What is The HEARD Lab?
The Hearing Epidemiology and Research Diagnostics (HEARD) Laboratory is led by Principal Investigator Rachael R. Baiduc, PhD, MPH. We are generally interested in understanding risk factors for adult-onset hearing loss, particularly those related to cardiometabolic risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, and smoking. We have two streams of research. First, we use “big data” approaches to explore these connections using epidemiological and clinical datasets. Second, our lab-based studies analyze relationships between cardiovascular disease risk factors and the inner workings of the ear. A major focus of this work is otoacoustic emissions, low-level sounds emitted by the inner ear. We can measure these sounds using small microphones in the ear canal and analyze their relationship to cardiometabolic and overall health. Our research has been funded by the University of Colorado Boulder Innovative Seed Grant, the Hearing Health Foundation, and the American Hearing Research Foundation.
