Summary: Bruce Gantz, MD, a pioneer in cochlear implant research and clinical advancements, will receive the ACI Alliance 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award at CI2025 Boston.
Takeaways:
- Pioneering Work: Gantz implanted the first cochlear implant at the University of Iowa in 1980 and was the first in the U.S. to implant a congenitally deaf child with a multi-channel cochlear implant.
- Groundbreaking Research: His leadership at the Iowa Cochlear Implant Clinical Research Center has expanded cochlear implant eligibility and demonstrated long-term hearing preservation.
- Global Impact: With over 270 peer-reviewed publications and leadership roles in professional organizations, Gantz has shaped the field of cochlear implantation and transformed thousands of lives worldwide.
Bruce Gantz, MD, will receive the American Cochlear Implant Alliance (ACI Alliance) 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award at the opening session of the upcoming CI2025 Boston: Conference on Cochlear Implants.Â
The Lifetime Achievement award recognizes the contributions over the whole of a career and for the work and accomplishments of the individual being recognized.
A Career Advancing Cochlear Implant Technology
Gantz is a Professor of Otolaryngology at the University of Iowa, and completed his undergraduate work as well as his MD and MA degrees at the University of Iowa as well. He has devoted his career to advancing cochlear implant technology and expanding indications for implantation.
Gantz implanted the first cochlear implant at the University of Iowa in 1980 and in 1987 he was the first in the United States to implant a congenitally deaf child with a multi-channel cochlear implant. He helped establish the Iowa Cochlear Implant Clinical Research Center in 1985. In that role, he has led research that demonstrated longevity of hearing preservation for over 20 years in listeners with acoustic and electric signal processing, which has significantly expanded eligibility criteria for those who obtained little benefit from their hearing aids.
One of the main objectives of his research is to further develop our understanding of how the brain processes speech in demanding listening environments by examining critical issues across all levels of the auditory system.
Further Reading
Gantz has authored over 270 peer-reviewed manuscripts and held offices in multiple professional organizations in the field, including being a founding board member of the American Cochlear Implant Alliance. His significant contributions to teaching, research, and clinical medicine have profoundly impacted the way we carry out cochlear implantation in the U.S. and around the world impacting the profession of otolaryngology and transforming the lives of many thousands of children and adults with profound hearing loss, according to the alliance.
Featured: Bruce Gantz, MD. Photo: ACI Alliance