Keynote Speaker

Thais C. Morata

Senior Research Audiologist
Noise and Bioacoustics Team
Division of Field Studies and Engineering
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Cincinnati, OH, USA

Loud, but not clear: Current challenges and opportunities to limit risks from overexposure to noise and music

Given the practically omnipresent exposures to loud sounds –wanted and unwanted- the challenge to prevent hearing loss and tinnitus remains significant. The high rate of these conditions casts doubts on the effectiveness of preventive interventions. Today we have fewer obstacles and more tools than before. Two approaches will be discussed. The first includes research methods to evaluate the effectiveness of preventive interventions. The second focus on the expansion of science communication efforts to: a) improve awareness of the negative effects of noise and ways to prevent these among the general public and, b) to motivate individuals and organizations to act.