Bellucci Center brings hearing experts to Omaha, announces doctoral scholars
The Dr. Richard J. Bellucci Translational Hearing Center at Creighton University will host its annual Bellucci Symposium on Hearing Research on Friday, May 22, bringing to Omaha internationally recognized experts in hearing science, neuroscience and regenerative medicine.
The symposium is free and open to the public. This year’s focus will be auditory and vestibular restoration and rehabilitation, with an emphasis on the use of artificial intelligence in research.
Register to attend in person or online.
Researchers from Johns Hopkins University, University of Chicago and University of California San Diego will speak at the symposium, along with Creighton faculty members Andrew Wagner, DPT, PhD, from the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, and Marisa Zallocchi, PhD, from the School of Medicine.
“This international symposium attracts leading scientists, scholars and students from around the world,” said Peter Steyger, PhD, director of the Bellucci Translational Hearing Center. “We are eager to welcome them to Creighton University to learn from each other and explore collaborations to improve hearing research and patient care.”
Founded in 2019 and renamed in honor of pioneering otologic surgeon Richard J. Bellucci, MD’42, the hearing center focuses on translational research – moving discoveries from the laboratory into real-world treatments. The center collaborates with Boys Town National Research Hospital and the University of Nebraska Medical Center to develop therapies that preserve and restore hearing and vestibular function.
The center recently announced the recipients of the 2026 Bellucci Doctoral Scholarship, endowed by the Bellucci DePaoli Family Foundation. They are Alyssa Price and Etienne Labastie.
Price is a researcher in the central auditory lab of Kelsey Anbuhl, PhD, assistant professor, School of Medicine, focused on the neural circuits that support auditory perceptual and cognitive skills.
Having searched for opportunities as a lab technician in 2025, Price says the encouragement and guidance from Anbuhl and other Creighton faculty mentors were instrumental to her earning the doctoral scholarship, which has allowed her to purchase lab equipment and attend conferences. Price will help host ConSciCom, a scientific communications conference and workshop coming to Creighton’s campus in June.
“Aside from the material and financial impact, the scholarship has provided me with an even greater sense of belonging in our amazing center, and that is something that’s completely invaluable to me,” Price says. Labastie is a researcher in the lab of Hui Hong, PhD, assistant professor, School of Medicine, focused on tinnitus and hyperacusis, debilitating hearing-related disorders rooted in the brain rather than the ear.
Navigating an interdisciplinary path to hearing science through music and neuroscience, Labastie says Hong’s research on sound perception aligned with his interest in how noise exposure—from activities such as marching band—changes how the brain processes auditory information.
“I am incredibly grateful for Dr. Hong’s mentorship and guidance, which have already had a major impact on my growth as a researcher and on my ability to study how conditions such as tinnitus affect how we perceive sound,” Labastie says. “Receiving the 2026 Bellucci Doctoral Scholarship will support my continued development as a scientist by helping me advance my research, expand my professional network and strengthen my scientific presentation skills."
Since its founding, the Bellucci DePaoli Family Foundation has helped fuel the growth of the center and symposium and helped to secure millions in research funding, including a $10.8 million NIH-affiliated Centers for Biomedical Research Excellence award — the largest federal grant in Creighton history.
