THE GRAHAM FRASER MEMORIAL FELLOWSHIPS

 

A Memorial Fellowship was established in 1997 by the Graham Fraser Foundation to promote research to further the understanding, management and alleviation of profound deafness.

 

A link was established with Professor W P R Gibson, Professor of Otolaryngology in the University of Sydney . For 12 years from 1997-2008 the Trustees of the Foundation awarded annually a travelling Fellowship in Otology of six months duration enabling the holder to research with Professor Gibson the field of profound deafness and to gain experience in operative techniques in otology and cochlear implantation.

 

The Fellowship was suspended for five years from 2009-2013 due to lack of resources but generous sponsorship provided by MED-EL UK Ltd (www.medel.com/uk) enabled it to be re-established in 2014 with Professor Gibson (part time) and his successor, Professor Catherine Birman. Since Professor Gibson’s retirement, Professor Birman has assumed sole responsibility for the Fellowship. Fellows’ reports can be viewed by clicking on the links below.

 

The Fellowships are advertised annually in the September/October issue of ENT & audiology news and publicised by ENT UK (www.entuk.org). ENT Specialty Registrars on recognised UK or Republic of Ireland training programmes are eligible to apply. The interviews are held jointly with the TWJ Foundation (www.twjfoundation.org) as the Trustees of the GF and TWJ Foundations are working in partnership to co-ordinate their efforts in offering their respective otology fellowships. Candidates are encouraged to apply for both Foundations’ Fellowships without prejudice.

 

 

2026 GRAHAM FRASER MEMORIAL FELLOWSHIP

 

The Trustees of the Graham Fraser Foundation invite applications from ENT Specialty Registrars on recognised UK or Republic of Ireland training programmes for a Fellowship in Otology and Cochlear Implants part-funded by MED-EL UK Ltd. Applicants must have passed the Intercollegiate FRCS by the time the Fellowship commences but may be pre- or post-CCT.

 

The Fellowship is tenable for six months commencing in January 2026 with the option of an extension for a further six months. The successful applicant will work with Professor Catherine Birman in the University of Sydney, Australia and A/Profs/Drs of Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (Ari Ananda, Catherine Birman, Raewyn Campbell, Michael Eliott, Jonathan Kong, Hubert Low, Carsten Palme, David Pohl, Alex Saxby), Children’s Hospital at Westmead (Catherine Birman, Alan Cheng, Michael Chin, Megan Hobson, Jen Lee, Hannah North, Sebastian Ranguis, Piera Taylor, Joanna Walton) and NextSense Cochlear Implant Program. With twenty surgeons and their teams this is Australia’s largest cochlear implant program.

 

This Fellowship offers the opportunity to be involved in specialist otology units with advanced otology and excellent experience in cochlear implants and other hearing implants. In addition to developing operative techniques in cochlear implants, otology and hearing implantation, the Fellowship offers opportunities for participating in otological research, a specialised balance clinic, endoscopic ear surgery, paediatric otolaryngology and skull-base surgery across the two public hospitals.

 

Applicants should submit by email a 300-word abstract indicating their interest in the subject together with curriculum vitae, logbook and the names of two referees to:

 

The Graham Fraser Foundation
c/o Mr Philip Robinson

 

Email: [email protected]

 

Telephone: 0117 9804050

 

Website: www.grahamfraserfoundation.org.uk

 

Closing date for applications: Monday 20th January 2025
Interview date and place: Monday 24th March 2025
at the Royal College of Surgeons of England

 

 

 

