Audacity Dec14_Layout 1 01/12/2014 14:36 Page 22
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David Kemp receives 2014 Chairman’s Award He moved to the National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital in 1971, working initially on psychoacoustic tests of auditory ability in children. 1977 was a key turning point with his discovery of otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) from within the human auditory system, and the subsequent publication appeared in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America the following year. In 1980, he formed a research team at UCL to investigate OAEs and to develop their practical application. David Kemp is first and foremost a scientist. He rose through the ranks of Senior Lecturer, Reader and then, in 1989, to Professor of Auditory Biophysics. In 2004, he was a co-founder of the UCL Centre for Auditory Research, now the UCL Ear Institute. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of London in 2004 and his contribution has been recognised in a number of ways including ‘Order of Merit’ from ARO as well as the BSA TS Littler Prize. The recipient of the BSA Chairman’s Award for 2014 is David Kemp, Emeritus Professor of Auditory Biophysics at the UCL Ear Institute. The award is made at the personal discretion of the BSA Chairman and is an opportunity for the Chairman to recognise a unique and substantial contribution to audiology and hearing science. David Thomas Kemp was born in Liverpool in 1945, son of Thomas Kemp, an evangelist and song writer. He obtained his BSc in Physics and PhD in Radio Physics from Kings College, University of London. His first peer-reviewed publications were on geophysics and his first research post was with the Central Electricity Generating Board.
He founded Otodynamics Ltd in 1988, which still designs, develops and supplies OAE screening instruments internationally. On two occasions, he has received the UK National ‘Queens’ Award for innovation and industrial success’. The BSA Chairman’s award was made in recognition of David Kemp’s outstanding contribution to hearing science and audiology; in particular, his studies on the existence, characterisation and clinical application of otoacoustic emissions. Kevin J Munro, Sept 2014
In recognition of receiving the Chairman’s award, we have asked David Kemp to share his thoughts. In his interesting and enjoyable article we learn about the journey OAEs have taken in research and clinical practice since their discovery, his opinions on how they have challenged and contributed to our understanding of the cochlea and their role in our audiology of the future. Congratulations David from the Audacity editorial team on your award – and for the use of the word ‘audacity’ in your article!
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