* Information concerning affiliation/post/profile of the laureate is current at the time he/she received the prize.
Born
January 17, 1953, Vienna, Austria
Education
1971-1976：Studies in Electrical Engineering, Technical University of Karlsruhe (first year) and Technical University of Vienna
1976：Dipl.-Ing. in Electrical Engineering (with distinction), Technical University of Vienna
1979：Dr.techn. (with distinction), Technical University of Vienna
1998：Habilitation (Univ.-Doz.) in Biomedical Engineering at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Technical University of Vienna
Employment History
1975：Research Assistant, Institut f. Allgemeine Elektrotechnik und Elektronik, Technical University of Vienna, start of research on the multichannel Cochlear Implant
1976-1986：Assistant Professor, Institut f. Allgemeine Elektrotechnik und Elektronik, Technical University of Vienna
1977：On Dec.16 1977 the research and development activities together with Erwin Hochmair result in the globally first implantation of a microelectronic multichannel Cochlear Implant in Vienna by surgeon Prof. Dr. Kurt Burian
1979：Visiting Associate Professor at the Inst. for Electronics in Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
1981-1989：Consultant on neuroprostheses, 3M company, St. Paul, MN, USA
1986-1989：Assistant Professor, Institut für Angewandte Physik (Applied Physics), University of Innsbruck lecturing on Biomedical Engineering
Since 1990：The Company MED-EL, founded by Ingeborg and Erwin Hochmair in the 1980ies, employs their first employees in 1990. Since then Ingeborg Hochmair has been the CEO and CTO (Chief Technology Officer) with an in-house R&D team that grew from 1 to currently 510 scientists and engineers actively advancing the field of hearing implants and other neuroprostheses. The total number of employees is now 3.000 globally in 39 locations. Several hundred thousand people of all ages have received MED-EL’s implants at clinics in 140 countries. Internal R&D as well as 200 research co-operations with universities and reknowned research institutions in many countries further develop the field of active hearing implants. Translational research from basic scientific enquiry to clinical research is Ingeborg Hochmair’s and her team’s core activity. It has resulted in solutions for new patient groups representing a multiplication of numbers of candidates who profit from electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve compared to the original CI-indication. The translational research has resulted in an optimum combination of minimally traumatic long electrodes (covering the complete length of the cochlea) and sound signal coding strategy that opened up 3 new indications, now widely used in clinical routine practice: 1) to benefit from a CI in the presence of considerable residual hearing with worthwhile hearing- and structure-preservation of the inner ear (EAS – combined electric and acoustic stimulation), 2) to benefit from bilateral cochlear implantation, 3) to benefit from cochlear implantation in case of single-sided deafness. All of these improve the quality of life for recipients of all ages considerably and are now reimbursed in many health systems. Near normal hearing abilities can be restored via electrical or combined acoustical and electrical stimulation in the bilaterally deaf, the bilaterally moderately to profoundly deaf and the single-sided deaf adults and children. Human feasibility studies of a Dexamethasone eluting CI and a totally implantable CI have been performed and published, approval – relevant multicenter studies are currently ongoing.
Since 2002：Expansion and translational research into other areas of active hearing implants based on vibratory stimulation as well as other neuroprostheses, recently into robot-assisted surgery and delivery of pharmacological substances into the inner ear.
Prizes and Honors (Selection)
1977：Best Paper Award, European Solid State Circuits Conference, Ulm, Germany
1983：Premio Leonardo da Vinci, Rotary Club
2004：Honorary Doctorate for Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Germany
2010：Honorary Doctorate for Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria
2013：Honorary Senatorship, University of Innsbruck, Austria Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award, New York, USA
2014：Ludwig Wittgenstein Award, Austrian Research Foundation
2015：Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ Prize, US National Academy of Engineering Ring of Honour, the Federal State of Tyrol, Austria Johann Joseph Ritter von Prechtl Medal, Technical University of Vienna, Austria
2016：Technology Award, Eduard Rhein Foundation, Munich, Germany
2017：Ring of Honour, Freundeskreis Garbsen, Germany
2018：Honorary Doctorate University of Bern Shambaugh Prize by Corlas
2020：Honorary Doctorate of Medicine, University of Uppsala Sweden
2021：Honorary Doctorate of Natural Sciences, University Innsbruck Austria
2022：Honorary Doctorate of Medicine, University of Liege Belgium Honorary Member of the Austrian Society for Biomedical Engineering Grand Decoration of Honor for Services to the Republic of Austria
2023：IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal
2025：Horst-Scheunemann-Medaille of the Society for Skull Base Surgery Hannes Androsch Price of the ÖAW (Austrian Academy of Science)
2026：Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Honorary Doctorate of Engineering, University of Michigan, USA
Current & Past Memberships
AAMI (American Association for Medical Instrumentation), ASA (Acoustical Society of America), IEEE Senior member, ISAO (International Society of Artificial Organs), New York Academy of Sciences, Honorary member of the DGA (German Audiological Society), Honorary member of the Austrian ENT Society, Collegium Oto-Rhino-Laryngologicum Amititiae Sacrum, Honorary Member of The Austrian Academy of Sciences, Corlas Member, Member of the Belgian Academy of Science
Other Current & Past Functions
Advisory Board Member, Austrian Council for Research and Technology Development, Board Member, DGA (German Audiological Society), Board Member, AplusB-Center, Member of the Trustees Board, Internationale Hörstiftung (an international foundation for people with hearing loss), Board member, Lebensraum Tirol
Publications & Patents
More than 100 scientific publications in the field of Cochlear Implants, Medical Devices, Neuroprotheses, Audio & Speech Processing Technology; numerous lectures at scientific conferences; inventor or co-inventor of more than 50 patents.
