Tinnitus Quest

09/05/2026

In this deeply personal interview, Toby shares how his tinnitus began following a series of microsuction procedures, how it initially improved as he adapted, and how subsequent setbacks left him living with a far more intrusive form of the condition.

He speaks openly about the impact tinnitus has had on his sleep, mental wellbeing, music, work and everyday life, as well as his experiences navigating healthcare when there are still so few meaningful treatment options available.

Toby is also a volunteer with Tinnitus Quest. Despite everything he has been through, he remains hopeful about the future of tinnitus research and believes that the growing momentum around the condition can lead to better treatments.

Tinnitus Quest is a patient-led nonprofit dedicated to accelerating tinnitus research by bringing together patients, researchers, advocates and research funders. 100% of online donations go directly to tinnitus research.

Support Tinnitus Quest:
👉 https://tinnitusquest.com

08/08/2026

Produced by the staff at Tinnitus Quest, this latest episode of the Tinnitus Talk Podcast introduces you to Cilcare.

Bettina Cockroft, Chief Medical Officer of Cilcare, speaks about a rapidly evolving area of hearing science: cochlear synaptopathy or so-called “hidden hearing loss.” The episode explores how damage to the connections between inner-ear hair cells and the auditory nerve can affect the ability to process sound even with a “normal” audiogram, and how this may be connected to tinnitus and hyperacusis.

Bettina then takes us inside Cilcare’s work on Paliroden (formerly CIL-001), a drug designed to target cochlear synaptopathy. We discuss how the drug is delivered to the inner ear, what Cilcare has learned from previous hearing drug failures, and how its observational studies and biomarker research are informing upcoming clinical trials. Crucially for tinnitus patients, Cilcare is preparing a study involving people with tinnitus to kick off in 2026.

Cilcare is working to target tinnitus by repairing hidden hearing loss.

08/07/2026

Tinnitus is the number one service-connected disability among U.S. veterans. Yet despite affecting millions of those who have served, it remains one of the most overlooked and underfunded health conditions, leaving countless people without the treatments they deserve.

Today, we're proud to announce a new partnership between Tinnitus Quest and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), one of the leading advocacy organizations representing post 9/11 veterans in the United States.

Together, we want to ensure that veterans are not only part of the conversation, but also help shape the future of tinnitus research.

At Tinnitus Quest, we believe changing the future of tinnitus begins by changing the conversation around it. That means listening to the people most affected, sharing their stories, ensuring their voices are heard, and building the awareness and advocacy needed to accelerate research towards better treatments.

If you're a veteran living with tinnitus, we'd love to hear from you and invite you to share your experience.

Your experience can help raise awareness, inspire others to come forward, and strengthen the case for more tinnitus research.

Please get in touch via our website:

👉 https://tinnitusquest.com/veterans

Together, we can make sure veteran voices are heard.

07/31/2026

Some of the biggest global icons and music industry figures are done staying quiet about tinnitus.

So far, 33 artists and public figures have joined Tinnitus Quest to tell their stories and lend their voices to the cause.

Musicians, producers, actors, authors, journalists, all speaking up.

We're a global nonprofit led by patients and working alongside leading researchers. The mission is simple: reach real treatments for tinnitus, faster.

Tinnitus isn't only a medical problem. It's also an awareness problem. And a funding problem.

For too long, people have been told to just live with it. Many felt they couldn't talk about what it was doing to their lives. So research crawled, funding stayed thin, and progress stalled.

That has changed with Tinnitus Quest.

When these artists share their stories, they pull tinnitus into the open and build the momentum research needs. But we need more voices.

You don't have to be famous. Artist, veteran, healthcare professional, or someone who lives with tinnitus every day, your story carries weight.

Share it with us.

Together we can build the awareness, community, and funding to move research forward and reach real treatments.

Be part of the quiet revolution. Help change the future of tinnitus.

👉 https://tinnitusquest.com

07/13/2026

🔗 https://tinnitusquest.com - Donate. Volunteer. Share your story.

Courtney shares her deeply personal experience of living with tinnitus and why she chose to support Tinnitus Quest.

Every patient story helps others feel less alone, raises awareness, and reminds the world that tinnitus is a condition that deserves far greater attention and research funding.

