Hyperacusis Research accomplishes the mission to develop treatments for hyperacusis by funding research grants. Except for the research grants themselves, our organization has minimal expenses – for example, there are no salaries and no office space costs – which enables your contributions to go directly to funding these grants.
To date, we have funded 15 research grants in partnership with the Emerging Research Grants program of our partner, Hearing Health Foundation (HHF). Our ability to fund grants is a direct function of donations we receive, so we greatly appreciate your support. For 2027, in addition to the research grant funded by Hyperacusis Research, HHF awarded two additional hyperacusis grants, including funding from a $1 million fund established by several members of the hyperacusis patient community and matching funds provided by an anonymous HHF donor.
List of Research Grants
2027 – Mark A. Rutherford, Ph.D., Washington University in St. Louis – Preventing or mitigating hyperacusis with blockade of calcium-permeable AMPA receptors
https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/meet-the-researcher/mark-a-rutherford-phd-2027
2027 – Brad Buran, Ph.D., Oregon Health & Science University – Drug-mediated cochlear synapse regeneration: reversing central gain and hyperacusis in a gerbil model (funded by HHF)
https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/meet-the-researcher/brad-buran-phd-2027
2027 – Kirupa Suthakar, Ph.D., The University of Texas at Dallas: Serotonin signaling of auditory efferent neurons in noise-induced hyperacusis and tinnitus (funded by HHF)
https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/meet-the-researcher/kirupa-suthakar-phd-2027
2026 – Bshara Awwad, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School – Auditory-limbic circuit dynamics as therapeutic targets in hyperacusis
https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/meet-the-researcher/bshara-awwad-phd
2025 – Manoj Kumar, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh – KCNQ2/3 potassium channel as it relates to the mitigation of noise-trauma–induced hypersensitivity to sounds in mice
https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/meet-the-researcher/manoj-kumar-2025
2024 – Wei Sun, Ph.D., University at Buffalo – FOXG1 gene mutation-caused hyperacusis—a novel model to study hyperacusis
2021 and 2022 – Megan Beers Wood, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine – Type II auditory nerve fibers as instigators of the cochlear immune response after acoustic trauma
2019 – David Martinelli, Ph.D., University of Connecticut Health Center – Creation and validation of a novel, genetically induced animal model for hyperacusis
2018 – Kelly Radziwon, Ph.D., University at Buffalo – Noise-induced hyperacusis in rats with and without hearing loss
2017 (Grant 1 of 2) – Jennifer Resnik, Ph.D., Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Harvard Medical School – Homeostatic modifications in cortical GABA circuits enable states of hyperexcitability and reduced sound level tolerance after auditory nerve degeneration
2017 (Grant 2 of 2) – Senthilvelan Manohar, Ph.D., University at Buffalo – Behavioral Model of Loudness Intolerance
2016 – Dr. Xiying Guan, Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary and Harvard Medical School – Hyperacusis caused by abnormalities in auditory mechanics
Update in Winter 2026 Hearing Health Foundation magazine
2015 – Brad Buran, Ph.D., Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University – Neural mechanisms of hyperacusis in the inferior colliculus and cortex of animals with noise-induced auditory neurodegeneration
2014 – Kelly Radziwon, Ph.D., University at Buffalo – The relationship between pain associated proteins in the auditory pathway and hyperacusis
2012 – Comprehensive hyperacusis literature review (in 2 parts), which was published in the December 2014 American Journal of Audiology
Review of Hyperacusis and Future Directions: Part I. Definitions and Manifestations
A Review of Hyperacusis and Future Directions: Part II. Measurement, Mechanisms, and Treatment