National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR)
Dawn Konrad-Martin, Ph.D.
E-Mail: dawn.martin@va.gov
Telephone: 503-220-8262 x52962
Fax: 503-273-5021
Current Appointments
Associate Director, NCRAR
Research Career Investigator
Professor, Department of Otolaryngology, Oregon Health & Science University
Research Interests
The overall goal of Dr. Konrad-Martin’s research is to provide an evidence base for preventive and rehabilitative interventions for hearing loss shaped according to the mechanistic deficits, sites of lesion, and individual differences of patients. She studies the auditory injury and functional consequences of common forms of acquired hearing loss in humans, including ototoxicity, noise overexposure, diabetes and normal aging. She also investigates methods for improving access to ototoxicity monitoring for cancer patients.
Service Activities
As Associate Director for NCRAR, Dr. Konrad-Martin co-administers the center and provides oversight of the Center’s education and training programs, and outreach activities, in addition to carrying out her own line of research for which she has received continuous Federal funding since 2003. Dr. Konrad-Martin has served in various roles for the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA), including as a member of the ASHA Scientific Affairs Committee (2015-2017), faculty for ASHA Lessons for Success (2015-2016) and Grant Reviewer Training Programs (2015-2016), and Editor-in-Chief of the journal Perspectives of the ASHA Audiology Special Interest Groups (2022–2024) [Link] Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups. Dr. Konrad-Martin previously served on the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Translational Hearing Center at Creighton University, and currently serves on the Department of Defense Hearing Center of Excellence, Pharmaceutical Interventions for Hearing Loss working group. Dr. Konrad-Martin is the founding and current Chairman of the International Ototoxicity Management Working Group (IOMG), a global consortium of international stakeholders created to address healthcare gaps in the clinical management of ototoxicity.
Research Contributions to Ototoxicity Management
- Risk assessments to detect and forecast ototoxic hearing loss for individual patients and inform resource allocation for ototoxicity monitoring programs (e.g. Dille et al. 2012; Debacker et al. in preparation; McMillan et al in preparation)
- Sensitive, time-efficient, behavioral and physiological ototoxicity symptom screening (Konrad-Martin et al. 2010; Dille et al. 2010a; Reavis et al. 2011; Dille et al. 2013)
- OtoID device for portable automated testing / tele-health (Dille et al. 2015; Brungart et al. 2017).
- First randomized controlled trial on specific monitoring approaches on patient and treatment level outcomes (Konrad-Martin et al., 2018; Konrad-Martin et al. 2021)
Current Research Projects
"National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR)"
Principal Investigator: Patrick Feeney, PhD
Co-Principal Investigator: Dawn Konrad-Martin, PhD
VA RR&D Merit Review Award 2017-2022
"The Biennial VA NCRAR Scientific Conference Series"
Principal Investigator: Dawn Konrad-Martin, PhD
NIH/NIDCD 2021-2025
"Prevention of Ototoxicity with Effective Monitoring (POEM) – Pharmacokinetic and Auditory Linkages"
Principal Investigators: Lisa Hunter, PhD; Patrick Feeney, PhD
Co-Investigator: Dawn Konrad-Martin, PhD
NIH/NIDCD 2020-2024
"Physiological, Behavioral and Predictive Correlates of Ototoxicity in Humans"
Principal Investigator: Dawn Konrad-Martin, PhD
VA RR&D Merit Review Award 2020-2024
"Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Short-Term Institutional Research Training Grant"
Principal Investigator: Patrick Feeney, PhD
Co-Investigator: Dawn Konrad-Martin, PhD
NIH/NIDCD 2019-2024
"Genetic Associations with Hearing Loss from Cancer Treatment"
Principal Investigator: Dawn Konrad-Martin, PhD
VA RR&D SPiRE Award 2020-2023
Recent Publications
Dreisbach Hawe L, Konrad-Martin D, Gagner C, Reavis KM, Jacobs PG. Descriptive characterization of high-frequency distortion-product otoacoustic emission source components in children. J Speech Lang Hear Res. Accepted for publication March 31, 2023
DeBacker JR, McMillan G, Martchenke N, Stuehm H, Hungerford M, Konrad-Martin D. Ototoxicity prognostic models in adult and pediatric cancer patients: a rapid review. J Cancer Surviv. 2023;17(1):82-100. doi:10.1007/s11764-022-01315-8
Konrad-Martin D, Polaski R, Lacey C, Theodoroff SM, Garinis AC, Hungerford M, Johansson K, Mannino R, Milnes T, DeBacker JR, Clark K. Audiologists’ perceived value of ototoxicity management and barriers to implementation for at-risk cancer patients in VA: the OtoMIC survey. J Cancer Surviv. 2023;17(1):69-81. doi:10.1007/s11764-022-01316-7
Bramhall NF, Kampel SD, Reavis KM, Konrad-Martin D. Contralateral inhibition of distortion product otoacoustic emissions in young noise-exposed Veterans. J Acoust Soc Am. 2022;152(6):3562. doi:10.1121/10.0016590
