucleus® Hybrid Implant System is the first solution designed for adults who have severe or profound sensorineural hearing

MELBOURNE/BOSTON—As long as companies have been making hearing aids, the toughest and most frustrating challenge they have confronted is devising products that enable wearers to understand speech in noisy social gatherings, such as cocktail parties. While directional microphones and other technologies have helped a lot, it is still a rare hearing aid wearer who can easily engage in conversation while

ORLANDO, FL—A pioneering audiologic researcher for more than 40 years at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the founder of a leading manufacturer of audiologic equipment, and a scientist who draws on her clinical experience in rehabilitative audiology and her training in experimental psychology to help older adults who suffer from both hearing and cognitive impairments will be among those

AUTHOR’S UPDATE:  For more on this story, see my colleague Holly Hosford-Dunn’s two posts on the topic at Hearing Economics. Curious about hearing aids sold at Costco? The Hearing Technologies section provides a review of Costco’s current hearing aid models and pricing. Currently, Phonak is now on its 3rd generation of hearing devices released in Costco.   By David H. Kirkwood

HERZLIYA, ISRAEL—Moe Bergman, EdD, one of the last remaining founders of audiology, died on February 20 in Herzliya, Israel. He was 97. Dr. Bergman, a native New Yorker who moved to Israel with his wife, Hannah, in 1975, became involved in audiology in the 1930s, long before the term “audiology” was even used. In the 1940s, Bergman, along with Raymond

The lulling white noise or gentle sounds of nature that an infant sleep machine (ISP) emits can bring relief to wakeful babies and their exhausted parents. However, research by scientists at the University of Toronto suggests that these popular devices, if not used carefully, can pose a threat to an infant’s hearing. A study published online on March 3 in

RESTON, VA—When Lawrence Eng, AuD, becomes president of the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) on July 1, 2015, he will be the first man to lead the organization since 2009, when Patrick Feeney, PhD, completed his term. As reported this week on the AAA web site, Eng was elected by the membership to serve as president-elect for a year starting

ORLANDO—Ron Leavitt, AuD, whose career has spanned a wide range of audiologic activities, will receive the Larry Mauldin Award for Excellence in Education at AudiologyNOW! 2014. The annual convention of the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) will be held March 26-29 in Orlando. The Mauldin award, which is presented annually by Beltone Electronics, honors the memory of the late Larry

 By David H. Kirkwood COLLEGE PARK/BALTIMORE, MD–Stevie Wonder, Andrea Bocelli, Doc Watson, Ray Charles, Art Tatum, Ronnie Milsap, Sonny Terry, Blind Lemon Jefferson… The list of great singers and instrumentalists who were blind from birth or childhood goes on and on. It’s often been theorized that their blindness may have been a factor in the development of their musical genius.