Kristen Janky, Au.D., Ph.D., CCC-A, is one of three recipients of the 2025 Young Investigator Award from the Vestibular Disorders Association (VeDA).
Dr. Janky is the director of the Vestibular and Balance Lab at Boys Town National Research Hospital. She called the award unexpected and validating.
“You do the work that is meaningful to you and to make a difference in people’s lives, so it is intrinsically rewarding,” she said. “An award like this is icing on the cake because it’s nice to be recognized.”
VeDA’s annual Champion of Vestibular Medicine initiative, including the Young Investigator Award, recognizes medical professionals making a significant impact on the field of vestibular medicine.
“Thanks to their leadership we have seen advancements in research leading to improvements in clinical care for patients with unexplained dizziness and vertigo,” said Habib Rizk, M.D., VeDA Board President.
Dr. Janky’s work focuses on vestibular loss prevalence in children with cochlear implants, the relationship between vestibular loss and functional outcomes (i.e., reading, cognition, balance, quality of life, etc.), safe and effective vestibular testing, and whether hearing loss severity and motor function outcomes can predict the presence of vestibular loss.
Boys Town is one of few research centers in the U.S. studying dizziness and balance specifically in children with hearing loss.
“We are thrilled that Dr. Janky’s work is bringing new understanding to this challenging issue,” said Ryan McCreery, Ph.D., Vice President of Research at Boys Town Hospital. “We look forward to seeing her continue to make a significant impact for these families.”
