Understanding how the brain handles listening when teens have hearing loss
Official title: Identifying neural circuits that support effortful listening
Funded at Creighton University · NIH-11362340 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant supports a trainee in learning how the brain processes listening effort in adolescents and how hearing loss affects this process.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Creighton University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Omaha, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $242,128 |
| NIH project number | 5R00DC020570-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11362340 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adolescents with hearing loss or at risk of listening difficulties, though this specific project emphasizes training and basic research rather than direct patient enrollment.
✕Less likely to help
Patients looking for immediate clinical treatments may not benefit directly from this training-focused grant.
What this research studies
The researcher will study the neural circuits involved in listening effort during adolescence using animal models and advanced recording techniques. Training will cover cognitive aspects of auditory perception, awake-behaving recordings, and tools to modulate neural activity while measuring responses. The project aims to build a strong publication record and collect preliminary data to apply for a broader, independent grant in the future. The work is conducted at NYU’s Center for Neural Science, under a mentor with decades of experience in developmental auditory neuroscience.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could inform new strategies to support listening in teens with hearing loss.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work in auditory neuroscience supports the approach of studying neural mechanisms of listening, with potential for translational insight.
Where this research is happening
-
Creighton University
Omaha, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Anbuhl, Kelsey — Creighton University
- Study coordinator: Anbuhl, Kelsey
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.