Hair Cell Death, Protection, and Regeneration

How do hair cells die, and how can we prevent this damage and preserve hearing?

This program examines the cellular mechanisms underlying damage from hair cell toxins such as aminoglycoside antibiotics, chemotherapy agents, and noise.

We also study hair cell damage due to aging. We use high-resolution fluorescence microscopy, physiology, and behavioral assays to address critical questions in auditory neuroscience.

Current Research Questions

• What cell signaling mechanisms are commonly activated by different damaging agents? What mechanisms are specific to each hair cell toxin?

• How can we act upon this mechanistic information to develop otoprotective therapies?

• How do excitatory and inhibitory modulators alter hair cell synapses?

• Using the power of AI, can we predict the ototoxic potential of new medications before they reach the clinic?

• How do fish maintain regenerative potential as they age, and how can we use this information to develop restorative therapies?

Our work uses zebrafish; a powerful vertebrate model for hearing research. Zebrafish have two hair cell-bearing sensory systems; an inner ear and a lateral line system. The lateral line comprises a series of externally located sensory organs on the head and body of the animal that are used to sense nearby water movement.

This system is ideal for pharmacological manipulation and in vivo visualization when compared to more traditional inner ear models, combining the accessibility of an in vitro preparation with the intact physiology of an in vivo system.

For our drug development work; we begin in zebrafish, then move additional pre-clinical testing in a rodent model that has drug responses more similar to humans.