Exploring how musicality affects hearing health
Official title: The Musicality, Hearing and Genetics ("MyHearingG") Project: Experimental, epidemiological, and genomics techniques to explore the role of musicality in hearing health
Funded at Vanderbilt University Medical Center · NIH-10873287 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how being musical might help protect your hearing as you get older, and it's for older adults who love music or have musical skills.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $218,750 |
| NIH project number | 5R21DC021276-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10873287 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are older adults who have varying levels of musical experience and hearing health.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with severe hearing loss or those who do not engage with music may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the relationship between musicality and hearing health, particularly focusing on how musical aptitude and engagement may protect against age-related hearing loss. By employing experimental, epidemiological, and genomic techniques, the project aims to understand how individual differences in musical skills can influence hearing outcomes in older adults. The study will assess both the frequency of music engagement and the genetic factors associated with musicality to determine their impact on hearing abilities.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new strategies for preserving hearing health through musical engagement.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown promising results regarding the positive effects of musical engagement on hearing outcomes, suggesting that this approach may yield valuable insights.
Where this research is happening
-
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nayak, Srishti — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Nayak, Srishti
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Improving healthcare for patients with inherited cancer syndromes using a web-based platform
This study is testing a new online tool called MeTree that helps people understand their risk for inherited cancer by combining their medical records and family health history, making it easier for patients and doctors to get the information they need for better care and support.
-
Stroke prevention with hydroxyurea for children with sickle cell anemia in Nigeria
A multinational, patient-facing study tests whether hydroxyurea can safely prevent first strokes in Nigerian children with sickle cell anemia.
-
Scaling Up Task-Shifted Epilepsy Care for Children in Africa
A study to help children with epilepsy in Africa get diagnosed and receive seizure care through trained community health workers.
-
Enhanced surveillance for new vaccine‑preventable diseases
A Vanderbilt team is tracking how well vaccines work and how diseases like flu, RSV, norovirus, and SARS‑CoV‑2 affect young children over time.
-
Generative AI to create private, fair health data for research
A researcher at Vanderbilt aims to use Generative AI to create synthetic health data that protects patient privacy while helping AI models be fairer and more accurate.
-
ConProject-003: A patient-facing initiative at Vanderbilt for advancing care
A Vanderbilt-led project (ConProject-003) is funded to drive improvements in care for people with a specific health condition through a dedicated program.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.