Ear Science Institute Australia has announced a new partnership with Apollo Hospitals India to advance genomic solutions for inherited hearing loss.
The announcement was made at the Ear Science annual Gift of Hearing Gala on 14 May 2026.
Adjunct Associate Professor Sandra Bellekom, CEO of Ear Science, said: “As a Western Australia–based institute with a strong global outlook, Ear Science is proud to be partnering with Apollo to strengthen the Aussie Ear Bank and accelerate genomic research.
“This collaboration creates new opportunities to translate cutting edge science – including emerging gene therapies – into real world impact for children and adults affected by inherited hearing loss in Australia.”
The Aussie Ear Bank is a first of its kind biobank in Australasia, designed to accelerate genetic therapies for childhood and adult hearing loss.
The Australasian Hearing Registry and The Aussie Ear Bank will be Australiaʼs first repository dedicated to storing tissue samples linked to genetic-associated hearing loss.
ESIA said it would work with Apollo Hospitals to identify priority initiatives under the partnership, including early opportunities in tele genetic counselling, genomic data partnerships and collaborative research programs, subject to appropriate governance, ethics and regulatory approvals.
It said Apollo Hospitals’ greatest capability, along with direct patient care, was its strength in digital health transformation which allowed them to reach hundreds of millions of people in India and around the world.
“With 76 hospitals, more than 11,000 beds and access to patient populations from over 180 countries, Apollo and its integrated healthcare ecosystem including its latest vertical Apollo Health Axis are an obvious match as we build out the Aussie Ear Bank,” ESIA said in a statement.
“Hearing loss affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, with genetics playing a significant role across the lifespan.
“About 60% of children born with hearing loss are estimated to have a genetic cause, and inherited factors are believed to contribute to up to half of adult-onset hearing loss.
“As advances in genomics and emerging gene therapies offer new hope, global collaboration is increasingly critical to accelerating discovery and translation into patient care.”
Ear Science is a world-renowned, for-purpose organisation and centre of excellence that aligns multi-disciplinary teams from research, medicine, and clinical operations to develop innovative treatments for ear and hearing disorders and eventually find a cure for hearing loss.
