Research summary
Hearing loss affects more than 1.5 billion people worldwide. It can lead to communication difficulties, social isolation and depression. Hearing loss is also a key risk factor for dementia. The global costs of unaddressed hearing loss are more than $980 billion annually and are steadily increasing. In fact, the World Health Organization has estimated that one in four individuals will experience hearing difficulties by 2050.
As Canada Research Chair in Pharmacogenomics and Precision Medicine, Dr. Britt Drögemöller is focusing on understanding the genetic factors underlying drug- and age-related hearing loss. She and her research team are applying advanced genomic and computational analyses to large-scale datasets to uncover specific genes, pathways and cells that can be targeted to treat distinct hearing loss traits. Their research will guide the development of new approaches to predict, prevent and treat hearing loss more precisely.