DoD Grant Funds New Microscope to Aid Hearing Research Auditory researchers at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine have acquired a new microscope to enhance work in laboratories studying tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and hearing loss caused by toxins, noise exposure or aging. A $270,000 grant from the Office of Naval Research in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) funded the device. “Our research labs are making great progress on understanding and reversing hearing loss, and this new investigative tool will help us advance the work,” said Brandon Cox, PhD, assistant professor in