American Tinnitus Association Elects Researcher as New Chair, Recruitment for Multisite Trial Ongoing
VIENNA, Va. (PRWEB) July 19, 2023 -- The American Tinnitus Association is pleased to announce that Jinsheng Zhang, PhD, has been elected as the new chair of its board of directors. With decades of experience in tinnitus research and work with the ATA, Dr. Zhang is expected to usher in proactive recruitment of scientists to the field of tinnitus and more intensive marketing of ATA grants for researchers to spur progress toward more effective treatments and cures for tinnitus.
“I’ve been affiliated with the ATA for nearly two decades, as a seed grant recipient early in my career, chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee in more recent years, and board member,” said Dr. Zhang. “I believe in the work of the ATA and want to lead the way toward more significant investment in cutting-edge research and attracting new talent to the field.”
Zhang emphasized that the ATA seed grant he received in 2005 was pivotal in his decision to stay in the field. It is often difficult to retain researchers in the field of tinnitus research because of limited funding and the challenge of understanding the underlying mechanisms of a condition with no objective measure.
Dr. Zhang is currently leading an $8.6 million Department of Defense–funded multicenter clinical trial for a pharmaceutical treatment for tinnitus, which is the leading disability among veterans. For more information on the trial, including trial locations and eligibility, see ClinicalTrials.gov.
Dr. Zhang also serves as chair of the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, research director at the Department of Otolaryngology, and director of laboratories for tinnitus and auditory neuroscience research at Wayne State University in Detroit, Mich.
“We’re thrilled to have Dr. Zhang as our new board chair, at a time when the ATA has sufficient funds for seed grant investment,” said David Hadley, the past chair of the ATA Board of Directors. “That’s been made possible through the generosity of individual donors and the Texas Roadhouse family of restaurants, which has hosted two extraordinary fundraisers for the ATA in honor of their late founder, Kent Taylor, who struggled with severe tinnitus the last year of his life.”
The ATA’s Innovative Grants Program fills a critical need for researchers pursuing novel investigations that require funds to test a theory and, if successful, produce data that can be used to apply for larger funding from bigger institutions. The ATA funding model enables individuals affected by tinnitus to contribute directly to research and encourages researchers to explore the boundaries of what is currently known.
The ATA Board of Directors guides the organization in its mission and efforts to meet the needs of the public, from educating physicians on how tinnitus can be managed and helping patients find qualified healthcare providers to funding seed grant research that could lead to breakthroughs. Dr. Zhang will serve a two-year term as board chair.
About the ATA
The purpose of the American Tinnitus Association is to promote relief and to prevent and find cures for tinnitus, as evidenced by its core values of compassion, credibility, and responsibility.
The leading cause of tinnitus is exposure to loud sound that damages an individual's auditory system; the second leading cause is head or neck trauma. Tinnitus also is the leading service-connected disability for U.S. veterans.
The ATA is funded by individual donors, foundations, and companies to fulfill its critical mission. Please consider donating and/or becoming a member so that the ATA can continue to improve the quality of life for those living with tinnitus, educate the public on prevention of the condition, and fund research for cures and improved treatments.
If you or a loved one need information or help managing tinnitus, contact the ATA at 800–634–8978 or visit ata.org.
Joy Onozuka, American Tinnitus Association, http://ata.org, 1 8006348978 Ext: 4, [email protected]
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