Campus roundup

KU MEDICAL CENTER: Researchers at the KU Medical Center have received a $1.27 million grant from the Department of Defense to study tinnitus, a ringing, buzzing or whistling in the ear. The department is interested in the disease because it is a common problem for people who are exposed to excessive noise, especially military personnel.

Hinrich Staecker, professor of otolaryngology; Dianne Durham, professor of otolaryngology; and Thomas Imig, professor in molecular and integrative physiology, will focus on whether the regeneration of hair cells in the inner ear can not only restore hearing but also mitigate tinnitus and restore normal brain function to targeted areas. This is the first study that will examine the efficacy of replacing inner-ear hair cells to treat the disease.

KU SCHOOL OF MEDICINE-WICHITA: Russell Scheffer, professor and chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, was appointed by the Kansas Health Policy Authority to serve as a mental health prescription drug advisory committee member.

Suzanne R. Hawley, assistant professor of preventive medicine and public health, received a $200,000 grant from the Kansas Health Foundation to support the Kansas Public Health Leadership Institute. The grant targets program activities from 2009 to 2011. The Kansas Health Foundation is a private philanthropy based in Wichita dedicated to improving the health of all Kansans.

Hawley serves as the co-executive director of the institute, in partnership with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.