Department of Head and Skin

Rehabilitation in hearing and speech disorders in civilian and military settings

Background and research focus

Background

The Research group was founded after the publication of joint scientific report on Acute Otorhinolaryngology by the Royal Belgian Society of Oto-rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Belgian Society of the Emergency and Disaster Medicine together with the Belgian Defense. This report was published in the B-ENT journal in 2016. The activities were extended to occupational noise exposure in civilian setting.

Research focus

Oriented towards functional, social and professional rehabilitation in hearing and speech disorders, the research axes are dedicated to: 

  • Hearing monitoring in the military, 

  • Prevention of noise-induced ear damages in civilian and military settings, 

  • Airway management in operational military medicine, 

  • Other civilian or military well-being and prevention domains, such as noise influence on sleep, head/neck traumas, ...

Members

Professors and Guest Professors

Jean-Baptiste Watelet (contact person)

National and international collaborations

National

  • Belgian Defense 

  • Belgian Royal National Association of Military Medical Reserve (KNVMMR-ARNRMM)  

  • UZ Gent Department of Acute Medicine 

  • UZ Gent Department of Internal Medicine 

International

  • NATO Confederation of Medical Reserve Officers (CIOMR)