323 - How Hearing Aid Innovation Happens: Jason Galster on Turning Research Into Real-World Technology

Where do the best ideas in hearing aid innovation come from, and how do they reach patients? In this conversation, Dr. Jason Galster, Vice President of Clinical Research at Sonova, explains how hearing aid research moves from early feasibility to clinical readiness and post-market studies. He discusses how research ideas originate—from clinicians, academic partners, and internal technology roadmaps—and how Sonova evaluates which projects to pursue. Dr. Galster also highlights the role of Sonova’s global Audiology Research Centers, cross-cultural data collection, and emerging tools such as ecological momentary assessment that allow for real-world outcome tracking at scale.The discussion provides insight into how new technologies are evaluated, how research findings are translated for clinicians, and how innovations ultimately reach patients worldwide.Be sure to subscribe to our channel for the latest episodes each week and follow This Week in Hearing on LinkedIn, Instagram and X.- https://x.com/WeekinHearing- https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinhearing/- https://www.linkedin.com/company/this-week-in-hearingVisit us at: https://hearinghealthmatters.org/thisweek/