USF Health launches nation’s first fully integrated institute for voice, hearing and swallowing care and research

The University of South Florida celebrated the grand opening of the new USF Health Institute for Voice and Hearing Innovation on Feb. 5, unveiling a first-of-its-kind center that combines clinical research and comprehensive patient care for voice, hearing and swallowing disorders.

The new institute establishes USF as the first in the nation to bring together multidisciplinary patient care and clinical research for disorders of communication and swallowing in a single, fully integrated space.

Designed to accelerate discovery while improving patient outcomes, the Institute for Voice and Hearing Innovation sets a new benchmark for care by embedding research directly into the clinical experience. Every patient seen at the institute becomes a research partner, helping drive innovations that can quickly move from the lab to real-world clinical practice.

"We created this institute because research and clinical care work better when they're brought together," said Yael Bensoussan, MD, director and co-founder of the USF Health Institute for Voice and Hearing Innovation and assistant professor of otolaryngology at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. "By housing everything in one shared space, we've created a model where discovery is part of everyday care. It allows us to move faster, work more collaboratively and develop new treatments that directly benefit patients."

Located on the third floor of the USF Health Morsani Center for Advanced Healthcare, the state-of-the-art facility was intentionally designed to maximize flexibility for clinicians and researchers and provide patients with comprehensive, holistic care.

The institute features a large acoustics laboratory, a full simulation suite for clinical training and research, a wellness and movement studio, dedicated therapy spaces and advanced technologies for voice, speech, hearing and balance evaluation and treatment. The space also includes a grand piano and performance studio areas, along with 3D printing and virtual reality tools.

"The institute embodies a paradigm shift for overall wellbeing," said Victoria Sanchez, AuD, PhD, co-founder of the institute and associate professor of otolaryngology at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. "It is a place for whole health and wellness across the physical, emotional and social domains, bringing together researchers, clinicians, trainees and, most importantly, our patients to challenge limits and drive innovation for improved health outcomes."

Building on USF Health's groundbreaking research in otolaryngology, the Institute for Voice and Hearing Innovation will also serve as a national hub for industry collaboration. The integrated space and expert team provide an ideal setting to develop and validate new technologies and therapies for voice, hearing and swallowing disorders.

By partnering with industry, the institute will help bring new products to market while giving patients early access to emerging treatments.

Researchers and clinicians at the institute also benefit from cross-disciplinary collaborations with colleges across USF in artificial intelligence, bioengineering, music and communication sciences and disorders. Together, the institute is working with USF's pioneering Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing - also the first of its kind in the nation - on building shared infrastructure and creating new opportunities for students to apply AI in health and medicine.

"The institute is truly a representation of multidisciplinary and multidimensional care and innovation," said Stephanie Watts, PhD, co-founder of the institute, assistant professor of otolaryngology and chief of speech pathology in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. "By working side by side with industry, our clinicians and researchers can create real synergy, so that patients who enter our doors benefit from access to the newest treatments."

Alongside cutting-edge research, the institute is defined by a comprehensive approach to holistic health. With fully coordinated care, patients can participate in music therapy, movement interventions and multidisciplinary therapy programs without ever leaving the institute.

"This is the only center of its kind that truly integrates medical, therapeutic, artistic and wellness-based approaches within the same walls," Dr. Bensoussan said. "We are not sending patients elsewhere for complementary therapies; everything they need is right here. It's how we bring innovation and holistic care together in a meaningful way."