In summer 2025, RNID partnered with In2scienceUK to offer students hands-on experience in hearing research through the In2research programme. Farzana Haque spent her placement in Professor Karen Steel’s lab at King’s College London, exploring the genetics of deafness.
We spoke to Farzana about what she learned and how the experience shaped her future ambitions.
Can you tell us about your placement and what you took away from the experience?
I thoroughly enjoyed my placement with Daniel Pentland and Darcey Kirwin at King’s College London. My hosts were incredibly supportive, and I learnt about the structure of the inner ear, how to carry out specialised hearing tests, and key laboratory techniques. The experience reassured me that I enjoy hands-on experimental work and would like to pursue more lab-based research in the future.
What did you learn about hearing loss and hearing research that you didn’t know before?
One important thing I learnt during my placement was how crucial timing is in the potential reversal of hearing loss. While early treatment produced strong, measurable recovery of hearing, later treatment led to only partial or no improvement. This helped me appreciate how delicate the auditory system is, and how early diagnosis and timely treatment are likely to be critical for hearing-loss therapies in the future.
Do you have any personal connection to hearing loss or tinnitus?
I do not have a personal connection with hearing loss or tinnitus. Although I have not experienced these conditions within my close family, my father has gradually lost vision in one eye due to diabetes and high blood pressure. Seeing how my father’s partial vision loss has affected his independence made me more aware of how profoundly sensory loss can disrupt daily life.
His condition helped me appreciate the challenges faced by people with hearing loss or tinnitus, and reinforced the importance of research to improve diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life.
What motivated you to take part in this placement?
Earlier this year, during my Systems Neuroscience module, I had a particularly engaging lecture on the auditory system, covering everything from the detailed anatomy of the ear to hearing disorders such as tinnitus. This made me appreciate how complex and fragile the system is, and it sparked a genuine curiosity.
I think one of things that compelled me towards choosing a hearing research placement was a news story I had seen about a toddler who was born deaf due to a mutation in the OTOF gene who underwent a pioneering gene therapy trial. The story described how after therapy, the child could hear for the first time and respond to sounds. It was a medical breakthrough but what really moved me was the parents’ utter joy at the real-world change in their child’s life.
It made me realise that hearing research isn’t simply about studying anatomy or physiology in the abstract but can lead to life-changing interventions.
Dr Daniel Pentland, Postdoctoral Research Associate at King’s College London, said:
“Darcey Kirwin and I hosted Farzana in the laboratory of Professor Karen Steel over Summer 2025. We wanted to host this placement because opportunities for students to get research experience within an active research laboratory are limited. In2Research provides an incredibly valuable platform for students from underrepresented backgrounds to obtain research laboratory experience, and we wanted to support this initiative.”
The impact of In2research
RNID has supported the In2research programme for four years. We believe the scheme creates fantastic opportunities for talented students from underrepresented backgrounds to gain hands-on research experience and pursue STEM careers.
Dr Elisa Martelletti, Research Fellow at King’s College London, has hosted In2science placements for a few years and said:
“Hosting students through the In2Research programme has been profoundly rewarding, as it enables talented students from underrepresented backgrounds to contribute meaningfully to real research while advancing a more inclusive scientific community. I am grateful to RNID for supporting this initiative and for helping make these opportunities accessible to those who might otherwise face barriers to entering research. I would encourage others to host, as this programme is inspiring and creates lasting benefits for students and research teams.”
Learn more about In2scienceUK, the charity behind this programme, and how they promote diversity and inclusion in STEM. Visit In2scienceUK website.
