Understanding age-related hearing loss and tinnitus in diverse communities
Official title: Innovative approaches to elucidate the etiology of age-related hearing loss and tinnitus in diverse populations
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11245290 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for genetic changes linked to age-related hearing loss and ringing in the ears using large whole-genome datasets, focusing especially on people of African and Latino backgrounds.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 5, 2019 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $713,794 |
| NIH project number | 2R01DC017712-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11245290 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults (21+) with age-related hearing loss or tinnitus, especially people of African ancestry or Latino/Hispanic background who can join large biobank or genetic research programs.
✕Less likely to help
People under 21, those whose hearing loss has a known non–age-related cause, or those unwilling to share genetic data are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
If you have age-related hearing loss or tinnitus, this work uses large whole-genome sequencing datasets from projects like All of Us and UK Biobank to find genetic variants that might explain why these conditions happen. Researchers are developing a new method called Tractor-RVA to better find rare and structural genetic changes in people with mixed ancestry, such as African American and Latino individuals. The team will apply this method to identify ancestry-specific genetic effects and will share the software publicly so other researchers can use it. Findings may also help explain links between hearing problems and other conditions such as dementia, diabetes, and heart disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal genetic causes of hearing loss and tinnitus in under-studied groups, helping to guide future testing, prevention, and more personalized treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Previous genome-wide studies have found genetic links to hearing loss in mainly European populations, but applying ancestry-aware rare-variant methods in admixed groups is a newer and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Leal, Suzanne M — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Leal, Suzanne M
Related research
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Understanding why age-related hearing loss and tinnitus happen in diverse groups
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Researchers will test whether easy-to-measure signals like pupil size and skin conductance can reflect how distressing tinnitus feels in adults, especially Veterans.
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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.