Around 20,000 people in the UK wear a cochlear implant. Cochlear implants provide a sensation of hearing to those who have severe to profound hearing loss, but they do not bring back normal hearing.
Cochlear implants use electrical signals to directly stimulate the auditory nerve. While they work very well for some users, others struggle to understand speech and follow conversations, especially in noisy environments.
Then and now
In the 1980s, RNID’s Technology team developed the first cochlear implant to be used in the UK, working with surgeons at the Royal National Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital in London. The first person to be given a cochlear implant in the UK received it in 1989.
Today we are funding research to improve cochlear implant technology so that more people can benefit. Below are some of the projects we’re supporting.
Current research projects
Dr Charlotte Garcia – Improving pitch perception in cochlear implants
Charlotte Garcia, at the University of Cambridge, aims to develop personalised cochlear implant settings to improve how cochlear implant users perceive the pitch of sounds, like tone of voice and music. Find out more about this research.
My focus on cochlear implant users is driven both by a fascination with the technology and my desire to do work that can improve the lives of others. I also have numerous family members with significant hearing loss and have watched them recede from their social world as they aged – I want to be doing work that helps people maintain social connections to live meaningful, connected lives.”
Professor Rachael Richardson – Using light to stimulate the hearing nerve
Rachael Richardson, at the Bionics Institute of Australia, is testing whether light – rather than electrical – stimulation can provide a better sensation of hearing through a cochlear implant. This could lead to improving cochlear implant technology and bringing a richer listening experience. Read about this project.
Hearing, music and communication are such essential and enriching components of everyday life, and compromised hearing leads to anxiety and missed opportunities.
I am committed to doing research that improves outcomes with cochlear implants by using technologies to control nerve activity with high precision.”
Oneeba Ahmed – Robotic-assisted cochlear implant surgery
Oneeba Ahmed, a PhD student in Dr Xinli Du’s lab at Brunel University of London, is developing a new system that uses sensors and robotics to help place the cochlear implant electrodes more accurately inside the cochlea, reducing the risk of damage. Learn more about this work.
The transformative potential of advanced technologies like cochlear implants fuels my passion for research. By working as a biomedical engineer, I aim to develop more effective devices that can significantly enhance the lives of people with hearing loss.”
Dr Tobias Goehring – Enhancing speech understanding
Tobias Goehring, at the University of Cambridge, is refining existing strategies aiming to improve speech understanding for people using cochlear implants. Explore this research.
My goal is to help people with hearing difficulties communicate in noisy situations and to increase their quality of life. By far the most motivating to me is simply talking to people who have hearing loss and to hear their stories – that keeps me focused and inspires new research ideas.”
Dr Dorothée Arzounian – Tailoring cochlear implants using brain activity
Dr Dorothée Arzounian, together with Dr Charlotte Garcia at the University of Cambridge, aims to develop a tool that audiologists can use to programme cochlear implants to match the user’s individual needs. Find out more about this research.
When it comes to cochlear implants, I am both amazed that we are capable of recreating a sense of hearing with medical technology, and aware that there is plenty of room for improvement, which I see as an exciting challenge. I am convinced there has to be a better way of providing sounds with these devices, and I am very eager to contribute to the next advances in this area.”
Real-life impact
Together, these projects show how research is helping more people benefit from cochlear implants. To see the impact they can have, read lived‑experience stories from people in our communities who use cochlear implants.
