Research Labs
The Rubel's Lab research programs endeavor to understand cellular processes underlying the development of information processing in the auditory system. Anatomical, physiological, and acoustical methods are used to examine development of cellular mechanisms underlying acoustic signal processing by the inner ear. Parallel studies using both in vivo and in vitro preparations examine the factors that include growth of connections in the brain stem auditory pathways.
Research in the Tempel Lab uses molecular, genetic and electrophysiological techniques to study the functional roles of voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels in the nervous system, focusing on signal encoding in the auditory system. Molecular techniques are used to study Kv channel gene expression and regulation as well as the localization of specific Kv channels in auditory neurons. In addition, the lab has generated mice carrying targeted deletions of specific Kv channel genes. Among these "knock out" mice, the Kv1.1-null mutation causes epilepsy as well as hearing loss, providing a unique model for studying the role of a specific Kv channel gene in controling neuronal hyperactivity as well as in preserving action potential synchrony in auditory neurons.
Bermingham-McDonogh Lab
The long-term goal of our research is to identify the molecular signals that regulate the formation of hair cells and their neuronal connections during development and use these signals to develop new strategies to treat human hearing loss. For these studies, we are using a combination of molecular biology, organ culture and genetic techniques
-Genetics of Hearing Loss (H.E.A.R. Group)
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