This Week in Hearing

Can regenerative medicine move beyond managing symptoms to actually restore natural hearing? Brian Taylor speaks with Simon Chandler, CEO of Rinri Therapeutics, about the company’s pioneering cell therapy for hearing loss. They discuss Rincell-1, Rinri’s first-in-human clinical trial, and how regenerative medicine could complement or even surpass today’s treatments like hearing aids and cochlear implants. The conversation also explores Rinri’s

What if a regenerative therapy could not only halt sudden hearing loss but also help the inner ear repair itself? Dr. Reimar Schlingensiepen, CEO of Berlin-based biotech AudioCure, joins Brian Taylor to discuss AC102, the company’s lead compound now in Phase 2 clinical trials for sudden sensorineural hearing loss. With limited treatment options available today, the drug is being closely

Madison Levine sits down with Dave Kemp to share her journey from founding a private practice to shaping it into a clinic that bridges hearing care with the wider healthcare system, emphasizing the role of hearing in cognition and aging well. She discusses her recent TEDx talk, the importance of physician and patient education, and how hearing care professionals can

Phonak has introduced the Virto R Infinio, its first fully rechargeable custom in-the-ear hearing aid. Built on the Infinio platform, Virto R offers a deeply recessed, discreet fit while delivering the same advanced performance as Phonak’s behind-the-ear models. Key features include RightFit technology for personalized acoustics, biometric calibration for optimized directionality, and AutoSense OS 7 trained on 18x more real-life

For the first time, optical coherence tomography (OCT) is being used to study the human inner ear directly in patients. In this follow-up conversation, Dr. John Oghalai, Professor and Chair of the Caruso Department of Otolaryngology at USC, shares the latest advances in this groundbreaking research. Dr. Oghalai describes how his team has transitioned from animal studies to human imaging,

What if a cochlear implant could adapt and improve throughout a patient’s lifetime? Hearing health advocate and author Gael Hannan sits down with Brendan Murray, Vice President of CI Product Portfolio at Cochlear, to discuss the launch of the Cochlear™ Nucleus® Nexa™ System. The Nexa is the first cochlear implant platform with upgradeable firmware, allowing recipients to benefit from future

ReSound has introduced the Enzo IA, its newest super-power hearing aid built for people with severe-to-profound hearing loss. Smaller and rechargeable, Enzo IA offers up to 28 hours of battery life while delivering powerful gain without feedback. It also brings advanced hearing-in-noise performance through the new Clear Focus beamforming system, along with Auracast™ compatibility for next-generation streaming in public and

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

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