FELLOWSHIPS

1997     Timothy E Mitchell FRCS

1998     Brendan J Conlon FRCS

1999     Simon P Hargreaves FRCS

2000     Nicholas J Mansell FRCS

2000     Neeraj N Mathur MBBS MS DNB (at RNTNE Hospital, London)

2001     Peter W M Valentine FRCS

2002     Peter A Rea FRCS (report)

2003     Jaydip Ray FRCS (report)

2004     David K Selvadurai FRCS (report)

2005     Henry Pau FRCS (report) (interview with Professor Gibson)

2006     Susan Douglas FRCS (report)

2007     Simon Freeman FRCS (report)

2008     Neil Donnelly FRCS MSc (report)

2014     Harry R F Powell FRCS (ORL-HNS) (report) (photographs)

2015     Charles T Huins FRCS (ORL-HNS) (report)

2016     Bruno M R Kenway FRCS (ORL-HNS) (report)

2017     Nadia Ashraf FRCS (ORL-HNS) (report)

2018     Andrew C Hall FRCS (ORL-HNS) (report)

2019     Fearghal Toner FRCS (ORL-HNS) (report)

2020     Nishchay Mehta FRCS (ORL-HNS) (report)

2021     Linnea Cheung FRCS (ORL-HNS) (report)

2022     Kimberley Lau FRCS (ORL-HNS) (report)

2023     Fenella Shelton FRCS (ORL-HNS) (report)

2024     Rhodri Jones FRCS (ORL-HNS)

 

 

Fellows’ Reunion with Professor and Alex Gibson and the Trustees (seated)

February 2003

 

Another Fellows’ Reunion with Professor and Alex Gibson

September 2012

 

Bill Gibson with John Graham, Patricia Fraser and Jonathan Hazell celebrating the
publication of his biography by Tina Allen at the third Fellows’ Reunion Dinner

June 2017

(more photos)

 

Professor Catherine Birman with Patricia Fraser and John Graham

July 2015

 

Professor Catherine Birman with Fellows at the BCIG Annual Conference in Cardiff

April 2022

(more photos)

 

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

Acker T, Mathur NN, Savy L, Graham JM (2001) Is there a functioning vestibulocochlear nerve? Cochlear implantation in a child with contradictory radiological auditory findings. International Journal of Paediatric Otorhinolaryngology 57: 171-176.

 

Birman CS, Powell HR, Gibson WP, Elliott EJ (2016) Cochlear implant outcomes in cochlear nerve aplasia and hypoplasia. Otology & Neurotology 37(5): 438-45.

 

Cheung L, Kong J, Chu P, Sanli H, Walton J, Birman C (2022) Misplaced cochlear implant electrodes outside the cochlea: A literature review and presentation of radiological and electrophysiological findings. Otology & Neurotology 43(5); 567-579.

 

Cheung L, Fowler A, Hassarati R, Birman C (2023) Distance and socioeconomic status as barriers to cochlear implantation. Otology & Neurotology 44(2): 134-140.

 

Conlon BJ, Gibson WPR (1999) Meniere’s disease: the incidence of hydrops in the contralateral asymptomatic ear. Laryngoscope 109: 1800-1802.

 

Conlon BJ, Gibson WPR (2000) Electrocochleography in the diagnosis of Meniere’s disease. Acta Otolaryngologica 120(4): 480-483.

 

Donnelly Neil, Gibson William (2009) Objective audiology in Ballantyne’s Deafness 7th edition (ed. John Graham and David Baguley) 7: 63-73, Wiley Blackwell.

 

Douglas SA, Sanli H, WPR Gibson (2008) Meningitis resulting in hearing loss and labyrinthitis ossificans – does the causative organism matter? Cochlear Implants International 9(2): 90-96.

 

Freeman SR, Iseli C, Kerr M, Kong J, Gibson WPR (2008) Phenol application for tympanic membrane anaesthesia. Clinical Otolaryngology 33: 166-167.

 

Freeman SRM, Sanli H, Gibson WPR (2009) Intraoperative electrocochleography for monitoring during stapes surgery. Journal of International Advanced Otology 5(2): 229-239.

 

Freeman SR, Bray M, Amos C, Gibson WPR (2009) The association of codeine, macrocytosis and bilateral, sudden or rapidly progressive sensorineural hearing loss. Acta Otolaryngologica 129(10): 1061-1066.

