CROSS-CUTTING TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH ON HEARING
The Hearing Institute is a center for basic and translational neuroscience research in the field of hearing, set up at the initiative of the Fondation Pour l'Audition and the Institut Pasteur.
The Hearing Institute has three main priorities:
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1. TO CARRY OUT TOP-LEVEL BASICH RESEARCH
To elucidate the principles underpinning the workings of the auditory system, auditory perception and cognition, and multisensory integration; to improve understanding of the plasticity of the auditory system; and to shed light on interactions between the genome and the acoustic environment.
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2. TO DEVELOP TRANSLATIONAL APPROACHES
To improve treatment for patients by elucidating the pathogenesis of sensorineural hearing loss and by developing multiparametric tools to diagnose hearing impairments, innovative therapeutic approaches for children, young adults and older individuals, and aural rehabilitation based on advances in basic scientific knowledge.
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3. TO TRANSFER SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE
The Hearing Institute disseminates its scientific and medical findings to the international scientific community and to all those involved in hearing health, including physicians, hearing aid specialists and speech therapists. It also shares this information with individuals with hearing loss and related organizations; it listens to their views and is committed to fostering a shared vision of any therapeutic developments.
HEARING,
A MAJOR PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE
The causes of hearing loss may be genetic, environmental, or – as is often the case – a combination of both. At any age, over-exposure to noise may put individuals at risk of hearing loss. Young people are increasingly spending time in recreational settings with poorly controlled noise levels, and with urbanization resulting in ever denser living conditions, noise pollution is on the rise. The auditory system is also particularly vulnerable to the effects of aging.
PROFESSOR ANNE-LISE GIRAUD
To transform the lives of the hearing-impaired and people suffering from speech disorders, our goal is to quickly transfer basic research into clinical application through via strong partnerships with the industry, while still aiming high to enable the emergence of tomorrow’s new ideas and solutions.
A BUILDING
IN CENTRAL PARIS
The Hearing Institute is a joint Institut Pasteur-Inserm research unit. It is composed of scientific staff from the Institut Pasteur, Inserm and the CNRS.
The Hearing Institute includes a Center for research and innovation in human audiology (CeRIAH), whose task is to develop innovative diagnostic methods. It works in cooperation with ENT departments in the Paris Public Hospital Network (AP-HP) and university hospitals elsewhere in France (including Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand and Bordeaux), and with other hearing health professionals, especially hearing aid specialists.
The City of Paris is a project partner and was particularly instrumental in the acquisition and subsequent refurbishment of the building. The Greater Paris Region has announced its support for the purchase of cutting-edge equipment.
PARTNERS AND FOUNDERS
OF THE HEARING INSTITUTE
L'INSTITUT PASTEUR
The Institut Pasteur, a non-profit foundation with recognized charitable status set up in 1887, is an internationally renowned center for biomedical research with a network of 32 institutes worldwide. In the pursuit of its mission to prevent and control diseases in France and throughout the world, the Institut Pasteur operates in four main areas: research, public health, education and training, and the development of research applications.
LA FONDATION POUR L'AUDITION
The Fondation Pour l’Audition was set up by Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, Jean-Pierre Meyers and the Fondation Bettencourt Schueller. It was granted charitable status in 2015. Its aim is to harness wide-ranging talent to advance research on hearing and help improve the daily lives of those with hearing loss. The foundation's mission is twofold: to support research and innovation that will pave the way for novel approaches and progress in hearing health, while also engaging the general public through prevention and awareness campaigns with the aim of protecting and preserving our hearing.
L'INSERM
Founded in 1964, Inserm is a French public scientific and technical institute which operates under the joint authority of the French Ministries of Health and Research. The institute is dedicated to biomedical research and human health, and is involved in the entire range of activities from the laboratory to the patient's bedside. It also partners with the most prestigious research institutions in the world that are committed to scientific challenges and progress in these fields.
ALLIANCE POUR L'AUDITION
The Hearing Institute is part of the
Alliance Pour l'Audition movement
Set up by the Fondation Pour l'Audition, the Alliance Pour l'Audition promotes all aspects of hearing health, including basic, translational and clinical research and societal improvements. It supports large-scale projects including the Hearing Institute and centers for basic and clinical audiology research (CERCAs). The aim of the Alliance Pour l'Audition is to harness talent across the board, bringing together experts who share the ambition to improve the daily lives of those with hearing loss.