History of the Ear Institute
Learn more about our history and our achievements.
The UCL Ear Institute was officially opened in 2005, but boasts a considerably longer heritage. Discover its journey through key milestones from its early beginnings to present day.
The Institute of Laryngology and Otology (ILO) is founded as a postgraduate medical institute, allied to the Royal National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital (RNTNEH).
The ILO acquires the first electron microscope in a pathology department in the UK.
Ron Hinchcliffe, Professor of Audiological Medicine at the ILO, successfully campaigns for the establishment of Audiological Medicine as a new medical speciality.
David Kemp discovers otoacoustic emissions, a phenomenon that later formed the foundation of newborn hearing screening.
The ILO together with its School of Audiology becomes part of UCL. An MSc in Audiological Medicine is established, followed in 1995 by an MSc in Audiological Science.
Tony Wright is appointed Director of the ILO as Professor of Otorhinolaryngology.
David Kemp, Andy Forge and Tony Wright develop a plan to establish a centre for auditory research at UCL. Together with Jonathan Ashmore, Maria Bitner-Glindzicz, Sally Dawson, Jonathan Gale, Alf Linney and David McAlpine, they apply for and are awarded £10.98 million from the Wellcome Trust Joint Infrastructure Fund.
The Ear Institute's new Centre for Auditory Research is constructed adjacent to the Royal National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital (RNTNEH) from 2002-2005.
David Kemp receives the Association for Research in Otolaryngology Award of Merit for outstanding contributions to the scientific understanding of the ear.
2005 - THE EAR INSTITUTE OPENS
The Ear Institute opens with a research focus on mechanisms of hearing and deafness. The ILO is formally disestablished and Tony Wright becomes the acting Director of the Ear Institute until 2006, followed by David McAlpine.
The Wolfson Foundation awards the Ear Institute £1 million to establish a state-of-the-art imaging facility.
The charity Deafness Research UK (formerly Defeating Deafness) is hosted at the Ear Institute from 2005 to 2013.
From 2006 to the present, the Wellcome Trust, Royal Society, UKRI, Deafness Research UK, Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), British Tinnitus Association and other funders support fellowships that broaden the Ear Institute’s research focus.
The Ear Institute hosts the international 44th Inner Ear Biology Workshop.
The Institute’s education portfolio is expanded to include an MSc Advanced Audiology, which is designed for practising audiologists looking to enhance their clinical skills.
Sound Seekers, a charity that supports people with hearing loss in low-resource settings, are hosted by the Ear Institute between 2013 and 2019.
The Institute adds the MSc Audiological Science with Clinical Practice to its education portfolio. This two-year accredited programme is designed to train students from other disciplines as audiologists.
The NIHR awards UCL and UCLH £2.7 million to establish the Biomedical Research Centre "Deafness and Hearing Problems" Theme (later "Hearing Health" Theme), increasing investment in research on new diagnostic tools and treatments for hearing, balance and ear, nose and throat disorders.
Jonathan Ashmore gives the Royal Society’s Croonian Lecture and is awarded the Croonian Medal for his significant contributions to understanding of inner ear biology.
The Ear Institute hosts the first Translational Hearing Research Summit along with RNID and the NIHR-UCLH Biomedical Research Centre.
David Kemp receives the American Academy of Audiology International Award for Hearing for his paradigm-shifting contributions to audiology practices and auditory research.
Jonathan Gale, Professor of Cell Biology, is appointed Director.
The Ear Institute hosts the UK Basic Auditory Science Meeting.
The Institute launches its new BSc Audiology. This three-year course aims to train students to join the healthcare workforce as audiologists.
The Ear Institute hosts the international 58th Inner Ear Biology Workshop and co-hosts the 2nd Inner Ear Disorders Therapeutics Summit with RNID at UCL.
Jennifer Linden, Professor of Neuroscience, is appointed Director.
Valerie Lund is made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her services to ear, nose and throat medicine.
In continuing partnership with the new Royal National ENT Hospital (part of the Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals), the Ear Institute currently constitutes the largest single grouping of basic and clinical scientists interested in auditory and vestibular function in the UK.
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.
