Jervis Bay Hearing Centre

08/11/2025

Congratulations to dear friend and colleague of several decades Myriam Westcott. Myriam has retired from clinical Audiology and private Practice.
We share many values and running an ethical, patient centred practice has gifted us a unique shared journey for which I am grateful.
Myriam you are an Inspiration and will be missed.
Myriam will continue her journey in the Tinnitus and Hypercusis space. Her highly successful independent private Practice DWM will be continued by business partner and Audiologist, Kate Moore. It was my honor and privelage to speak at Myriam’s farewell dinner in Melbourne.

26/10/2025

Breaking news!!

In a groundbreaking medical advance, scientists have successfully restored hearing in people born with genetic deafness by correcting a single defective gene through viral gene therapy. The treatment uses a harmless, engineered virus to deliver a healthy copy of the gene directly into the inner ear. Once there, it reactivates dormant cells responsible for detecting sound—effectively reversing a condition once thought permanent.

Early trials have produced remarkable results: patients who had never heard a sound can now perceive speech, music, and everyday noises. The therapy targets a mutation in the *OTOF* gene, which affects thousands globally. Unlike hearing aids or cochlear implants that merely amplify sound, this approach restores natural hearing by fixing the genetic cause itself.

Researchers believe this achievement marks the start of a new era in curative medicine for hearing loss—one that could eventually replace mechanical solutions with lasting biological restoration. Beyond hearing, the same viral therapy model is being explored for treating blindness, paralysis, and heart disease.

The success of this single-gene correction highlights the immense promise of genetic medicine. It points to a future where many hereditary conditions can be repaired at their source—transforming how we think about disability and human healing.

10/10/2025

An inaugural nationwide survey of hearing loss has revealed that about 40% of Australians aged 50 and over have some form of bilateral hearing impairment, but alarmingly, one-third of people in this age group with significant hearing loss don’t use hearing aids.