Westfield donation aids deafness study

A specialist piece of equipment to be used for a deafness research project at the University of Sheffield has been purchased thanks to a donation by Westfield Health. Deafness Research UK, which is funding the study by the University of Sheffield, wrote to Westfield to ask for help in purchasing an electrophysiological microscope, which is essential to kick-start the research. Westfield donated £9,251, which will now facilitate investigation into the properties of inner ear hair cells, giving new insight into how to help those with hearing difficulties to lead a better quality of life. Dr Walter Marcotti, who is leading the project at the University of Sheffield, said: "We are so grateful to Westfield for donating the funds to buy this highly specialised microscope – an upright Olympus BX51. "Deafness is the world´s second most common disability. The aim of the project is to investigate whether an important physiological property of inner ear cells differs depending on their location in the cochlea. It will give us new knowledge of how sound is passed to the brain.