The recipient of our next Hyperacusis Research research grant is Bshara Awwad, Ph.D.!
Dr. Awwad, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Polley Lab for Auditory Neuroscience at Harvard Medical School, will be researching auditory-limbic circuit dynamics as therapeutic targets in hyperacusis.
More details from Dr. Awwad:
Our research addresses a critical gap in understanding the neural basis of hyperacusis by focusing on brain circuits link the auditory and limbic systems. Previous work has established that cochlear damage leads to hyperexcitability throughout the central auditory pathway, but our approach uniquely focuses on the circuit-specific mechanisms that translate sensory hyperactivity into affective qualities akin to discomfort or even pain.
Specifically, we investigate how noise-induced hearing loss affects two parallel pathways to the lateral amygdala: the cortico-amygdalar (CAmy) and thalamo-amygdalar (TAmy) projections. This pathway- specific investigation represents a novel approach to understanding hyperacusis, as it targets the precise neural circuits that may mediate both the perceptual and affective components of this disorder.
Long-term goal: This research investigates why people with hearing loss sometimes develop hyperacusis—a condition where everyday sounds become overwhelmingly loud and can even cause physical pain. We’re examining brain pathways that connect hearing centers to the amygdala, a region involved in evaluating affective sound qualities. Our specific aims are to: determine which brain circuits drive the heightened sound sensitivity and negative valence bias in hyperacusis; test whether targeted stimulation at 40 Hertz (Hz) can restore more normal sound processing; and explore whether measurable physiological responses, such as pupil changes, correlate with symptom severity.
Hyperacusis affects millions of people and currently has no approved treatments. This work may contribute to future therapeutic approaches in several ways: The findings suggest that interventions targeting central brain circuits could potentially help even when inner ear damage cannot be reversed—similar to approaches in chronic pain management that focus on the nervous system rather than the original injury site; the 40 Hz stimulation protocol showing sustained effects in our animal model could inform development of non-invasive stimulation approaches for human patients, though significant additional research would be needed to translate these findings to clinical practice.
Hyperacusis Research raises money for research grants to find a cure for hyperacusis, which are awarded through our partner, Hearing Health Foundation (HHF), with their Emerging Research Grants (ERG) program. See the full list of 2026 HHF ERG grant awards here: