Emeritus Professor Louise Hickson
Emeritus Professor

Louise Hickson

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Background

hearing impairment, hearing loss, hearing rehabilitation, evidence-based practice, family-centred hearing care

Louise Hickson, AM, is an Emeritus Professor of Audiology in the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences at The University of Queensland. She has published over 300 research articles, books and book chapters with her main focus on the effects of hearing loss on people's everyday lives and the development of strategies and interventions that improve the uptake and outcomes of hearing rehabilitation. Louise is Chair of the Phonak Expert Circle on Family-Centred Hearing Care, is on the Executive Board of the International Society or Audiology and is a Fellow and Life Member of Audiology Australia. She has received numerous awards recognising her contributions to audiology, including the international research award from the American Academy of Audiology, The University of Queensland Leadership Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award from Hearing Australia. She is an Editor of the International Journal of Audiology amd in 2021 Emeritus Professor Hickson was Australia's Leading Researcher in the field of Audiology and Speech and Language Pathology. In 2022 she became a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to tertiary education and audiology associations. She is a sought after speaker and regularly presents at conferences and meetings around the world. Louise also provides advice to hearing service providers both in Australia and overseas and is committed to improving services for people with hearing difficulties.

Availability

Emeritus Professor Louise Hickson is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Aged health care Allied health and rehabilitation science Biomedical and Clinical Sciences Clinical sciences Health Sciences

Qualifications

  • Bachelor (Honours), The University of Queensland
  • Masters (Coursework), The University of Queensland
  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland

Research interests

  • Effects of hearing impairment on the lives of older adults and the rehabilitation of older people with hearing impairment.

    Professor Hickson is recognized internationally as a leader in audiology. Her major research themes are age-related hearing impairment, the associated effects of that impairment on the communication abilities and quality of life of older adults, and the efficacy of different forms of intervention (e.g., hearing aid fitting, communication education) with this population. To a lesser extent, evaluating the efficacy of audiological interventions for children. In collaboration with Dr Adrian Fuente, she has expanded her research work to include hearing impairment acquired by noise and solvent exposure. Examples of her profile and impact are invitations to speak at 3-4 national and international conferences each year, her editorship of the International Journal of Audiology, her roles as research representative on the Federal Minister for Health and Ageing’s Hearing Services Consultancy Committee, and Australasian representative on the WHO Steering Committee on Hearing.

Research impacts

Emeritus Professor Hickson AM is a world leader in hearing rehabilitation research and her work has changed practice in Australia and overseas. For example, the Active Communication Education (ACE) program that she developed and evaluated has been used in many countries around the world including Australia, the UK, the USA, Canada, Chile, Hong Kong, Korea, Iran, Germany and Sweden. She is committed to the transfer of knowledge into practice and has extensive professional links that facilitate this transfer.

Search Professor Louise Hickson’s works on UQ eSpace

328 works between 1986 and 2025
All (328) Journal Article (272) Book Chapter (19) Conference Publication (31) Book (5) Edited Outputs (1)

321 - 328 of 328 works

1993

Journal Article

Performance of Assistive Listening Devices Using Insertion Gain Measures

Baumfield, A, Hickson, L and McPherson, B (1993). Performance of Assistive Listening Devices Using Insertion Gain Measures. Scandinavian Audiology, 22 (1), 43-46. doi: 10.3109/01050399309046017

Performance of Assistive Listening Devices Using Insertion Gain Measures

1993

Journal Article

The Evaluation of Intervention Programs for Communicatively Impaired Elderly People

Jordan, FM, Worrall, LE, Hickson, Lmh and Dodd, BJ (1993). The Evaluation of Intervention Programs for Communicatively Impaired Elderly People. European Journal of Disorders of Communication, 28 (1), 63-85. doi: 10.3109/13682829309033143

The Evaluation of Intervention Programs for Communicatively Impaired Elderly People

1992

Journal Article

Assistive listerning devices and the elderly

Baumfield, A., Hickson, L. and McPherson, B. (1992). Assistive listerning devices and the elderly. Australian Journal of Audiology, 14 (2), 69-75.

