Dialechti Tsimpida

I am a Lecturer in Gerontology at The University of Southampton, based in the Centre for Research on Ageing. My academic research over the last decade is mainly concerned with the social epidemiology and public health aspects of hearing loss, focusing on hearing health inequalities. One of the most important contributions I made in the field is the development of the Conceptual Model of Hearing Health Inequalities (HHI Model). Also, I coined the term lifestyle-related hearing loss, proposing the reconceptualisation of hearing loss in later life as a preventable lifestyle disease during the life course, and not an inevitable accompaniment of ageing. Delivering world-class research, I have been awarded several honours and awards, and I develop an international reputation. In 2020 I received the International Society of Audiology (ISA) Scholarship for my pioneering research findings on prevention and early detection of hearing loss in primary care and its potential in maximising the opportunity for healthy and active ageing. I was the Primary Investigator of the PLACE Project, updating after nearly 40 years the hearing loss prevalence estimates in older adults in England. The New National Study of Hearing revealed a north-south divide in the prevalence of hearing loss in older adults in England, which was previously unknown. The PLACE Project was funded by the Institute for Health Policy and Organisation (IHPO) and received additional funding from the World Health Organization (WHO) to support its wider dissemination to the public. My work has been published in peer-reviewed journals, such as JAMA, BMJ, BMC, and others.