Darlene Ketten is a marine scientist and neurophysiologist specializing in biomechanics of hearing and hearing loss.  She received a B.A., Washington University (Biology; French); M.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (Biological Oceanography), and Ph.D., Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions (Neuroanatomy, Behavioural Ecology; Experimental Radiology). She currently holds joint appointments as Professor of Imaging and Applied Physics, Curtin University; Assistant Clinical Professor (PT), Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School; and Chief Scientist, WHOI Computerized Scanning and Imaging Facility (http://csi.whoi.edu).   Dr. Ketten has twenty-five years’ experience in auditory physiology, noise and blast trauma, and high resolution radiology and over 100 peer reviewed publications on head and neck trauma imaging, biomehanics of hearing, and hearing loss pathology. Her research on human hearing focuses on how inner ear anatomy and pathology affect cochlear implant performance.  Her marine research centers on underwater hearing and biosonar, with funding from NIH, NSF, ONR, DoD, NATO, and Seaver Foundation. She has specialty accreditation in Neuroradiology, Veterinary Pathology, and Forensic Pathology and is a Fellow and designated Subject Matter Expert in Bioacoustics (ASA), Senior Fellow of the National Institutes of Health (NIH/NIDCD), Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and ISO working group member (Underwater Acoustics).  She is a member of the Radiology Society of North America (RSNA), the European Radiology Society, Society for Marine Mammalogy, Sigma Xi, Delta Omega Honor Society, the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM/UK), and the American Military Surgeons of the United States (AMSUS).  Dr. Ketten has served on international and US Federal advisory boards and as a specialty panelist and expert witness for NIH, the National Academy of Sciences, the Marine Mammal Commission, NATO, NOAA, NIH, SACLANT, NIH/CDC on Cochlear Implants, CHABA on Blast Trauma, and EU Polar Research Policy Board, and has provided testimony and briefings for the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and Pentagon staff.

State Department Profile

Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs
Iraq Economics Division 

Darlene Ketten serves as a science advisor for the Near Eastern Affairs Bureau, Iraq Economics Division (NEA/I/ECONN). Her principal duties are to provide insight and analyses related to Environment, Science, Technology, and Health issues within Iraq and to assist in developing educational and research opportunities for Iraqi scientists to interact with colleagues in the United States. Much of her efforts are directed at management of the critically limited Iraqi water resources, including programs for desalinization, rehabilitation of marshlands, and safe, hygienic water distribution programs. She interacts particularly with the Bureau of Oceans and International Scientific and Environmental Affairs (OSE) and with USAID, OFDA, and DART to develop humanitarian response measures.