Balance and Auditory Research Center (BARC) - Project Summary for the Balance and Auditory Research Center (BARC) Vestibular and auditory functions are fundamental to survival and quality of life. Childhood hearing loss is the most common congenital disorder, estimated to affect 2-3 in every 1000 births, and often co-morbid with vestibular impairment. Balance impairment and falls are among the most prevalent and morbid conditions affecting older adults, the most common cause of traumatic brain injury. Hearing loss is the third most common chronic health condition and one of the strongest modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia. The repercussions of balance and hearing disorders for mortality and morbidity are just now reaching a new level of recognition. Yet, balance and hearing are largely uninvested areas of neuroscience, which has contributed to the lack of translation of medical interventions for balance and hearing disorders. Understanding the genetic, structural, and neurophysiological mechanisms underlying balance and hearing disorders is essential for developing innovative diagnostic tools, therapeutic strategies, and rehabilitation techniques for patients. The goal of establishing the Balance and Auditory Research Center (BARC) at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) is to build a critical mass of independent investigators to develop effective diagnostic and therapeutics for balance and auditory disorders. BARC will be built upon a solid core of well-supported and established neuroscientists in vestibular and auditory research. BARC has three specific aims: (1) foster a research environment that supports collaborative and innovative vestibular and auditory neuroscience research; (2) develop research capacity to conduct state-of-the-art vestibular and auditory neuroscience research through development of two research cores and additional faculty positions: and (3) nurture a group of early stage and new investigators to become independent researchers in the field of vestibular and auditory research.
