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CMO Dr. Kenneth Lee Invited Panelist at International ACIA Conference
- benedictvoit
- May 16
- 3 min read
May 15, 2025 – The American Cochlear Implant Alliance hosted its annual conference in Boston April 30 - May 2, with this year’s theme "Cochlear Implantation: Facilitating Success in Patient Outcomes." The conference highlighted its push towards multidisciplinary collaboration, offering keynote lectures, panel sessions, podium presentations, and posters to address critical topics in hearing health for patients across the lifespan.
CMO Dr. Kenneth Lee, who joined the ACIA’s Board of Directors in 2024, represented Qualia Oto as a featured panelist for the session “ACI Alliance Research, Advocacy and Awareness Initiatives: Moving the Field Forward.” The panel, part of the ACIA membership meeting, addressed maintaining patient access and making an impact in challenging times, as well as supporting national public policy initiatives.
“Being able to serve the ACI Alliance as a member of the Board of Directors has been one of my greatest honors as a cochlear implant surgeon and scientist working to advance the treatment of hearing loss,” said Dr. Lee. “This opportunity has given me the privilege to collaborate with some of the most influential professionals in the field of cochlear implantation and the treatment of hearing loss. I have learned much and am excited to see what we can accomplish moving forward working together as a multidisciplinary team.”
Dr. Andrea Warner-Czyz (PhD) is the ACIA’s Chair of the Board of Directors and an Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Dallas Callier Center for Communication Disorders. She highlighted the success of the conference.
“The American Cochlear Implant Alliance’s conference in Boston collated a strong interdisciplinary program with panels, sessions, and discussions appealing to clinicians, scientists, educators, and advocates from around the world,” Dr. Warner-Czyz noted. “Sessions tackled innovative and practical approaches to candidacy and outcomes, surgery and artificial intelligence. I always appreciate the breadth and depth of topics, presenters, and attendees at this conference, which fosters unique learning and networking opportunities to benefit the field of cochlear implantation, from patients to participants."
Dr. Warner-Czyz is a supporter of Qualia Oto’s development, and she also attended Dr. Lee’s panel discussion: “We appreciate Dr. Lee’s contributions to the Board of Directors over the past year. In addition, he shared creative ways to influence support for cochlear implant users through legislation advocacy.”
Qualia Oto CEO Connie Manz also attended the event: “CI2025 was a great opportunity to re-connect with colleagues from the U.S. and all across the world. The ACI Alliance did a fantastic job of organizing sessions to highlight the key findings, innovations, and current issues in our industry. I look forward to continuing discussions from the conference on improving CI access and outcomes.”
The ACIA’s CI2025 is an international conference designed to bring together audiologists, physicians, speech pathologists, psychologists, scientists, engineers, educators, students, and advocates to explore the latest advancements in cochlear implantation. Qualia Oto thanks the ACIA for the opportunity to share its ongoing development in the field.
About Qualia Oto
Qualia Oto is an innovative biomedical device company focused on improving the individual’s quality of life through better aural technologies. By integrating our proprietary shape-adaptive polymers, we are advancing the next generation of cochlear implants allowing for minimal trauma, a superior positioning of electrodes, and an increased effectiveness and stimulatory resolution for chronic, targeted microstimulation. Qualia Oto’s team of medical and scientific experts aim to reshape – literally and figuratively – cochlear implants and their capacity in overcoming debilitating hearing loss.
For additional information, please contact:
Benedict Voit, Chief Operating Officer
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