The latest tinnitus news, research and support from the American Tinnitus Association
Volume 20: February 18, 2026
Research. Community. Hope
Every step forward in our mission to silence tinnitus is made possible by a community that refuses to accept the current status quo. Today, we’re showcasing three areas that reflect the breadth and depth of what we are building: bold science, global collaboration, and the compassionate communities that provide support to individuals living with tinnitus every day.
Transformative Research
ATA has been funding groundbreaking tinnitus research for more than four decades, and the work our grant recipients are doing continues to move the field forward in meaningful ways. To give you a sense of the range and impact of that research, we're spotlighting a few of the projects your support has made possible. And stay tuned: the call for proposals for the 2026 Innovative Research Grants Program will be announced in the coming weeks.
Spotlight 1: From Brain Signals to Better Treatments
ATA-funded researchers are mapping the neuroscience of tinnitus from multiple angles. Matthew McGinley, PhD, at Baylor College of Medicine received $119,240 in 2025 to investigate how gene changes drive nerve hyperactivity after acoustic trauma, while Nicolas Gninenko, PhD, at EPFL in Switzerland, received $50,000 that same year to study higher-order brain networks in tinnitus sufferers using fMRI neurofeedback. Their work builds on years of ATA-supported research into how the brain reorganizes itself in response to auditory damage, and is directly informing the next generation of targeted therapies. Thanks to donor support, science is moving closer to treatments that address the root causes of tinnitus, not just the symptoms.
Spotlight 2: Reaching Every Patient, From Diagnosis to the Doctor's Office
ATA grants are funding research into better ways to detect, diagnose, and treat tinnitus across all ages and backgrounds. Kenny Chan, MD, at the University of Colorado, received $120,000 in 2025 to pioneer virtual reality therapy helping children and teens manage tinnitus-related anxiety and depression, a population that has historically been underserved. Meanwhile, Christopher Cederroth, PhD, at the University of Tübingen ($120,000, 2024), and Joshua Sturm, MD, at Albert Einstein College of Medicine ($50,000, 2025), are each working to develop objective diagnostic tools and auditory biomarkers that could give clinicians a reliable, measurable way to identify and assess tinnitus. Diana Tang, PhD, at Macquarie University in Australia, received $24,888 in 2025 to develop an online tinnitus risk quiz to help people recognize the condition earlier. The goal across all of this work: make sure no one with tinnitus is left without answers or options.
Spotlight 3: The Science of Sound, Retraining the Brain
For decades, ATA has funded researchers exploring how sound itself can be a powerful therapeutic tool, not just to mask the ringing but to retrain how the brain processes it. Grant Searchfield, PhD, at the University of Auckland, received ATA support in both 2014 ($50,000) and 2016 ($49,531) to study how personalized sound therapy can be optimized for individual patients, and that foundational work is now being advanced by Susan Scollie, PhD, at Western University in Canada, who received $101,271 in 2025 to develop and test a new clinical sound therapy protocol. William Sedley, PhD, at Newcastle University, received $119,747 in 2024 to explore how combining non-invasive stimulation methods early in the treatment process can maximize their effectiveness. What once seemed like a simple workaround is turning out to be a sophisticated neurological intervention.
Spotlight 4: Seed Grants, Big Impact
ATA's Innovative Research Grants Program has invested over $7 million in tinnitus science since 1980, funding bold, early-stage ideas that larger agencies won't take a chance on yet. Susan Shore, PhD, at the University of Michigan, received ATA funding three times totaling ~$145,000, including an initial $45,000 in 2010 to pursue early-stage work on somatosensory stimulation, findings that helped pave the way for bimodal stimulation therapy now moving toward FDA approval. Jose Antonio Lopez-Escamez, PhD, now at the University of Sydney, received $120,000 in 2024 to investigate the molecular genetics of severe tinnitus, the kind of foundational discovery that can unlock entirely new treatment pathways. Many ATA-funded projects like these have gone on to attract significant follow-on funding from the NIH and Department of Defense, multiplying ATA's impact many times over. Every donation helps plant the seeds of the next breakthrough.
ATA to Host TRI 2027 in Washington, DC
ATA is honored to announce that we will host the Tinnitus Research Initiative (TRI) 2027 Conference in Washington, D.C., a milestone for both tinnitus research and our commitment to advancing global scientific collaboration and progress toward cures.
TRI is the premier international gathering of tinnitus scientists, clinicians, and patient advocates. Each year, hundreds of leading experts convene to share the latest advances in research, diagnosis, and treatment. It is where researchers gather to learn, question, network, and discuss ways to accelerate discoveries. The TRI 2026 Conference is scheduled for September 16–18, 2026, in Berlin, hosted at Campus Charité Mitte.
Hosting TRI 2027 reflects ATA’s belief that proximity to scientific institutions, policymakers, and research-funding agencies creates a unique opportunity, not just to exchange knowledge, but to make the case for increased funding of tinnitus research.
More details about TRI 2027, including dates, venue, registration, and abstract submission, will be announced in the coming months. In the meantime, we encourage researchers and other community members to join TRI 2026 in Berlin this fall. Visit tinnitus-research-initiative-2026.com to learn more.
Introducing ATA’s First-Ever Support Group Grant Program
We’re proud to unveil the Support Group Grant Program, the first of its kind in our organization’s history. This pilot program provides grants of up to $500 to volunteer-led and professionally facilitated tinnitus and sound hypersensitivity support groups, funding resources such as technology platforms, educational materials, and facilitator training.
Who Can Apply? We welcome applications from individuals with lived experience of tinnitus who are ready to facilitate peer support, healthcare professionals committed to ethical, evidence-based facilitation, and community leaders dedicated to creating inclusive and accessible spaces for all those affected by tinnitus and related sound sensitivity conditions.
If you lead or are ready to start a tinnitus support group, we want to hear from you. Visit ATA.org to learn more about program eligibility and submit an application. Questions? Contact us at tinnitus@ata.org.
Looking for Support? Find in-person and online support groups at ATA.org.
Need Guidance? Call our helpline at 800-634-8978 for personalized support. We’re here to help.
A Quieter Future Starts Here
More than 50 million individuals in the United States, and hundreds of millions of people worldwide, live with tinnitus. The scope of that reality demands our attention. The promise of the science funded last year demands hope. And the dedication of every support group leader, donor, researcher, and patient who connects with ATA demands our gratitude. Together, we are building a community strong enough, connected enough, and determined enough to transform care and advance the search for cures.
Every donation helps us fund groundbreaking research, connect patients with evidence-based resources, and advocate for better care and coverage. Every gift, no matter the size, moves us closer to that goal.