Oberkotter Foundation Announces the Scientific Council for Childhood Hearing

Council will bring together global experts to deepen understandings about childhood hearing loss.

, /PRNewswire/ -- The Oberkotter Foundation today announced the formation of its Scientific Council for Childhood Hearing, a new initiative dedicated to analyzing the science of listening, language, and literacy for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Congenital hearing loss is the most common sensory deficit in children worldwide and can cause significant challenges in early childhood development. The Council aims to address these challenges through multidisciplinary collaboration rooted in scientific inquiry.

Interventions for children who are deaf or hard of hearing remain inconsistent and challenging to navigate. As a result, many families struggle to find the support they need during a critical window of development, potentially resulting in delayed language acquisition, academic struggles, and limited opportunities later in life. Addressing these challenges requires a unified, evidence-based approach to ensure that every child has access to timely pediatric audiology and early intervention services.

"The formation of this new initiative is a pivotal step forward in fulfilling the Oberkotter Foundation's commitment to ensuring that children who are deaf or hard of hearing can reach their full potential," said Dr. Teresa Caraway, CEO of the Oberkotter Foundation. "I am inspired to see such a dynamic group of experts come together, each dedicated to deepening our collective understanding of audiological and language development. Through thoughtful analysis, the Council will pave the way for transformative advancements in listening, language, and literacy for children and families everywhere."

The Scientific Council unites top experts across a wide breadth of disciplines—including audiology, medicine, neuroscience, speech pathology, literacy, deaf education, and public health—and is composed of the following esteemed members:*

• Dylan Chan, MD, Ph.D., Professor, Pediatric Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery; Director, Children's Communication Center, University of California, San Francisco
• Shani Dettman, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, The University of Melbourne
• Carol Flexer, Ph.D., LSLS Cert. AVT, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Audiology, The University of Akron
• René H. Gifford, Ph.D., CCC-A, Chief of Audiology and Research, Hearts for Hearing
• Andrej Kral, MD, Ph.D., Professor of Auditory and Systems Neuroscience, Hannover Medical School and Macquarie University
• Ryan W. McCreery, Ph.D., Vice President of Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital
• Susan Nittrouer, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Speech Language and Hearing Sciences, University of Florida
• Jacob Oleson, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Biostatistics, University of Iowa
• J. Tilak Ratnanather, DPhil, FAIMBE, FIMA, Associate Research Professor, Center for Imaging Science and Institute for Computational Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
• Dana Suskind, MD, Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics, Co-Director, TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health, University of Chicago
• Elizabeth Walker, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Communications Sciences and Disorders, University of Iowa
• Nancy M. Young, MD, Lillian S. Wells Professor of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine; Head, Section of Otology and Neurotology, Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
• Jace Wolfe, Ph.D., CCC-A, Council Chair, Senior Vice President Innovation, Oberkotter Foundation
• Andrea Dunn, Au.D., Ph.D., CCC-A, Council Vice Chair, Vice President Programs, Oberkotter Foundation

"Science is the cornerstone of progress," said Dr. Jace Wolfe, Chair of the Scientific Council for Childhood Hearing and Senior Vice President of Innovation at the Oberkotter Foundation. "Through an extraordinary convergence of expertise, the Scientific Council for Childhood Hearing will ensure that every insight we uncover and share is rooted in evidence and guided by collaboration. Together, we have the power to shape a future where every child thrives."

For more information about the Scientific Council for Childhood Hearing, visit www.oberkotterfoundation.org/initiatives/scientific-council 

*Affiliations are for identification purposes only.

About the Oberkotter Foundation

The Oberkotter Foundation helps families ensure their children who are deaf or hard of hearing have opportunities to reach their full potential through Listening and Spoken Language (LSL).

The Foundation is committed to advancing science and innovation that will improve access to quality audiological and LSL services for children with hearing loss so that they develop age-appropriate listening, talking, and literacy skills. Since 1985, the Foundation has provided over $500 million in funding to improve listening, spoken language, and literacy outcomes for children with hearing loss and their families.

For more information about the Oberkotter Foundation, visit www.oberkotterfoundation.org.

SOURCE Oberkotter Foundation