Claus Peter Richter, MD, PhD
“We are living in a noisy environment where constant exposure to high sound levels occurs. It has the potential to accumulate and finally lead to damage of the ear and subsequent hearing loss. Cochlear implants have enabled us to make tremendous strides in helping people when this loss is serious. The seed grants that AHRF offers give researchers the chance to refine and advance these tools.”
—Claus Peter Richter, MD, PhD
Claus-Peter Richter, MD, PhD, is a leader in the fields of hearing physiology, cochlear implant design, and bioengineering, bringing extensive experience in scientific research to his role on the AHRF Research Committee. Richter is Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Otolaryngology, Head- and Neck Surgery, and has joint appointments in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. He also is founding CTO of Resonance Medical, LLC. His primary interests are the development and improvement of cochlear implant electrodes, the micromechanics of the mammalian cochlea, and the maturation of the mammalian inner ear. Recently, the research efforts of Richter’s laboratory are focused to develop cochlear implants that use optical radiation rather than electrical currents to stimulate auditory neurons. Richter is a fellow of the Hugh Knowles Center for Clinical Basic Sciences in Hearing and its Disorders, and much of his research funding is provided by the National Institute of Health, the E.R. Capita Foundation, and the National Science Foundation. He has published dozens of articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Born in Erlangen, Germany, he is a graduate of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University in Frankfurt, where he earned his medical degree, Masters in Physics, and PhD.