By Riggs Robertson
The sounds of traffic, the small ring of a bell as you enter a store, your favorite song playing through cheap gas station headphones. Hearing is a sense that is often taken for granted, making itself painfully known when you are unable to communicate with someone else and need to raise your voice. Losing the ability to communicate in the way you are used to can be devastating, forcing you to relearn what has been part of everyday life for decades. The loss of hearing is something that almost everyone wants to avoid, and Dr. Rachael Baiduc has dedicated her life to the mission of studying hearing, hearing loss and its relation to overall health.
Dr. Baiduc is an associate professor at CU Boulder and the director of the Hearing Epidemiology and Research Diagnostics (HEARD) Laboratory. She specializes in the science of hearing and public health. Currently, she is conducting research on how hearing is affected by other diseases, lifestyle choices and preexisting conditions.
Currently, Dr. Baiduc is exploring hearing loss, specifically in patients who are experiencing cardiovascular disease. There is a focus on the function of the inner ear in relation to hypertension.
Dr. Baiduc’s research is funded by the University of Colorado Innovative Seed Grant and the Hearing Health Foundation Emerging Research Grant, but she still finds time to teach undergraduate and graduate courses at CU Boulder.
Medical unknowns are the last thing a patient wants to deal with during a health scare. Research and furthering medical knowledge help prevent patients from enduring the pain of the unknown. Dr. Baiduc’s research can prevent the loss of hearing laughter, music, dishwashers and a cat’s meow. We are all excited to see what it brings.