Hearing loss constitutes one of the country’s most pervasive and serious health problems, affecting people of all ages. Middle ear

infections represent one of the most prevalent health problems for young children and are the most common reason for them to visit their

physician. In the adult population, noise-induced hearing loss is one of the top five industrial health problems; in the armed forces, it is one of

the most expensive health-care compensation costs. Hearing loss increases substantially in the elderly population, where it can lead to a

breakdown in communication skills and increase the risk of social isolation. The human costs of hearing loss are enormous when measured

in terms of lost productivity, compromised lifestyle, and impaired cognitive and/or language skills in children. Solutions to these problems

require the expertise of a broad range of scientific and clinical specialists.

During the past two decades, enormous advances have been made in the fields of

biology, pharmacology, genetics, neuroscience, engineering, immunology, and

computer science. These advances provide new and unique opportunities for

addressing the problems of hearing loss and deafness.

The State University of New York at Buffalo established the Center for Hearing and

Deafness in order to focus the clinical and research skills of its members on the

problems of hearing loss. Drawing upon the university’s many resources, as well as

its experts in such diverse areas as anatomy, audiology, biophysics, engineering,

otolaryngology, pediatrics, physiology, pharmacology, and psychology, the center

facilitates the transfer of important basic science results into the clinical environment

by regularly hosting interdisciplinary seminars and workshops for students, clinicians,

and scientists involved in relevant disciplines. The center also seeks to develop

cooperative working relationships with businesses and industries involved in hearing-

related activities, such as: providing health-care services to the hearing impaired, testing

and evaluating drugs used to treat hearing loss, developing new scientific and clinical

instrumentation, and assessing industrial hearing loss and noise regulations. In addition,

the center provides valuable training opportunities for physicians, engineers, and allied

health professionals.

   Richard J. Salvi (left) and Donald Henderson (right)