Hearing loss affects an estimated 50 million Americans. Some
hearing loss is temporary, and may be caused by short exposures
to loud noises, but for many people, it is permanent. Hearing
Health Foundation, the largest private funder of hearing
research, has organized a Consortium of researchers through the
Hearing Research Project, with a goal of accelerating the
timeline for a genuine cure for most types of acquired hearing
loss. The cure focuses on the specialized cells that make
hearing possible. Hair cells located in the inner ear turn
sounds into electrical signals that transmit the sound
information to the brain. In humans, exposure to loud noises,
age and even some medications can damage or even kill these hair
cells, thus causing permanent hearing loss. But birds and fish
are able to spontaneously regrow their damaged hair cells,
leading scientists to discover how this ability can be
replicated in humans. As a college student, Katharine Simpson
began to notice she was missing sounds - but ignored the