Theodoroff SM, Gallun FJ, McMillan GP, Molis M, Srinivasan N, Gordon J, McDermott D, Konrad-Martin D. Impacts of Diabetes, Aging, and Hearing Loss on Speech-on-Speech Masking and Spatial Release in a Large Veteran Cohort. Am J Audiol. 2021;30(4):1023-1036. doi:10.1044/2021_AJA-21-00022
Smyth BJ, Polaski RS, Safer A, Boettcher FA, Konrad-Martin D, Gratton MA. Point-of-Care Glucose and Lipid Profile Measures Using a Human Point-of-Care Device in Mouse Models of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Aging, and Alzheimer Disease. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2021;60(6):609-615. doi:10.30802/AALAS-JAALAS-21-000011
Morata TC, Hungerford M, Konrad-Martin D. Potential Risks to Hearing Functions of Service Members From Exposure to Jet Fuels. Am J Audiol. 2021;30(3S):922-927. doi:10.1044/2021_AJA-20-00226
Konrad-Martin D, O’Connell Bennett K, Garinis A, McMillan GP. A Randomized Controlled Trial Using Automated Technology for Improving Ototoxicity Monitoring in VA Oncology Patients. Am J Audiol. 2021;30(3S):870-886. doi:10.1044/2021_AJA-21-00032
Garinis AC, Poling G, Rubenstein R, Konrad-Martin D, Hullar T, Baguley D. et al. Clinical Considerations for Routine Auditory and Vestibular Monitoring in Patients With Cystic Fibrosis. Am J Audiol. 2021;30(3S):800-809. doi:10.1044/2021_AJA-21-00031
Garinis A, Konrad-Martin D, Bramhall N. Ototoxicity and Noise Damage: From Preclinical Findings to Audiological Management. Am J Audiol. 2021;30(3S):797-799. doi:10.1044/2021_AJA-21-00153
Recent Presentations
Milnes T, Thomlinson A, Konrad-Martin D. VHA Innovators Network Spark Award: Ototoxicity Management ANNIE Protocol. Poster presentation at the Cancer Pre-habilitation Bootcamp, March 29th, 2023.
Konrad-Martin D. Inno-VA-tions in ototoxicity management for patients with cancer. Presentation at the NCRAR Seminars Series, February, 9, 2023.
Konrad-Martin D. and Berndtson D. Hear today and tomorrow: Unmet needs and opportunities for improving hearing health in cancer survivors. Virtual presentation at the National Cancer Institute Directors’ Webinar Series, January 24, 2023.
Konrad-Martin D. Evidence and Advocacy for Contextually Relevant Ototoxicity Management. Presentation at the Symposium Celebrating the Career of Dr. Carmen Brewer, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), Bethesda, Maryland, September 30, 2022.
Konrad-Martin D. International Ototoxicity Management Working Group (IOMG). Virtual presentation for the British Association of Auditory and Vestibular Physicians, Mid-year Symposium, September 23, 2022.
Milnes T, Konrad Martin D. A Proactive Model for Ototoxicity Management: Implementation Resources for Your VA Clinic, the Oncologist Perspective. Virtual presentation for The Veterans Health Administration Cancer Rehabilitation Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (VA-ECHO), July 26, 2022.
Konrad-Martin D. Ototoxicity Management for All: An introduction and update from the International Ototoxicity Management Group (IOMG). Virtual presentation to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Hearing Loss Prevention Cross Sector Council Meeting. July 25, 2022.
Debacker J R, Konrad-Martin D, Garinis AC, Brewer CC, Morata TC, Clark K, Petersen L, Steyger PS, Poling GL. International Ototoxicity Management Group (IOMG): An interdisciplinary effort to address ototoxicity from medical, occupational and environmental exposures worldwide. Poster presented at the Bellucci Symposium, Translational Hearing Center (THC), Creighton University School of Medicine, May 20, 2022.
Poling GL, Hoetnik A, Fernandez K, Konrad-Martin D, Brewer C. Developing a roadmap to comprehensive ototoxicity management for cancer treatment. Poster presented at the Bellucci Symposium, Translational Hearing Center (THC), Creighton University School of Medicine, May 20, 2022.
Milnes T, Konrad Martin D. A Proactive Model for Ototoxicity Management: Implementation Resources for Your VA Clinic. Presentation at the Mid-south Conference on Communication Disorders. February 24, 2022.
Other Items of Interest
Dr. Konrad-Martin received an RR&D Research Career Development Award in 2003, an RR&D Advanced Research Career Development Award and NIH RO3 funding in 2006, and a Career Development Transition Award as well as VA RR&D Merit Review funding in 2010. She has significant expertise in both basic and applied research using physiological measurements to measure normal and impaired peripheral auditory function. Recent work combines such measurements with psychophysical and speech perception tests to examine peripheral as well as central stages of auditory processing among Veterans who are older and/or have diabetes. Other work investigates the use of otoacoustic emissions as an early indicator of ototoxic hearing loss. Prior to joining the NCRAR in 2003, Dr. Konrad-Martin completed a PhD in Audiology at the University of Washington in Seattle, a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Hearing Science at Boys Town National Research Hospital in Omaha, NE, and worked as an Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Communication Disorders and Sciences at Rush University in Chicago, IL.
