A fundamental goal of hearing research and auditory neuroscience is to understand the causes and consequences of hearing loss and to use this knowledge to mitigate hearing disorders. One of the premier venues for promoting scientific progress toward this goal is the series of International Hearing Loss Conference (IHLC). In 2019, IHLC will take place on May 5-9 in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. This will be the 4th IHLC. The first three conferences also took place in the Niagara region, on the US side of The Falls. IHLC is the only multi-day meeting that focuses exclusively on the causes and consequences of hearing loss. Further, because IHLC takes place in a relatively cloistered setting, it maximizes formal and informal scientific discourse in a collegial atmosphere.
Aim #1 is to bring together auditory scientists to exchange ideas, methods, and concepts on hearing loss. The goal of the 2019 meeting is to promote our understanding of six specific areas of related to hearing loss: hidden hearing loss, tinnitus, hyperacusis, central gain, neuroplasticity, and impaired auditory processing. In particular, the organizers of IHLC are interested in attracting scientists that (1) employ methodologies and conceptual/theoretical paradigms that are often novel to studies of hearing loss; and (2) whose research focuses on studying the consequences of hearing loss through a synthesis of both human and animal research.
Aim #2. To facilitate meaningful and educational interactions between junior and senior auditory neuroscientists during the program and to broaden the pipeline for women and minority scientists in auditory research. ?Early Investigator Talks? give a cadre of students and post- doctoral fellows the opportunity to advertise their posters as a short oral presentation. Select speaker slots will be reserved for junior faculty members and post-doctoral fellows. Further, we will award a number of travel grants for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows that offset the cost of attending IHLC to significantly increase the footprint of trainees at the 2019 IHLC. IHLC is extremely relevant to the scientific mission of the NIDCD. This conference supports the NIDCD mission in three ways. First, the program brings together successful junior and established investigators who represent a substantial component of NIDCD-sponsored programs to foster new ideas in hearing research. Second, the conference provides a superb environment in which to educate and engage students and junior faculty in our field. Third, the program features numerous presentations on clinically relevant research into temporary and permanent hearing loss, vulnerability to acoustic noise, tinnitus, and cognitive and psychological factors influencing hearing (attention, tinnitus).
ABSTRACT The translational and clinical impact of the International Hearing Loss Conference (IHLC) is high due to its focus on the causes and consequences of hearing loss and the use this knowledge to mitigate hearing disorders. The program features numerous presentations on clinically relevant research into hidden hearing loss, tinnitus, hyperacusis, central gain, neuroplasticity, and impaired auditory processing. IHLC is a premier venue for disseminating and forging collaborations on these key scientific and translational issues.
