Ear Science Institute Australia

26/08/2025

A massive thank you to Christina and the team at Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service (PAMS). As always, we're proud to be working together to close the gap in hearing health. 🤝

👂✨ Ear Health Forum 2025 ✨

Earlier this month, PAMS was proud to take part in the WA Ear and Hearing Health Forum in Perth, supported by BHP and the Ear Science Institute Australia.

The forum was all about coming together to share knowledge and ideas on how we can improve ear health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families. It was a safe and supportive space where community voices and experts worked side by side.

We are especially proud of our Director of Clinical Services, Christina Hunn, who spoke alongside Ear Science, sharing important stories and experiences from the Pilbara.

A big thank you to BHP and Ear Science Institute Australia for supporting this work and standing with our communities to help close the gap in hearing health. The connections made and knowledge shared will help us keep building better outcomes for our kids — supporting their learning, growth and wellbeing. 💛

👉 Read more about the forum here: https://hubs.li/Q03DNjZC0

20/08/2025

This week marks 20 years since our Patron, Professor Barry Marshall AC, received the Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking work with Robin Warren, discovering the bacterial cause of peptic ulcers — a discovery that transformed global health.

At celebrations hosted by UWA, Prof. Marshall swapped the lab for the stage, picking up a guitar to mark this incredible milestone in true rockstar fashion 🎸

We are proud to have Prof. Marshall as Patron of Ear Science Institute Australia, where his passion for science and innovation continues to inspire our vision — to make a difference through the gift of hearing. 💙👂

👉 Read more about the celebration here: https://tinyurl.com/uwarockingcelebration

13/08/2025

It’s National Science Week 🔬

We’re celebrating the power of science to change lives. Our research is transforming hearing health and outcomes across the country, working to find treatments and cures for those living with ear and hearing disorders; this week and every week. 👂

05/08/2025

We are excited to share that Lions Hearing Clinic is now open in Cockburn Central! 📣👂

📍 Find us at 4/850 North Lake Road, Cockburn Central.
👉 Visit https://tinyurl.com/lhccockburn to book an appointment online, or call us on 1300 847 395.

18/07/2025

We are proud to have co-hosted the third annual Kunyjunyu Kurlka (Healthy Ears) East Newman Activation Event at Train Park on the 25th June alongside Mineral Resources, the Shire of East Pilbara, Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service (PAMS), BHP and the Newman Population Health Allied Health team. 👂 This event is an important opportunity to engage with the community outside of a clinical setting and strengthen our rapport with the community.

Over 35 children and their families attended, taking part in ear checks, games, health promotion activities and a barbecue provided by Mineral Resources Wonmunna site team. We’d love to thank everyone who has supported the event, and ensured its success for the third year running. 💖

09/07/2025

You were amazing, Koby! 🥼

Continuing our celebration of young minds taking part in our Healthy Hearing Outback program in the remote East Pilbara for NAIDOC Week, we wanted to introduce Koby. Driven by building his understanding of ear health and helping his fellow students from Jigalong Remote Community School, Koby found his time with us to be extremely rewarding. 👂

07/07/2025

We loved working with you, Mahalia! 👂

In acknowledgement of NAIDOC Week and this year’s theme of The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy, we wanted to celebrate the bright young minds taking part in our Healthy Hearing Outback program in the remote East Pilbara. 🔬 Mahalia was one of our work experience students from Jigalong Remote Community School, and she left feeling inspired to explore the possibility of a career in healthcare.

28/05/2025

🎉 Congratulations to Dr Pramod Dorishetty! 🎉

Dr Dorishetty has been awarded an Innovation Fellowship by the Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund, supported by the Western Australian Department of Health, for his research on the fabrication of silk-based wound packing materials for ENT applications. 🧵👂

His project aims to develop a natural, non-invasive silk treatment for chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM)—a condition that can cause hearing loss and is especially prevalent in remote and Aboriginal communities.

💬 “This funding will enable us to bring healthcare to remote locations and reduce hearing loss by targeting chronic suppurative otitis media at its early onset.” – Dr Dorishetty

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue on this exciting journey! Visit our website for future news on this and other research innovations:
https://www.earscience.org.au/news/

27/05/2025

National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to reflect on our shared history, celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and achievements, and consider how we can each contribute to reconciliation.
This year’s theme, Bridging Now to Next, encourages us to acknowledge the past, engage with the present, and work together to build a more united, respectful future. It’s a time to learn, to listen, and to take meaningful action; together.

At Ear Science Institute Australia, we're proud to have worked alongside Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service (PAMS) for over a decade to deliver the Healthy Hearing Outback Program. This initiative provides essential audiology and ENT services to the Martu and Nyiyaparli communities in Newman and the Western Desert, helping to detect and treat ear conditions that can significantly impact health and wellbeing.

In recent years, the program has expanded to include a stronger focus on community engagement, health promotion, telehealth, and building local workforce capability, ensuring sustainable care that meets the needs of the community.

This program is made possible with the support of our partners: Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service , BHP Mineral Resources, and Rural Health West’s Outreach program, funded by the Australian Government Department of Health.

Together, we're bridging the gap in hearing health outcomes for Aboriginal communities.

26/05/2025

Thanks to generous support of BHP, our Healthy Hearing Outback team at Ear Science Institute Australia has received vital ear health equipment installed across Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service (PAMS) clinics in Newman, Jigalong, Parnngurr, Punmu and Kunawarritji. 👂

This equipment includes, an Ambu Nasolaryngoscope, 2 ZEISS Group Opmi Pico Microscopes, 5 VorOtek Micro-Suction units and a Vorotek Binocular scope. This enables us to offer more comprehensive ear and hearing care services on Country, closer to home for the Martu and Nyiyaparli people.

To ensure the equipment is used to its full potential, our Healthy Hearing Outback team held a dedicated training session at our Subiaco headquarters to upskill PAMS clinicians. More training sessions are planned to build local capacity and provide sustainable, community-led care.

We're proud to take this leap forward with our partners; Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service, BHP, Mineral Resources, and Rural Health West's Outreach program, funded by The Australian Government Department of Health. 💛

Read more here:
https://www.earscience.org.au/news/

Pictured:
Dr Luke O’Neil, ENT Consultant
Dr Cara Sheppard, GP and Senior Medical Officer PAMS
Suhas Putta, Remote Area Nurse PAMS

22/05/2025

The Aussie Ear Bank gathers momentum. 🧬👂
Dr. Christo Bester joins This Week in Hearing to discuss the Aussie Ear Bank, Australia’s first biobank dedicated to storing tissue related to genetic-associated hearing loss.

Tune in as he dives into the future of gene therapies and personalised medicine and how it can revolutionise treatment for children and adults affected by genetic related hearing loss.

🎙️ Listen on your favourite podcast app or
 ▶️ Read more and watch the video on our website news; link in our bio.

22/05/2025

The Aussie Ear Bank gathers momentum. 🧬👂
Dr. Christo Bester joins This Week in Hearing to discuss the Aussie Ear Bank, Australia’s first biobank dedicated to storing tissue related to genetic-associated hearing loss.

Tune in as he dives into the future of gene therapies and personalised medicine and how it can revolutionise treatment for children and adults affected by genetic related hearing loss.

🎙️ Listen on your favourite podcast app or
▶️ Read more and watch the video: https://www.earscience.org.au/2025/05/22/the-aussie-ear-bank-gathers-momentum-hear-the-latest-from-dr-christo-bester-on-the-this-week-in-hearing-podcast/