January 17, 1953, Vienna, Austria
Education
1971-1976：Studies in Electrical Engineering, Technical University of Karlsruhe (first year) and Technical University of Vienna
1976：Dipl.-Ing. in Electrical Engineering (with distinction), Technical University of Vienna
1979：Dr.techn. (with distinction), Technical University of Vienna
1998：Habilitation (Univ.-Doz.) in Biomedical Engineering at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Technical University of Vienna
Employment History
1975：Research Assistant, Institut f. Allgemeine Elektrotechnik und Elektronik, Technical University of Vienna, start of research on the multichannel Cochlear Implant
1976-1986：Assistant Professor, Institut f. Allgemeine Elektrotechnik und Elektronik, Technical University of Vienna
1977：On Dec.16 1977 the research and development activities together with Erwin Hochmair result in the globally first implantation of a microelectronic multichannel Cochlear Implant in Vienna by surgeon Prof. Dr. Kurt Burian
1979：Visiting Associate Professor at the Inst. for Electronics in Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
1981-1989：Consultant on neuroprostheses, 3M company, St. Paul, MN, USA
1986-1989：Assistant Professor, Institut für Angewandte Physik (Applied Physics), University of Innsbruck lecturing on Biomedical Engineering
Since 1990：The Company MED-EL, founded by Ingeborg and Erwin Hochmair in the 1980ies, employs their first employees in 1990. Since then Ingeborg Hochmair has been the CEO and CTO (Chief Technology Officer) with an in-house R&D team that grew from 1 to currently 510 scientists and engineers actively advancing the field of hearing implants and other neuroprostheses. The total number of employees is now 3.000 globally in 39 locations. Several hundred thousand people of all ages have received MED-EL’s implants at clinics in 140 countries. Internal R&D as well as 200 research co-operations with universities and reknowned research institutions in many countries further develop the field of active hearing implants. Translational research from basic scientific enquiry to clinical research is Ingeborg Hochmair’s and her team’s core activity. It has resulted in solutions for new patient groups representing a multiplication of numbers of candidates who profit from electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve compared to the original CI-indication. The translational research has resulted in an optimum combination of minimally traumatic long electrodes (covering the complete length of the cochlea) and sound signal coding strategy that opened up 3 new indications, now widely used in clinical routine practice: 1) to benefit from a CI in the presence of considerable residual hearing with worthwhile hearing- and structure-preservation of the inner ear (EAS – combined electric and acoustic stimulation), 2) to benefit from bilateral cochlear implantation, 3) to benefit from cochlear implantation in case of single-sided deafness. All of these improve the quality of life for recipients of all ages considerably and are now reimbursed in many health systems. Near normal hearing abilities can be restored via electrical or combined acoustical and electrical stimulation in the bilaterally deaf, the bilaterally moderately to profoundly deaf and the single-sided deaf adults and children. Human feasibility studies of a Dexamethasone eluting CI and a totally implantable CI have been performed and published, approval – relevant multicenter studies are currently ongoing.
Since 2002：Expansion and translational research into other areas of active hearing implants based on vibratory stimulation as well as other neuroprostheses, recently into robot-assisted surgery and delivery of pharmacological substances into the inner ear.
Prizes and Honors (Selection)
1977：Best Paper Award, European Solid State Circuits Conference, Ulm, Germany
1983：Premio Leonardo da Vinci, Rotary Club
2004：Honorary Doctorate for Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Germany
2010：Honorary Doctorate for Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria
2013：Honorary Senatorship, University of Innsbruck, Austria Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award, New York, USA
2014：Ludwig Wittgenstein Award, Austrian Research Foundation
2015：Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ Prize, US National Academy of Engineering Ring of Honour, the Federal State of Tyrol, Austria Johann Joseph Ritter von Prechtl Medal, Technical University of Vienna, Austria
2016：Technology Award, Eduard Rhein Foundation, Munich, Germany
2017：Ring of Honour, Freundeskreis Garbsen, Germany
2018：Honorary Doctorate University of Bern Shambaugh Prize by Corlas
2020：Honorary Doctorate of Medicine, University of Uppsala Sweden
2021：Honorary Doctorate of Natural Sciences, University Innsbruck Austria
2022：Honorary Doctorate of Medicine, University of Liege Belgium Honorary Member of the Austrian Society for Biomedical Engineering Grand Decoration of Honor for Services to the Republic of Austria
2023：IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal
2025：Horst-Scheunemann-Medaille of the Society for Skull Base Surgery Hannes Androsch Price of the ÖAW (Austrian Academy of Science)
2026：Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Honorary Doctorate of Engineering, University of Michigan, USA
Current & Past Memberships
AAMI (American Association for Medical Instrumentation), ASA (Acoustical Society of America), IEEE Senior member, ISAO (International Society of Artificial Organs), New York Academy of Sciences, Honorary member of the DGA (German Audiological Society), Honorary member of the Austrian ENT Society, Collegium Oto-Rhino-Laryngologicum Amititiae Sacrum, Honorary Member of The Austrian Academy of Sciences, Corlas Member, Member of the Belgian Academy of Science
Other Current & Past Functions
Advisory Board Member, Austrian Council for Research and Technology Development, Board Member, DGA (German Audiological Society), Board Member, AplusB-Center, Member of the Trustees Board, Internationale Hörstiftung (an international foundation for people with hearing loss), Board member, Lebensraum Tirol
Publications & Patents
More than 100 scientific publications in the field of Cochlear Implants, Medical Devices, Neuroprotheses, Audio & Speech Processing Technology; numerous lectures at scientific conferences; inventor or co-inventor of more than 50 patents.
