UCL Ear Institute 20th Anniversary Celebration

The UCL Ear Institute, as it is known today, was officially established in 2005, but our roots in hearing research go back to the 1940s with the founding of the Institute of Laryngology and Otology.

To mark this special occasion, we invite you to join us for a keynote lecture by David Kemp, Emeritus Professor of Auditory Biophysics and one of the founding figures of the Ear Institute. Professor Kemp will discuss the importance of hearing research to society, the need for that research to be truly interdisciplinary and the challenges that must be overcome to ensure that scientific discoveries benefit people with hearing disorders.

There will be opening remarks by Jennifer Linden, Professor of Neuroscience and Director of the UCL Ear Institute, and closing remarks by Alan Thompson, Garfield Weston Professor of Clinical Neurology and Neurorehabilitation and Dean of the UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences.

The lecture will be followed by a wine and canapé reception.

About Professor David Kemp

David is Emeritus Professor of Auditory Biophysics at the Ear Institute, and a Fellow of the Royal Society. During his career he has researched the environmental noise from power stations, studied the brain pressure of astronauts on the International Space Station and recorded electric waves that echo around the globe as thunderstorm energy escapes into space.

In hearing research he was the first to demonstrate that healthy inner ears contain a biological ‘hearing aid’, by recording tell-tale sounds that reach the outer ear. Based on this discovery David and his team at the Institute developed an instrument which could assess hearing health in a minute.The device made it practical to screen every newborn's hearing so that deaf babies can be given the support they need to develop their language and communication skills effectively. Newborn hearing screening has become a standard of care around the world, earning David numerous professional awards.

For relaxation David enjoys photographing planets and analysing the light from distant galaxies- from his garden.

About UCL Ear Institute

The UCL Ear Institute currently constitutes the largest single grouping of basic and clinical scientists interested in auditory and vestibular function in the UK. Now firmly established in UCL's Faculty of Brain Sciences, the Ear Institute also benefits from strong links with other UCL institutes and departments to enhance research, education and clinical training programmes.

A key defining feature of the UCL Ear Institute is its emphasis on interaction between the different research groups that occupy the Centre for Auditory Research building and clinicians from the nearby Royal National Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital (formerly the RNTNEH, now part of the new Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals).

Since its creation in 2005, the Ear Institute has witnessed remarkable growth. Over the past five years alone it has been awarded over £35 million in research funding.

The Ear Institute's excellence in research was reflected in REF 2021, placing UCL at the top of Clinical Medicine and Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience for research power and intensity. In addition, bibliometric analysis by the RAND Corporation confirms it is producing the most influential research in the fields of ‘deafness and hearing problems’ and ‘audiology and speech language pathology’ in England.

Over 800 students have graduated from the Institute’s undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, and 92 students have been awarded a PhD.

The Ear Institute continues to offer Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training, and runs courses for ENT medics, audiologists and associated health-care professionals. More than 1000 professionals have been trained through its CPD courses.

The Ear Institute holds a Silver Athena SWAN award, recognising its commitment to advancing women’s careers in STEM in higher education and research and a Gold LEAF award, recognising its commitment to improving the environmental sustainability of laboratory work.