Auditory & Vestibular Efferent Systems
2nd generation adenovirus
The long-term goal of my laboratory is to understand the role of cochlear outer hair cells in hearing and hearing loss both at the molecular and at the systems level. Specifically, we are interested in agents that block or enhance the action of receptors on outer hair cells of the cochlea, which enhance hearing and decrease hearing loss. To design and discover agents that block or enhance receptor action on cochlear outer hair cells, we are cloning neurotransmitter receptors expressed in the hair cells, and modulating expression of these receptors by viral-mediated gene transfer into the cochlea.