This Week in Hearing

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

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 accessibility while protecting the

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 through therapy led to a growing

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 & Beyond—the practical guide to living

Four years ago, in July 2021, This Week in Hearing was launched to spotlight the ideas, innovations, and voices shaping the hearing industry. Since then, the platform has grown into a trusted source for timely and insightful conversations, with nearly 300 interviews published to date. From hearing aids and cochlear implants to consumer audio, tinnitus research, and public health policy,

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 to

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 the emotional landscape

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 Therapy and is the immediate past president of

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 array and ambisonic sound recordings to simulate

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 Dr. Alfred Mwamba, Executive Director of the Starkey Hearing Institute in Zambia, to explore the foundation’s evolution from mission-based outreach to a scalable, community-empowered