Professor Stephen O’Leary
Stephen O’Leary holds the William Gibson Chair of Otolaryngology at the University of Melbourne, and is a Senior Otolaryngologist at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital.
He obtained his PhD in 1994 under Prof Graeme Clark and has undertaken post-doctoral research at Oxford under David Moore and the University of Utrecht under Jan Veldman.
Prof O’Leary’s clinical and research interests are in cochlear implantation, drug delivery to the ear and otology.
His group specializes in clinical translation of experimental research and CI-related clinical research.
Prof O’Leary’s special interest has been in the preservation of inner ear function during surgery on the cochlea.
His team have performed pioneering work on the role of steroids in protecting the inner ear during cochlear implant surgery and were the first to record intracochlear electrocochleography real-time during surgery from a commercial cochlear implant.
In the laboratory, Professor O’Leary is internationally recognised for his work on hearing protection during cochlear implant surgery, especially through pharmacological treatments.