This application is for partial support on an international multidisciplinary conference to be held June 22-24, 2000. Our understanding of the neurophysiology and psychoacoustics of binaural hearing has increased substantially in the past decade. For example, the contributions of the pinna to localization are now reasonably well understood. This has led to new technological developments in the simulation of binaural effects, including experimental and clinical tools to produce individual head-related transfer functions. From total different directions, both military and the consumer game industry has a keen interest in virtual reality, including auditory space. Nearly all hearing loss is bilateral, and even unilateral hearing loss results in deficits in binaural hearing. Hearing aids manufacturers now have binaural fitting algorithms. Noise reduction, a key issue in perception for the hearing impaired, often utilizes multiple microphones and is now being implemented in commercially-available wearable devices. Some patients have received binaural cochlear implants, and in the near future many patients will utilize a cochlear implant on one ear and a hearing aid on the other. A meeting focusing on binaural hearing would facilitate research and clinical efforts to habilitate hearing loss. This conference would bring together clinicians and basic clinical researchers. Fields represented include neurophysiologists, psychoacousticians, engineers, and audiologists. The organizers have 10 years of experience putting on conferences and The University of Iowa has an established conference center. Support from this grant will be used to offset expenses for travel and accommodation for invited speakers. The results will be disseminated in a special issue of Ear and Hearing. This meeting should benefit researchers and clinicians. Researchers will be able to share their findings, and learn what clinicians are doing. Clinicians will also share their practical approaches with other clinicians and researchers.
