Rock Island Today

ROCK ISLAND, IL – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) announced $361,276 for Augustana College Associate Professor Dr. Ann Perreau to conduct a study for those with hearing disorders.

"Northwestern Illinois once again shows itself to be a leader in the area of expanding access to care for those who need it most," said Sorensen. "I applaud Augustana College and their cutting-edge team of researchers for securing this critical funding to support care for those living with communicative disorders."

“Augustana's Barbara A. Roseman Center for Speech, Language, and Hearing Clinic is one of the oldest college or university clinics in the nation, and it has been a resource to people in our community for more than 75 years. The support of the National Institute on Deafness and Communication Disorders allows Augustana faculty and students to expand their reach, doing remote counseling and sound therapy for 60 participants from across the nation,” said Augustana College President Andrea Talentino. “Dr. Ann Perreau’s project is a perfect example of how Augustana seeks to connect education to important needs in society.”

The funding will be used to conduct a novel research study on expanding care for those living with Hyperacusis, a condition characterized by increased sensitivity to sound. The grant is an Academic Research Enhancement Award being disbursed by the Department of Health and Human Services’ National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

Congressman Eric Sorensen is the first openly LGBTQ person elected to represent Illinois at the federal level and is a member of the New Democrat Coalition. He serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Prior to serving in Congress, Sorensen was a local meteorologist in Rockford and the Quad Cities for nearly 20 years. His district includes Illinois’ Quad Cities, Rockford, Peoria, and Bloomington-Normal.

Original source can be found here.