Dr. Rachael R. Baiduc, assistant professor in the Department of SLHS, was awarded a three-year Early Career Research R21 grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (part of the NIH). This work will characterize Black-white differences in cochleopathy associated with stage 2 hypertension, a chronic condition that is most prevalent in the Black population. In addition to standard audiological evaluation, this project will examine extended high-frequency distortion product otoacoustic emissions using an innovative swept-tone approach. The research will fill a gap in our understanding of modifiable determinants of acquired hearing loss and provide reliable data regarding the link between hypertension and cochlear vulnerability. The project is expected to support future development of timely audiological assessment and responsive interventions, especially in underserved populations with chronic diseases related to hearing loss. This project will be carried out in collaboration with co-Investigators Drs. Shawn Goodman (University of Iowa), Vinaya Manchaiah (¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Anschutz School of Medicine), and Eric Vance (¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder, Applied Mathematics).Â