25/04/2024
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Each year, the BAA celebrate Audiologists and their teams who have excelled and shown exceptional commitment to the Audiology profession over the past 12 months.
Dr Bhavisha Parmar, a postdoctoral research audiologist in the Clinical Neurosciences Department (SOUND lab), picked up the BAA award for Audiologist of the Year: a prize that recognises “an Audiologist who stands out from the crowd in terms of patient care; an individual who has gone above and beyond to put the patient first, or improve their experience in a small way, making a difference to them”.
Dr Parmar was nominated for her “professional manner and knowledge, going above and beyond for patients, exhibiting a high level of devotion, honesty, and dependability in a voluntary role over many years, and inspiring the next generation of Audiologists”.
Dr Parmar said: “I want to say a big thank you to the British Academy of Audiology for this lovely award. It’s a very kind recognition of my work, but it’s definitely been a team effort. I feel very lucky to have had a lot of support from my colleagues and family over the years, and being an Audiologist has given me access to many opportunities. At least one of the award nominations was from one of my patients – and that really made my day”.
Dr Parmar is currently working on the BEARS (Both Ears) project, a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) grant funded project to develop virtual reality spatial hearing training games for children and young people with bilateral cochlear implants. She is also a research fellow with the University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), working with other BRC and Department of Health and Social Care colleagues, and multiple stakeholders, to develop the 2023-2028 Action Plan for hearing loss and tinnitus research.
Professor Jane Clarke, Wolfson College President, said: “We're always delighted to celebrate the achievements of Wolfson College’s community of researchers. I congratulate Dr Bhavisha Parmar for receiving this prestigious award. The academic community at Wolfson benefits greatly from the expertise, experience, and dedication of its members, and Bhavisha is a prime example of how the research carried out by Wolfson members can change the world for the better.”
Dr Parmar is the clinical lead for the charity DeafKidz International, helping to develop ear and hearing care services in low resource countries, she is a PPI champion for the Cambridge BRC Medical devices and Advanced therapies theme, and a distance learning tutor for BSc Audiology students at Anglia Ruskin University.
She is also working alongside charities, audiology professional bodies, and patients on a study exploring deaf awareness and communication in the NHS.