Assistive listerning devices and the elderly

1992

Journal Article

Clinical Reliability of Insertion Gain Measurements with Assistive Listening Devices

McPherson, B, Hickson, L and Baumfield, A (1992). Clinical Reliability of Insertion Gain Measurements with Assistive Listening Devices. Scandinavian Audiology, 21 (1), 51-54. doi: 10.3109/01050399209045981

Clinical Reliability of Insertion Gain Measurements with Assistive Listening Devices

1992

Journal Article

Speech-Perception in Noise with Bicros Hearing-Aids

Deldot, J, Hickson, LM and Oconnell, B (1992). Speech-Perception in Noise with Bicros Hearing-Aids. Scandinavian Audiology, 21 (4), 261-264. doi: 10.3109/01050399209046010

Speech-Perception in Noise with Bicros Hearing-Aids

1991

Journal Article

Progressive Hearing-Loss in Children with Congenital Cytomegalovirus

Hickson, Lmh and Alcock, D (1991). Progressive Hearing-Loss in Children with Congenital Cytomegalovirus. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 27 (2), 105-107. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1754.1991.tb00362.x

Progressive Hearing-Loss in Children with Congenital Cytomegalovirus

1990

Journal Article

Hearing status of elderly hospital inpatients

Poltl S. and Hickson L. (1990). Hearing status of elderly hospital inpatients. Australian Journal of Audiology, 12 (2), 79-83.

Hearing status of elderly hospital inpatients

1986

Journal Article

Factors associated with hearing aid use

Hickson, L., Hamilton, L. and Orange, S. P. (1986). Factors associated with hearing aid use. Australian Journal of Audiology, 8 (2), 37-41.

Factors associated with hearing aid use

Current funding

  • 2023 - 2026
    Improving the psychosocial and emotional well-being of adults with hearing loss through co-designed evidence-based services: ACE2.0
    NHMRC Targeted Research
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2026
    Improving access to the hearing services program for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
    NHMRC Targeted Research
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2027
    Unspoken, Unheard, Unmet: Improving Access to Preventative Health Care through Better Conversations about Care
    NHMRC MRFF Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2025
    The effect of individualised, vibrotactile neurofeedback training on postural stability in older adults with hearing impairment: a randomised double-blind, placebo-controlled multicentre trial
    Sonova AG
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2026
    Adults with mild hearing impairment: Challenges and predictors of successful hearing aid fitting outcomes
    Sonova AG
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2022
    Develop a HSP Service Pathway and Decision Support Tool
    Commonwealth Department of Health
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2025
    Hearing, social connectedness, and well-being of ageing adults in Australia
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2022
    To tell or not to tell? The stigma experiences of adults with hearing impairment and their families
    GN Hearing Care Corporation
    Open grant
  • 2018
    Establishing a Sonova-UQ Hearing and Balance Research Centre
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2019
    Feasibility of a RCT of the Active Communication Education (ACE) programme plus hearing aid provision versus hearing aid provision alone
    Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2018
    Family-centred care in paediatric hearing rehabilitation programs: How is it being implemented in day to day practice?
    Deafness Foundation (Victoria)
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2019
    Improving rehabilitation outcomes for adults with hearing impairment and their family members: A family-centred care approach
    Flinders University
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2016
    Improving the health and well-being of serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members with hearing loss and their families: A family-centred care approach
    DHF Establishment Grants
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2019
    Enabling equal access using e-health
    HEARing CRC
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2015
    Validation of the Phonak Support App for Hearing Aid Management and Trouble-Shooting
    UniQuest Pty Ltd
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2021
    The Communication Research Registry
    Speech Pathology Australia
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2016
    Occupational hearing loss induced by solvents and noise: development of new strategies for hearing loss prevention programs in the workplace
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2012
    The Communication Disability Registry: expanding research opportunities.
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2014
    Overcoming barriers to hearing rehabilitation in adults
    HEARing CRC
    Open grant
  • 2003 - 2006
    Staff communication in aged care facilities: a key factor in delivering resident-focused care
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2002 - 2005
    Evaluating the active communication education program for older people with hearing impairment
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2000 - 2001
    An evaluation of feasibility and effectiveness of an intervention that promotes residents' participation in decision-making and life roles
    Blue Care
    Open grant
  • 1997
    A comparison of the everyday communication of healthy older people and older people with aphisia
    University of Queensland New Staff Research Grant
    Open grant
  • 1997 - 1998
    Multichannel compression amplification in hearing aids: optimizing speech perception
    NHMRC Project - Special Initiative Grant
    Open grant
  • 1995 - 1996
    Communication impairment, disability and handicap in the ethnic aged
    PHRDC - Project Grants
    Open grant

Availability

Emeritus Professor Louise Hickson is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Emeritus Professor Louise Hickson directly for media enquiries about:

  • Aged care facilties
  • Ageing - hearing changes
  • Audiological Rehabilitation
  • Audiology
  • Communication and deafness
  • Deafness
  • Hearing - changes with ageing
  • Hearing aid technology
  • Hearing loss
  • Nursing homes
  • Older people - hearing loss
  • Rehabilitation
  • Seniors - hearing changes
  • Sensory loss
  • Sight - loss of
  • Technology - audiology
  • Vision - loss in the aged

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