Apple Hearing Study
2019 – present
The Apple Hearing Study is a partnership between the University of Michigan and Apple to study sound exposure and its impact on hearing health. This groundbreaking study advances our understanding of how hearing can be impacted over time by exposure to sound at certain levels. We measure headphone audio levels and environmental sound exposures among our participants, and determine how these exposures impact hearing and stress levels and influence overall health.
Validation Study
March 2024 – present
The Validation Study evaluates two mobile phone app-based hearing tests (pure tone audiometry and speech-in-noise) that allow people to use their own headphones in a quiet environment instead of using a clinical standard headphone in an audio booth. Researchers will quantify how close these results are compared to clinical standard test results, and how consistent these results are with repeated measurements.Â
Investigation of Noise Exposure in Churches
2017 – 2019
Studies on noise levels in American churches are limited to anecdotal evidence and small observational studies. The extent of noise-induced hearing loss in priests, choir members, and church attendees is unknown. This project measured sound levels and assessed noise exposure in churches in Ann Arbor and surrounding communities. Researchers obtained area sound measurements during worship using noise dosimeters.
Ototoxicity of Heavy Metals
2011 – 2015
Epidemiological studies suggest that elevated blood levels of non-essential heavy metals such as lead may be associated with hearing loss. However, the relationship between prenatal exposure to lead and other non-essential heavy metals and hearing ability at birth has not been evaluated. We are conducting a study of the relationship between newborn hearing test outcomes and blood levels of several non-essential heavy metals previously shown to be associated with hearing loss and commonly found in the environment.
Exposure Research Lab 