RESEARCH NEWS
An inspirational addition to the Hearing Hub
In October, Macquarie welcomed Professor David McAlpine as the new Professor of Hearing, Language and the Brain and Director of Hearing Research.
“I was attracted to Macquarie by the sheer vision and opportunity afforded by the world-class Australian Hearing Hub,” says Professor McAlpine.
“Nothing exists like it anywhere else. For me, the Hub is evidence of a radical university, one suited to tackling the problems of the 21st century, not stuck in the 20th. The Hub’s co-location with Cochlear Limited – the leading cochlear-implant company – was also a factor in my decision to say ‘yes’ to Macquarie.”
He says that communication is a vital aspect of what it means to be human, and hearing is critical to communication.
“As such, deafness reduces our ability to communicate effectively and to engage with society around us – impacting on education, employment, life chances, and wellbeing. This problem isn’t going away – in fact, it’s getting worse,” he explains.
“Spending [half a lifetime] with a degenerating communication disorder and one that likely impacts on cognitive decline into dementia – is a sobering thought and one we have to force ourselves to face up to.
“This means changing our behaviour just at those times when it seems most difficult to do so. For example, in our teens and twenties we need to reduce our exposure to ultimately damaging sounds, and in our fifties and sixties when the effects of hearing become apparent, not abandoning the solutions (such as hearing aids) before they have a chance to demonstrate their worth, or never taking them up in the first place.
“Through the Australian Hearing Hub, Macquarie University is going to impact positively on the universal problem of hearing loss and I am proud to be entrusted with helping deliver that impact.”
If you would like to take a step towards better health, then why not use your alumni advantage and enjoy discounted consultations with leading clinicians and specialists at the Macquarie University Speech and Hearing Clinic?
The Australian Hearing Hub is an initiative of the Australian Government being conducted as part of the Education Investment Fund.
I did my graduate certificate in Interpreting and Translating and gained rich and deep insights,
I shared my experience with my niece Dr Azza ABU ARAKI who is working at the moment in a Sudanese Hospital , she asked me is there any scholarship from Macquarie University for African Professionals and in particular she wants to specialise in the Hearing and communication Disadvantage with children who have impaired hearing and looking for cochlear operations.
Would you please advice me how i can the dream of Dr Azza ABU ARAKI to become real and true to help African Children.