The future of hearing loss

Physician Tina Stankovic is an ear, nose, and throat specialist and a lover of music whose seemingly disparate pursuits — medicine and music — have led her to a groundbreaking career in hearing research. She recently worked with music legend Paul Simon during his well-publicized battle with hearing loss and he has become a vocal advocate for hearing research. New understandings and new approaches like regenerative medicine have put the once-impossible dream of hearing restoration within reach, Stankovic tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.

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Episode Reference Links:

• Stanford Profile: Konstantina M. Stankovic
• Stanford Researchers Assist Paul Simon with his Return to the Stage
• Inside the Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss: Cutting-Edge Science and Innovation

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Chapters:

(00:00:00) Introduction

Russ Altman introduces guest Tina Stankovic, a professor of otolaryngology and neurosurgery at Stanford University.

(00:03:36) Why Hearing Loss

What inspired Tina’s lifelong journey into hearing science.

(00:04:17) Treating Hearing Loss

Limits of current options and lack of FDA-approved therapies.

(00:05:23) Causes of Hearing Loss

The two main categories of hearing loss: conductive vs. sensorineural.

(00:07:47) Inside the Inner Ear

The complexity of the inner ear, and why diagnosis is so difficult.

(00:09:22) Tinnitus & Hearing Loss

Why ear damage can cause phantom sounds in the brain.

(00:10:28) Emerging Technologies in Hearing Research

New technologies that are evolving treatment approaches.

(00:15:19) Recreating the Ear in the Lab

Challenges the inner ear’s unique composition pose to researchers.

(00:20:02) AI Applications in Hearing Diagnosis

The ways AI is transforming diagnosis and genetic analysis.

(00:21:31) Can Ears Regrow?

Why humans don’t regenerate ear cells—but mice might help.

(00:23:55) Emotional & Social Toll of Hearing Loss

How hearing loss can lead to isolation, stigma, and cognitive decline.

(00:26:06) Born Deaf vs. Later Hearing Loss

Experi