It is a tremendous honour to receive this award and to be recognized, in another country, by a foundation and a scientific committee specializing in hearing. This strengthens my resolve to continue my work, for the understanding of deafness and for deaf or hard-of-hearing people.
Professor Karen Steel, Professor of Sensory Function, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience.
25 March 2026
Professor Karen Steel awarded Grand Scientific Prize by hearing foundation
French hearing organisation, Fondation Pour l’Audition, awarded Professor Karen Steel their Grand Scientific Prize at a ceremony in Paris.
The Grand Scientific Prize honours scientists who have achieved a major breakthrough in the field of hearing research. Professor Steel’s contributions to the field are extensive. She has discovered numerous genes directly involved in several forms of deafness and developed experimental models that are essential for studying the inner ear. In her career so far, Professor Steel has been involved in identification of over 70 genes that are essential for hearing. Her lab at the Wolfson Sensory, Pain and Regeneration Centre, part of the School of Neuroscience, is now focusing on age-related hearing loss and developing diagnostic tests.
The award was presented at a ceremony in Paris on 12 March 2026, where Professor Steel delivered the keynote lecture: “What have mouse mutants taught us about hearing loss?”. As part of the award Professor Steel will have the opportunity to take a sabbatical in France to develop her scientific connections there.
Learn more about Professor Karen Steel's research and career
This video was comissioned by Fondation Pour l'Audition to honour Professor Steel's career and to highlight her current and future research. It was shown at the award ceremony in Paris. Reproduced with permission from Fondation Pour l'Audition.
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Professor of Sensory Function