Introducing Tinnitus Quest

[Hazel]

"Why don't you get a celebrity ambassador?"

It's a question we've been asked countless times over the years.

And we've always had to explain: it's not that easy. Tinnitus isn't a "sexy" cause. It's invisible. Misunderstood. Celebrities don't want to be associated with it — and even if they did, reaching them requires personal connections and a lot of persistence.

But now… the day has finally come.

William Shatner — legendary actor, cultural icon, and long-time tinnitus sufferer — is using his voice to support Tinnitus Quest and the millions around the world who live with tinnitus every day.

No one of Shatner's calibre has ever spoken out for the tinnitus community — other than Shatner himself, years ago. And sadly, there's now a whole new generation of sufferers who have never seen a high-profile figure speak up for them. Millions who feel unseen and unheard.

Let this be the moment we've all been waiting for — the push that tinnitus research so desperately needs.

Want the full story of how this came to be?

Check out this fantastic blog post by our intrepid team member JD, who flew all the way to L.A. to coordinate the shoot.

Now we're asking you to do your part:

Watch, comment, like, and share the video — and help spread this message far and wide.
You'll find all the social media links below (and the YouTube video embedded above).

This is a huge win for the tinnitus community. Let's make sure the world hears it!

• Instagram
• Facebook
• TikTok
• X
• LinkedIn

 

[Watasha]

"Why don't you get a celebrity ambassador?"

It's a question we've been asked countless times over the years.

And we've always had to explain: it's not that easy. Tinnitus isn't a "sexy" cause. It's invisible. Misunderstood. Celebrities don't want to be associated with it — and even if they did, reaching them requires personal connections and a lot of persistence.

But now… the day has finally come.

William Shatner — legendary actor, cultural icon, and long-time tinnitus sufferer — is using his voice to support Tinnitus Quest and the millions around the world who live with tinnitus every day.

No one of Shatner's calibre has ever spoken out for the tinnitus community — other than Shatner himself, years ago. And sadly, there's now a whole new generation of sufferers who have never seen a high-profile figure speak up for them. Millions who feel unseen and unheard.

Let this be the moment we've all been waiting for — the push that tinnitus research so desperately needs.

Want the full story of how this came to be?

Check out this fantastic blog post by our intrepid team member JD, who flew all the way to L.A. to coordinate the shoot.

Now we're asking you to do your part:

Watch, comment, like, and share the video — and help spread this message far and wide.
You'll find all the social media links below (and the YouTube video embedded above).

This is a huge win for the tinnitus community. Let's make sure the world hears it!

• Instagram
• Facebook
• TikTok
• X
• LinkedIn

Congratulations @Hazel and @Markku. This is such a fantastic win for our community! Thanks for all that you do.

 

[LBE]

This is fantastic! Thanks for everything you're doing.

 

[ErikaS]

Just saw the post with William Shatner on Instagram. What a great voice and a big name to help raise awareness for Tinnitus Quest! A huge thank you to our Tinnitus Quest board and team for all the work and effort you are tirelessly putting in behind the scenes.

 

[dd314]

He looks amazing for 94! Shatner is proof that having tinnitus does not have to destroy your health or your mind. Thank you to the team for arranging this message.

 

[Adaś]

@Hazel, @Markku, and the entire Tinnitus Quest team, amazing work! Thank you.

To everyone else, please repost and retweet.

Interestingly, just yesterday while reminiscing about my nu-metal fascination from my twenties, around 25 years ago, I came across some recent footage of Limp Bizkit preparing for a concert. In it, Wes Borland, one of my favorite guitarists, openly talks about his tinnitus. The video had nothing to do with tinnitus or medical issues, it was just a casual "what's up" conversation.

This shows that there are likely many other famous people who are not afraid to speak up about tinnitus. If they see the purpose behind this movement, they might join in. We just need enough momentum for the snowball effect to begin.

 

[ZFire]

Great stuff, guys! I'm really excited for you. I've been sharing this video everywhere — on social media, forums, and with family members.

Let me share some of the responses I've been getting:

First, here's what I've been posting:

Some responses:

By the way, Bluesky has been growing in popularity this year, so you might want to consider setting up an account there as well. Hopefully, you'll start seeing a boost in traffic for Tinnitus Quest.

P.S. Once I find a job (still looking), I'll be donating as soon as possible!

 

[ZFire]

Look what was at the top of my news feed this morning.

 

[Strife_84]

I would love to be a research subject.

 

[Hazel]

 

[SafeMusicFan]

I visited the website yesterday and noticed that the research grants are now open.

It gave me a huge smile. It is incredibly encouraging to see how things are taking shape and moving forward, little by little.

 

[hey]

I'm sorry if this has already been answered, but are you going to reach out to researchers to offer grants, or is Tinnitus Quest waiting to see who applies?

 

[Hazel]

I'm sorry if this has already been answered, but are you going to reach out to researchers to offer grants, or is Tinnitus Quest waiting to see who applies?

No worries, thanks for asking! We don't directly approach researchers with the offer of a grant, per se. Our strategy is to ensure that as many researchers as possible are aware of our grants program, so that hopefully we get many high-quality applications. We've conducted extensive research to identify as many researchers as possible, and have sent approximately 250 emails to announce our grants program.

For now, it's still a waiting game until 15 September, which is the deadline for submitting an application. We have already received six applications. However, I suspect many will leave it until just before the deadline, so we won't have a real sense of the numbers until then.

 

[hey]

I appreciate the response, and I want to thank you and Tinnitus Quest for all that you do for us.

