# Translational Hearing Center

> **NIH NIH P20** · CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $2,138,181

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 Overall Plan for the Translational Hearing Center
This Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) application is to establish the Translational Hearing
Center, administered by centrally-located Creighton University, with Boys Town National Research Hospital
(BTNRH) and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), as institutional partners. Our overall goal is
to build a critical mass of academic translational researchers developing therapeutic interventions to preserve or
restore hearing and vestibular function from a wide range of etiologies that cause hearing loss and vestibular
deficits. Hearing loss in infants and children results in delayed acquisition of listening and spoken language skills
critical for academic achievement and maximal career trajectories of affected individuals. In the aging population,
hearing loss and vestibular deficits without appropriate rehabilitation accelerates aging and cognitive decline.
Aim 1: Develop the infrastructure and expertise base for translational auditory and vestibular research.
COBRE funding will enable an Administrative Core within the Center to provide a unique, transformational
research environment for junior investigators to translate their basic science discoveries into therapeutic
strategies that preserve or restore hearing and vestibular function. This will establish a broader nonclinical
research program. The Administrative Core will coordinate interactions between project leaders with their
Mentors, and an External Advisory Committee. The Administrative Core will develop a Drug Discovery and
Delivery Core that will coordinate necessary drug screen assays and production of derivatives of lead
compounds and their delivery to the inner ear and associated central neural pathways, as well as an Auditory
Vestibular Technology Core to validate the efficacy of lead candidate ototherapeutics hits.
Aim 2: Build a critical mass of funded investigators leading translational auditory and vestibular
research. We will examine both peripheral and central mechanisms of hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction,
and identify pharmacotherapeutic strategies preserve or restore hearing and vestibular function, with multiple
levels of research funding for investigators. We also have an outstanding Mentoring Plan for project leaders,
complementing their expertise with senior investigations as Internal Mentors and biostatistical support, as well
as outside investigators with translational and clinical expertise as External Mentors. Additional mentoring is
provided by Research Core staff, grantsmanship classes and Mock Study Sections of proposals prior to review.
Evaluations of research progress, and all other Center activities, are also key to optimize Center success.
The Center will also benefit from the burgeoning translational research environment in Omaha, Nebraska. Future
plans call for continued expansion of the Center to include submission of Investigational New Drug applic...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10364612
- **Project number:** 5P20GM139762-02
- **Recipient organization:** CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Peter Stephen Steyger
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $2,138,181
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-03-05 → 2026-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10364612

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10364612, Translational Hearing Center (5P20GM139762-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10364612. Licensed CC0.

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