Louise Hickson wins International Award at 2013 AAA Conference

By Timothy Cooke

Congratulations to Ida Advisory Board Chairman Louise Hickson for receiving the American Academy of Audiology International Award for 2013 for her many accomplishments in the fields of hearing science and audiology.

The American Academy of Audiology established an annual International award to honor and recognize achievements of international significance in audiology by an audiologist, hearing scientist or audiological physician.

Professor Hickson fits the bill, having made significant contributions to enhancing the lives of hearing-impaired individuals and their families, to increasing our scientific knowledge, and to support the future careers of her postgraduate students who have benefited from her mentoring and guidance.

Her clinical impacts are highlighted in the adoption of her Active Communication Enhancement (ACE) audiological rehabilitation (AR) program by clinics across Australia.

As a researcher, Professor Hickson has published over 170 articles in professional scientific journals since 1992, addressing such issues as patient-centered audiological rehabilitation, measurement of hearing outcomes, and the impact of hearing loss on unimpaired partners.

Along with her professorial duties at the University of Queensland, Professor Hickson serves as the Head of the School of Health and Rehabilitative Sciences and the director of the Communication Disability Centre. She is also the editor of the International Journal of Audiology and a member of the International Collegium of Rehabilitative Audiology (ICRA), a group of 50 researchers with interests in rehabilitation.