If I were to speculate, I hope to see a future where there is a convergence of biological science and engineering in hearing health. I hope that combination therapies between regenerative approaches and hearing aid treatment can help to mitigate the weaknesses of either alone.
I hope to see true personalized medicine develop for hearing. i.e. through genetic testing. Understanding monogenetic losses is of course hugely valuable, but understanding the myriad of genes that support or contribute to earlier onset or faster onset presbycusis could impact a huge number of people. I believe this could pave the way for personalized medicine based on genetic biomarkers.
I also hope we will tease apart the thorny questions around causation in the correlative links we have so far seen with cognitive decline and untreated hearing health. This could lead to better recommendations, treatment and prognosis of hearing impairment and its negative psycho-social impacts.