 

[dant06]

I have been a tinnitus sufferer for 44 years. I lost all my hearing in a motorcycle accident that was not my fault. I received a cochlear implant in 1989, then had to be re-implanted in 1992 after being assaulted while walking home. My tinnitus began about six months after losing my hearing, and it has been hell at times over the years.

Much more research needs to be done, not only for tinnitus itself, but also for finding a way to restore damaged hair cells so they can function again, as they do in birds and fish.

 

[Hazel]

Sign up here!

 

[hey]

Congratulations on reaching 10k followers on Instagram. You're doing great!

 

[Nick47]

Congratulations on reaching 10k followers on Instagram. You're doing great!

@hey, the media team is excellent, especially considering the organization is only just over a year old.

Now we're really encouraging patients to join us as monthly donors. We need to keep the momentum going.

Choose any amount that feels comfortable. You can donate as little as three dollars a month.

The number of patients supporting Tinnitus Quest directly determines how many simultaneous trials we can launch in the next 12 to 24 months. It's that simple.

When you join, do it with pride and encourage at least one other person to join with you.

For example, if you're part of a Facebook group, share a screenshot and tag others to do the same.

Many patients have said they felt great once they joined!

 

[Nick47]

Guys & Girls...

The Long-Awaited Auricle Update is Almost Here!

The Auricle Update with Susan Shore & Jon Pearson goes live Monday, October 13 — just 3 days away!

Event times:

• 10 am Los Angeles (PDT)
• 1 pm New York (EDT)
• 6 pm London (BST)
• 7 pm Berlin (CEST)
• 4 am Sydney (AEDT, Oct 14)

It's completely FREE, but you'll need to register to join:
https://www.crowdcast.io/c/auricle

 

[MindOverMatter]

Guys & Girls...

The Long-Awaited Auricle Update is Almost Here!

The Auricle Update with Susan Shore & Jon Pearson goes live Monday, October 13 — just 3 days away!

Event times:

• 10 am Los Angeles (PDT)
• 1 pm New York (EDT)
• 6 pm London (BST)
• 7 pm Berlin (CEST)
• 4 am Sydney (AEDT, Oct 14)

It's completely FREE, but you'll need to register to join:
https://www.crowdcast.io/c/auricle

Looking forward to it, @Nick47

I signed up a long time ago, and I encourage everyone who's curious about Auricle, the technology, and the people behind it to sign up as well.

 

[Nick47]

Well, I don't fully know what everyone thought yet, as the comments on the Susan Shore and Jon Pearson updates are still coming in. I thought the production quality was very high. It's important that we share significant news, even from companies we don't fund or have any affiliation with. This is something Tinnitus Talk has been doing for many years through the Tinnitus Talk Podcast. Now, through Tinnitus Quest, you're getting even more content to enjoy, with the added bonus of live Q&As.

As for Tinnitus Quest, besides the excellent event hosted today, the Patient Board also held an extended two-hour meeting to discuss and review the proposals we received in response to the opening of our grants program. Although we can't yet discuss the nature of these proposals, the meeting was very productive. Of the 29 proposals received, all Patient Board members present voted for the same top two, and three out of four agreed on the third choice. This kind of alignment is rare and suggests the strong potential of some of these particular proposals. They will now be reviewed by our scientific advisors, and ultimately the Executive Board will be entrusted to review the consensus and make the final grant allocation decisions if they believe any offer high potential. This is expected by mid-December, and you will be informed promptly of any successful applicants.

Most of all, we want to thank all our donors, both regular contributors and one-time supporters, including those who took part in the matched $10,000 marathon challenge. We're pleased that you can finally start to see some real results — some "bang for your buck," so to speak.

If we can increase our donor numbers further next year, then by the next opening of our grants window in 2026, we could have half a dozen trials lined up and ready to run simultaneously. Can you imagine the excitement? After years of pinning your hopes on just one trial, the tide is finally turning.

 

[MindOverMatter]

A great and insightful event, really well managed and executed A shoutout and a thank you to all the people behind Tinnitus Quest. Keep up the good work!

 

[Nic82]

I'm satisfied with the outcome of the webinar. Let's not forget that a lot of research is being done, and most importantly, Tinnitus Quest gives us, as tinnitus patients, a voice. Things are finally starting to move forward. Even though we still need to be patient, I have confidence in the science and in the platform that Tinnitus Quest has built.

 

[SafeMusicFan]

I can't wait for the announcement of the projects that will receive a grant and for the start of the quarterly updates.

It feels like only a few months to go before we witness the beginning of a growing wave of news, updates, data sharing, and transparency at a level I haven't seen in a decade. I believe the interest in Tinnitus Quest will grow even more once the first projects are underway, and I'm genuinely enthusiastic to see it all unfold.

 

[hey]

I just read the article about Ben van der Valk and thought it was great. Thank you, Ben, for helping out tremendously. I agree that Tinnitus Quest will do great things.

 

[NormySan]

Great work! I'll be donating monthly and look forward to seeing the progress made.

 

[Dizzyhead888]

Thank you Ben van der Valk. I hope you find relief.

 

[Eloy79]

Isn't a final study on Coordinated Acoustic Reset Therapy worth it?

All that residual inhibition stuff works for me. I think the publishing world is underrated.

 

[UKBloke]

Isn't a final study on Coordinated Acoustic Reset Therapy worth it?

All that residual inhibition stuff works for me. I think the publishing world is underrated.

Why don't you contact Peter Tass and let him know about Tinnitus Quest and the funding pipeline?

 

[Eloy79]

Why don't you contact Peter Tass and let him know about Tinnitus Quest and the funding pipeline?

From what I've read in their profile and articles, they use non-auditory electrical stimulation.