Caroline Yuk has dreams of becoming a clinician-scientist – she is currently studying neuroscience at Oxford University, graduated from the University of Alabama with a perfect grade point average and was awarded the single top-ranking scholar at University of Alabama.

Caroline is also profoundly deaf – and the first deaf Marshall Scholar a scholarship scheme offering gifted American students the opportunity to study in the UK.
The 23- year-old from Crystal Lake, IL in America and her older brother were both born profoundly deaf. Her parents were told her brother Patrick would never achieve the reading level expected for a 10-year-old. Patrick is now 33 years old and a successful college graduate.
The Yuk family’s own research led them to Dr. Ellen Rhoades, pioneer of Auditory Verbal therapy.
Caroline explained: “She told my parents that a deaf child can do anything that a hearing child can do, and as a result, we were fearless. My mom worked hard to take us to speech and audiologist appointments, and we attended schooling alongside our four hearing siblings.”
As part of her studies, Caroline has been working with AVUK on a project led by Dr. Sarah Hogan which investigates sensory outcomes in children with cochlear implants – and also took to the streets of London for the London Landmarks Half Marathon raising more than £1,500 to support more deaf children to achieve their dreams.
Caroline added: “My unique journey with profound hearing loss is just one out of thousands. Cochlear implant technology will usher in a huge generation of deaf children who can use spoken language as a form of communication – it is up to us to ensure they have the resources, such as Auditory Verbal therapy, to do so.”
After the Marshall Scholarship, Caroline plans to lead her own lab as a paediatric neuro-otologist.