This fall, the new Pitt/UPMC Communication Van has been all over the city providing hearing care to the community. The van also functions as a community-based mobile laboratory, allowing University of Pittsburgh investigators to study communication and hearing health in real-world settings, beyond traditional clinics.
Bringing research into neighborhoods is important because people who face transportation challenges, limited insurance, reduced mobility or demanding work schedules are rarely represented in lab-based studies. By reaching these individuals where they live, the research team can include participants who have historically been left out of hearing-health science.
“Research typically happens on a university campus, and for many people, coming to a university campus is a really intimidating situation,” said Mandy Hampton Wray, associate professor and vice chair of innovation in the Department of Communication Science and Disorders, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.
“If we have a mobile van where we can go to where people are to do research, that greatly increases the number of people who are able and willing to participate in research activities. We can go to places that feel comfortable, that are local, like a community center.”
She added: “They’re able to participate in research and be part of the research process, which helps them to understand science better, but also helps us to get better data, to have a better understanding of the human experience as scientists.”
Testing “on the road” also captures the everyday environments that shape how people communicate: background noise, social settings, environmental stressors and differences across communities. These real-world variables cannot be fully replicated inside a campus lab and studying them directly leads to findings that are more accurate, more meaningful and more applicable to public health.
The van, which was recently donated to the Eye and Ear Foundation by Brother’s Brother Foundation, is equipped with the same clinical-grade tools used in conventional laboratories, ensuring that mobile data meets research standards. Participants and patients alike can receive immediate feedback, counseling and referrals, creating a model in which communities both contribute to science and benefit from it.
Ultimately, the Communication Van lets researchers go where the need is, not just where the resources already exist. By traveling across neighborhoods, rural communities, senior centers, schools and local events, the van brings care and research directly to people who may never otherwise walk into a clinic or a research lab. In doing so, it reaches populations that are too often overlooked, removes barriers that have persisted for decades and turns access into action.
