#  SHBT Alumni Spotlight: Celebrating Gabrielle Ryan Merchant, AuD, PhD, Class of '14 

 





March 14, 2025

 

 

**Early Career Research Award Presentation**

**Improving the Diagnosis of Otitis Media and Associated Hearing Loss in Children**  
*Gabrielle R. Merchant, AuD, PhD*  
*Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE*

Objectives: Otitis media is one of the most common illnesses in childhood and can lead to serious immediate and long-term consequences. Optimal treatment is dependent on a comprehensive understanding of the specifics of the disease, however, current diagnostic procedures often lack the specificity needed to guide treatment decisions. Otitis media can present differently in each patient, including the presence or absence of infection, the degree of conductive hearing loss, and the characteristics of any effusion (e.g., volume and viscosity). More [here](https://www.amauditorysoc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=126:early-career&catid=20:site-content).



 

 

 



 

 

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