The NFSA congratulates Laureate Emeritus Professor Graeme Clark AC on his receipt of the Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award.
Professor Clark is the central figure in the research and development of the bionic ear – a multiple-channel cochlear implant. His journey to develop an electronic solution to assist the hearing impaired through the study of auditory brain function has taken a lifetime of commitment, with a large amount of the video documentation preserved through the NFSA.
Professor Clark initially found it difficult to get support for his idea and so turned to the media of the 20th and 21st Century – film and television – for help. Documentaries and telethons were produced, and interviews conducted to assist the advancement of this cause.
