Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center at the University of Washington

The Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center (VMBHRC) at the University of Washington is committed to the discovery of new fundamental knowledge about hearing and balance and disorders of hearing and balance, and the application of these findings toward improved diagnostic methods and therapies. The Center envisions the University of Washington as a premiere institution in the quest to conquer deafness and disequilibrium by prevention and by restoring hearing and balance through repair and regeneration. This vision is based on past performance, work in progress, and long range planning for research in the molecular and genetic mechanisms that control the development, function, and regeneration of the audiovestibular systems. The Center values the innovative pursuit of knowledge, rigorous scientific integrity, and classical scholarship in a collegial environment characterized by teamwork, information sharing, and mutual respect. The Center’s mission is carried out through multidisciplinary fundamental and clinical research, research training, information dissemination to the professions, and public education.