We are delighted to inform you that Jessica West, PhD, MPH, was recently promoted to Assistant Professor in the Duke Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences, effective July 1, 2025.
Dr. West is a medical sociologist who specializes in research on hearing loss, aging, and health disparities over the life course. Her work has described the “spillover” effects of hearing loss on health outcomes for both individuals and those close to them, as well as sociodemographic disparities in the onset of and life expectancy with hearing loss. Her research, which leverages both population-level data and electronic health record data, has appeared in the Journals of Gerontology, Social Science & Medicine, Ear and Hearing, and other leading journals in medical sociology, hearing, and aging research.
Congratulations on this well-deserved promotion!