If you live with tinnitus, we would love to hear your story. Your voice can help drive progress by showing the world the true face of tinnitus and why better treatments are urgently needed.

If you haven't already, please visit our website to learn more about our work and discover how you can help.

Tinnitus Quest is a global patient-led nonprofit. 100% of all online donations go directly to tinnitus research.

07/02/2026

Learn more or support our work 👉 https://tinnitusquest.com

Recorded in Copenhagen, this conversation brings together co-founders Hazel and Sven, along with PR Manager Jack, to explore Tinnitus Quest’s mission, the challenges it faces, and the growing momentum behind its work in tinnitus research and advocacy.

The discussion offers an inside look at what it takes to build a patient-led global nonprofit, from fundraising and grant programs to managing outreach and community engagement. It highlights both the progress being made and the ongoing challenges of driving awareness and support for a condition that remains widely misunderstood.

A key theme throughout is the importance of community. Whether through sharing personal stories, engaging with content, or contributing time as a volunteer, even small actions can have a meaningful impact. The conversation emphasizes that progress is not only driven by funding, but by people coming together to support the cause in whatever way they can.

At Tinnitus Quest, we believe that collective effort is what drives real change. By building a global community of patients, supporters, researchers, and advocates, we can help push tinnitus research forward and create better outcomes for those affected.

If you would like to support our work, share your story, or get involved as a volunteer, we would love to hear from you.

06/26/2026

Bestselling fantasy author Samantha Shannon joins Tinnitus Quest for a candid conversation about living with tinnitus and the importance of raising awareness around a condition that affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

Known for The Bone Season series and The Roots of Chaos, Samantha Shannon is a New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author and is widely regarded as one of the defining voices in modern fantasy literature.

In this interview, Samantha reflects on her personal experience with tinnitus, shares her perspective on the challenges faced by those living with the condition, and discusses why greater awareness, understanding, and research are so important.

At Tinnitus Quest, we believe patient voices matter. By sharing their stories, people like Samantha help drive the conversation forward and support the push for better treatments and, ultimately, a cure.

Learn more about Tinnitus Quest:
https://tinnitusquest.com

Donate. Volunteer. Share your story.

06/15/2026

Our co-founder, Hazel, speaks about her lifelong struggle with misophonia, a condition that overlaps considerably with tinnitus, with an estimated 60% of tinnitus patients also experiencing misophonia.

Misophonia occurs when sounds made by other humans trigger strong emotions like revulsion.

This is different from hyperacusis, which is when everyday sounds seem too loud or painful.

Yet all of these conditions overlap significantly and might share similar mechanisms. So collaboration across the spectrum of hearing sensitivity disorders is crucial.

Do you experience misophonia?

05/30/2026

🤝 Small organizations. Big hearts. Even bigger impact.

We have some truly exciting news to share. Tinnitus Quest has partnered with Hyperacusis Research Ltd., and together we are ready to push hearing health research further than either of us could alone.

Hyperacusis Research will allocate funds for a grant of up to $100,000, which Tinnitus Quest will help administer.

🔬 We are funding breakthrough science on hyperacusis, a condition of extreme sound sensitivity that shares deep biological roots with tinnitus. Millions of people struggle every day with sounds that most of us never think twice about. They deserve answers, and we are committed to helping find them.

🚀 Grant applications are now open. If you are a researcher with fresh ideas and the drive to make a real difference in people's lives, we would love to hear from you.

💙 Two conditions. Two passionate nonprofits. One shared belief: that good science, properly funded, can change lives.

👉 tinnitusquest.com
👉 hyperacusisresearch.org

05/28/2026

🔥 Silence starts with science. Tinnitus Quest is now accepting applications for our next round of research grants.

Are you a researcher with a bold idea that could move tinnitus science forward? Applications are open until July 15.

Are you a patient who knows a researcher, clinician, or lab that should hear about this? Please share this with them.

Our first grant cycle helped launch a pioneering project. Now, we’re looking for the next wave of ambitious, out-of-the-box ideas that could bring us closer to real treatments, and ultimately, silence.

Let’s make round two even stronger.

We’ll keep you posted. ❤️

👉 https://tinnitusquest.com/research/grants-2026/