 

Hall AC, Kenway B, Sanli H, Birman CS (2019) Cochlear implant outcomes in large vestibular aqueduct syndrome – Should we provide cochlear implants earlier? Otology & Neurotology 40(8): e769-e773.

 

McNeill C, Freeman SR, McMahon C (2009) Short-term hearing fluctuation in Meniere’s disease. International Journal of Audiology 48(8): 594-600.

 

Mehta N, Chu P, Birman C (2022) To use the back-up cochlear implant or not? Using intraoperative impedance to guide your decisions. Otology & Neurotology 43(4): e408-e413.

 

Mitchell TE, Gibson WPR (1999) Positioning of the receiver stimulator for the C1-24M cochlear implant in infants. Journal of Laryngology and Otology 113: 212-216.

 

Mitchell TE, Psarros C, Pegg P, Rennie M, Gibson WPR (2000) Performance after cochlear implantation: a comparison of children deafened by meningitis and congenitally deaf children. Journal of Laryngology and Otology 114: 33-37.

 

O’Leary SJ, Mitchell TE, Gibson WPR, Sanli H (2000) Abnormal positive potentials in round window electrocochleography. American Journal of Otology 21: 813-818.

 

Pau H, Parker A, Sanli H, Gibson WPR (2005) Displacement of electrodes of a cochlear implant into the vestibular system: intraoperative and postoperative electrophysiological analyses. Acta Otolaryngologica 125(10): 1116-1118.

 

Pau H (2005) An interview with Professor William PR Gibson. ENT News 14(5): 68-69.

 

Pau H, Gibson WPR, Sanli H (2006) Trans-tympanic electric auditory brainstem response (TT-EABR): the importance of the positioning of the stimulating electrode. Cochlear Implants International 7(4): 183-187.

 

Pau H, Gibson WPR, Gardner-Berry K, Sanli H (2006) Cochlear implantations in children with Waadenburg Syndrome: an electrophysiological and psychophysical review. Cochlear Implants International 7(4): 202-206 .

 

Powell HR, Rolfe AM, Birman CS (2015) A comparative study of audiologic outcomes for two transcutaneous bone-anchored hearing devices. Otology and Neurotology 36(9): 1525-31.

 

Powell HR, Birman CS (2015) Large vestibular aqueduct syndrome: impedance changes over time with different cochlear implant electrode arrays. Cochlear Implants International 16(6): 326-30.

 

Ray J, Gibson WPR, Sanli H, Haddon A (2004) The role of auditory stimulation in the maturation of the auditory pathway. Acta Otolaryngologica 124(6): 695-699.

 

Ray J, Gibson WPR, Sanli H (2004) Surgical complications of 844 consecutive cochlear implantations and observations on large versus small incisions. Cochlear Implants International 5(3): 87-95.

 

Ray J, Gibson WPR, Sanli H (2004) Auditory neuropathy, hair cell desynchrony and cochlear implantation. Clinical Otology 29(4): 413.

 

Ray J (2005) Cochlear implants – surgical, audiological and electrophysiological issues. PhD Thesis, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

 

Ray J (2005) Cochleair Implantatie – Chirurgische, Audiologische en Electrophysiologische resultaten. Ned.Tijdschr KNO-HEELK 11(1): 37.

 

Rea P, Gibson WPR (2003) Evidence for surviving outer hair cell function in congenitally deaf ears. Laryngoscope 113(11): 2030-2034.

 

Ryan P, Huins CT, O’Brien KJ, Misra S, Birman CS (2023) Cochlear nerve dysplasia in unilateral severe to profound congenital sensorineural hearing loss – Prevalence in Australian children and the impact of socioeconomic disadvantage on its management. International Journal of Paediatric Otorhinolaryngology 165: 111445.

 

Toner FM, Sanli h, Hall AC, Birman CS (2020) Intraoperative cochlear implant reinsertion effects evaluated by electrode impedance. Otology & Neurotology 41(6): e695-e699.