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Chief, Audiology Unit
NIDCD, NIH
Hyattsville, Maryland, United States
Dr. Brewer is the Chief of the Audiology Unit in the Intramural Research Program at NIDCD where she has worked for almost 20 years.
She earned her undergraduate degree at Rutgers University, followed by a Master’s degree and PhD at the University of Maryland. Prior to coming to the NIH, Dr. Brewer worked at Washington Hospital Center where she headed the Hearing and Speech program. Her long career also included adjunct faculty appointments at the University of Maryland and Gallaudet University spanning over 30 years. Dr. Brewer is the recipient of Honors of the Association from the American Speech Language Hearing Association and the Distinguished Achievement Award from the American Academy of Audiology.
Her research program at the NIH is largely focused on characterizing the auditory and vestibular phenotype in rare genetic diseases and ototoxicity. The work that she conducts in the area of phenotyping contributes to the understanding of the role of genetic mutations in the audio-vestibular system. The end goal is that this will assist patients and families in understanding the hearing and balance problems the individual is experiencing and will guide habilitation as well as lay the groundwork for future gene therapies. The second area of research focus, ototoxicity, comprises studies of drugs in clinical trials, examination of clinical noise exposure, evaluation of ototoxicity from aminoglycosides delivered via alternative routes of administration, and participation in trials of otoprotective agents.
Dr Brewer has a proven publication record that includes over 95 peer reviewed manuscripts, 6 book chapters, and numerous submitted and invited scientific presentation.