Decades of federal research funding helped produce a hearing breakthrough
- Posted on September 21, 2026
- By Bing News
- 0 Views
- 1 min read
In brief
Generating AI summary…
Decades of federal research funding helped produce a hearing breakthrough
Duke Hearing Center director Blake Wilson was honored last week with the Merkin Prize in Biomedical Technology for his work decades ago developing the modern cochlear implant. Why it matters: The devices help more than 1 million deaf or nearly deaf people hear, and federal research grants helped spur their invention along. Flashback: Wilson grew interested in hearing while studying electrical engineering as a Duke University undergraduate. The...