Charlotte Amalie Navntoft

I am mainly occupied with monitoring the fast paced and volatile scientific area of regenerative medicine to improve our understanding of its potential to eventually benefit people with hearing loss.

I’ve always been captivated by the brain as the seat of human cognition. While I initially considered a path into the pharmaceutical sector, a chance emerged to pursue a joint PhD from the Technical University of Denmark and the University of Basel, centered on cochlear implants. The idea of evoking sound perception by stimulating the auditory nerve electrically immediately intrigued me and I wanted to know more. This led me into the hearing care field.

During my PhD, I became familiar with Demant and the people working there through the close interactions between the DTU group I was a part of and Eriksholm. My use of Oticon Medical’s equipment also contributed to this familiarity. Following my PhD, I was lucky to get a scientist position at Oticon Medical and later moved to Eriksholm in 2022.

I like the entrepreneurial mindset and get motivated by working together in a multidisciplinary, dynamic research environments where solutions are not given beforehand.

I aim for that the research I am involved in can uncover the ins and outs of developing regenerative therapies for hearing loss. And who knows, down the line, we might even crack the code on the actual medical solution to help people with hearing issues.

Although I enjoy my own company, I prefer to spend my time with other people, including friends and family. It often happens in the great cultural and musical scene that Copenhagen offers, especially electronic music. One way I get my mental and physical needs satisfied is by frequent yoga sessions, where my favourites poses are the ‘flying’ ones.

To me, the most exciting scientific breakthrough in recent times is Neural Interface Technology, also known as brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). Imagine this: we are talking about linking up our brains with gadgets directly. With BCIs, we could change various aspects of human life, from medical recovery, boosting brainpower, and way more. It is a wild frontier of science that continues to capture the imagination of researchers, engineers, and the public alike. Of course, this technology raises many ethical concerns that must be addressed.

Looking ahead, in the realm of hearing, I hope for a fusion of regenerative medicine and hearing aid tech. Imagine a combo treatment for hearing loss, where we use both a special drug and a top-notch hearing device. This aligns perfectly with the concept of Precision Medicine, which involves customizing treatments for individuals based on their genetic makeup and health information to obtain more effective and targeted therapies.

On the big picture side, I hope for some game-changing sustainable technologies. We need to shift the focus towards solutions that are kind to the planted – tackling climate change head-on and cutting down our environmental footprint.