Ian Curthoys

Ian Curthoys is Professor Emeritus of Vestibular Function in the School of Psychology at the University of Sydney. He obtained his PhD from Monash University in 1968 and served as a Fulbright Scholar at UCLA from 1968 to 1971. He then joined the University of Sydney as a lecturer in Psychology, advancing through the ranks to full Professor of Vestibular Function in 1997. Although he retired in 2006, he remains active in research as Emeritus Professor.

Curthoys has conducted vestibular research since 1969, beginning with Charlie Markham at UCLA and continuing since 1977 in collaboration with Michael Halmagyi at the University of Sydney. His research specializations encompass the morphology and physiology of the vestibular system, including semicircular canals and otoliths. A pivotal achievement is the co-development of the head impulse test (HIT) in 1988 with Halmagyi, a bedside clinical assessment of semicircular canal paresis that has been refined into the video Head Impulse Test (vHIT), now a standard diagnostic tool worldwide. Additionally, his investigations into otolith activation by air-conducted sound and bone-conducted vibration have established the physiological basis for vestibular evoked myogenic potential tests (oVEMPs for utricular function and cVEMPs for saccular function), which are routinely employed in clinical vestibular diagnostics.

Curthoys boasts a prolific publication record, with around 268 refereed journal articles as of 2017, accumulating 8,706 citations on Web of Science and an H-index of 53. His papers from the preceding three years prior to 2017 were cited over 500 times annually. Funding for his work has come from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia and, since 1992, the Garnett Passe and Rodney Williams Memorial Foundation. His profound impact on vestibular science is evidenced by major honors: the Hallpike-Nylen Medal from the Bárány Society in 1996 for contributions to basic vestibular knowledge; the Robert Bárány Jubilee Gold Medal in 2012 for studies on vestibular organ morphology and physiology; and the Gold Medal of the Prosper Ménière Society in 2016.

Professional Email: ian.curthoys@sydney.edu.au