The University of Queensland (UQ) has been named the leading research institution in Australia and the world for audiology, speech and language pathology.
Also receiving accolades was Ear Science Institute Australia’s Dr Rob Eikelboom, named Australia’s leading researcher in audiology, speech and language pathology.
In the otolaryngology field, Macquarie University was named Australia’s leading research institution while Professor Richard Harvey from Macquarie University was the nation’s leading researcher in otolaryngology.
The Australian newspaper’s 2025 Research Magazine used publicly available data on Google Scholar to assess Australia’s top research performers and institutions across 250 fields of research in eight major disciplines.
Ranking is based on the quality and impact of their work measured by the number of citations for papers published (by the individual or the institution) in the top 20 journals of each field in the past five years, ensuring only recent quality work is assessed.
Hearing Practitioner Australia asked leaders in the field from The University of Queensland for their thoughts on receiving the accolade.
Impact of research on clinical practice
“It is extremely gratifying to receive recognition for UQ being the top research institute in Australia for audiology and speech pathology,” they said. “It is especially significant, as the accolade was based on a global analysis of research focusing on highly influential research in top international journals within the last five years.”
The UQ leaders said they worked with people with hearing loss at all stages of the research process to make sure that the research they do is important and relevant.
“We also work closely with government, industry and clinical partners to reduce the impact of hearing loss, focusing on prevention, timely identification and treatment and provision of accessible, high quality hearing care,” they added.
“We are also committed to educating the next generation of researchers in audiology and speech pathology who want to have impact on the quality of clinical services provided to the community.”
They said the disciplines of speech pathology and audiology worked closely together at UQ to combine their expertise in person- and family-centred care for adults and children with hearing loss, with a focus on the communication impacts of hearing loss.
“This accolade is a wonderful reflection of this interprofessional work and the impact of this work on clinical practice,” they added.
“It also reflects the breadth and depth of UQ’s work in hearing-related communication disability, and the contemporary approaches we use in implementation science and co-design, as well as our funding success across government, industry, and philanthropic sources.”
Scarce funding for hearing research
However, they warned that Australian hearing research faced major challenges.
“The audiology/speech pathology community of researchers is small. University researchers struggle with capacity to do research alongside teaching commitments,” they said.
“Funding for hearing research is scarce – although hearing loss is ranked third for years lived with disability and is a major public health problem, hearing (and vision) research receives <1% of research funding in Australia.
“To continue our internationally important efforts to reduce the impact of hearing loss for children and adults, we must advocate for hearing research, with clinicians and community supporting hearing research via philanthropy and other donations and participating in hearing research.”
Dr Rob Eikelboom – a standout in the field
The nation’s leading researcher in audiology, speech and language pathology, Dr Rob Eikelboom is Research Manager, Corporate, at Ear Science Institute Australia and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Western Australia.
Ear Science CEO Associate Professor Sandra Bellekom paid tribute saying he had “worked tirelessly at our renowned institution since 2001, making significant strides in ear and hearing health.”
“Rob’s expertise spans several key areas, including clinical research, telehealth, epidemiology, and the generation of evidence aimed at improving health outcomes for individuals with ear and hearing disorders,” she said.
“He works closely with a dedicated team of researchers and clinicians at Ear Science, as well as collaborating with national and international institutions to advance ear and hearing health.”
Dr Eikelboom credits much of his success to this collaborative approach and the direct integration of research with clinical practice.
“His ability to bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and evolving patient needs has made him a standout in the field, contributing significantly to the work being done not only at Ear Science Institute but also at Lions Hearing Clinics across Australia,” A/Prof Bellekom said.
Dr Eikelboom said he was surprised and humbled by the accolade and acknowledged the recognition reflected the collective efforts of the Ear Science team, emphasising the value lay in the work being done to improve treatments and outcomes for people with ear and hearing health concerns.
A/Prof Bellokom said this was reflected in his work and the direct impact and contribution he makes to the quality of outcomes and services for Ear Science Clinics and implant recipients.
“His ability to continuously refine clinical offerings at Lions Hearing Clinics, informed by ongoing research, has made his work particularly relevant and often cited within the field,” she said.
Dr Eikelboom attributed his recognition to the unique position he holds at Ear Science, where he can directly apply his research findings to real-world clinical settings, keeping pace with the latest developments in patient presentations.
He said while Ear Science was often associated with audiology, its work incorporated disciplines including neuroscience, materials science, surgical science, and drug development. He believes this broad approach is crucial to improving the lives of those with ear and hearing disorders.
How the ranking works
The magazine’s 2025 edition was published on 26 November 2024. It has been published every year since 2018 and has presented a comprehensive picture of Australia’s best research. Its editor Mr Tim Dodd, and CEO and co-founder of League of Scholars Mr Paul McCarthy compiled the list.
“We give every Australian researcher and every Australian university or research organisation an impact score in each of 250 fields of research,” they said in The Australian. “This score is equal to the number of citations for papers published (by the individual or the institution) in the top 20 journals of each particular field in the past five years.
“The researcher and the institution with the top score is the leader of the field. This approach ensures that only quality work, and recent work, is considered.
“We use publicly available information on Google Scholar to identify researchers, to obtain data on their citations and to link their work with universities and research institutions.”
