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The Genetics Department is currently involved with two NIH-funded research projects.
We are now recruiting alumni
of Gallaudet University, deaf individuals who have deaf
relatives in two or more generations, as well as single
deaf adults between the ages of 21 and 35. If you
have any questions about your eligibility to participate
in either of these projects, please, contact us.
All research participants
are asked to provide audiograms, so we can learn more
about the level of hearing loss associated with each
genetic form of deafness. All participants are
notified of connexin 26 results, and we notify all
families if the cause of their deafness is identified.
The Alumni Project:
Deaf individuals who are
Gallaudet alumni as well as current deaf Gallaudet
students are eligible to participate in this study.
This project is a collaborative effort between
Gallaudet's Department of Biology and the Department of
Human Genetics at the Medical College of Virginia
designed to extend the 1898 study of deaf families by
Professor E.A. Fay, Vice-President of Gallaudet
University. Another goal is to identify and
characterize rare genes that interact to cause deafness.
The Societal
Impact Project:
The aim of this study is
to assess the impact of genetic technology and the
availability of genetic testing for deafness genes on the
Deaf and hearing communities. Through this study we
are collecting qualitative and quantitative data to
further understand the perspectives of Deaf individuals
and parents of deaf children with regard to genetic
testing and technology. In particular, we are
recruiting single deaf individuals between the ages of
21 and 35 to participate in this study.
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