Director of Audiology
Tufts University School of Medicine
Brighton, Massachusetts
My overall program of research seeks to develop more effective treatments for hearing loss and deafness. My research is based on basic science and clinical applications of this science to better measure and treat human hearing loss.
I have two avenues of research by which I accomplish this overarching goal. The first avenue of research aims to develop better assessments of the underlying otopathologies that causes hearing loss. Much of this work aims to define the functional roles of inner hair cells, outer hair cells, and spiral ganglion neurons in discrimination of fine aspects of the speech stimuli. To test this, we apply advanced audiometric analysis to persons in our clinic with varying capabilities of speech discrimination in both quiet and complex listening situations. This information is important for rehabilitation, and also to identify the underlying otopathology for future biotechnological therapies.
The second interrelated body of work examines the ability of endogenous hair cell progenitors to differentiate into regenerated hair cells. This work aims to create a translational therapy where the pro-hair cell gene Atoh1 can be conditionally expressed in specific supporting cell populations in the human cochlea. This work is focused on identifying supporting cell specific markers that can be used to drive Atoh1 expression and engineering genetic constructs that allow for the spatial, temporal, and quantitative expression of Atoh1.
Financial Disclosures: I do not have any relevant financial relationships with anything to disclose.
Non-Financial Disclosures: I do not have any relevant non-financial relationships with anything to disclose.
Friday, April 1, 2022
3:45 PM – 4:15 PM CT