Acid-sensitivity in auditory neurons

• 
  Senior Research Fellow
  Dr Karina Needham

  k.needham@unimelb.edu.au

  +61 3 9929 8479

Project Details

The inner ear houses the delicate sensory hair cells and auditory neurons that transduce sound into an electrical signal, and relay this information to the brain.  This structure is highly vulnerable to conditions such as ischaemia, excessive noise exposure, and inflammation that can lead to acidification. In this project we explore the ion channels that are sensitive to changes in pH and their role in hearing loss. We use a range of experimental models together with electrophysiological tests, immunohistochemistry and imaging techniques.

Researchers

Professor Stephen O'Leary, Chair of Otolaryngology

Ms Kate Brody, Research Assistant

Dr Hayden Eastwood, Research Fellow

Collaborators

Dr Lachlan Rash, University of Queensland

Dr Daniel Jagger, UCL Ear Institute (UK)

Prof Peter Thorne & Dr Meagan Barclay, University of Auckland (NZ)

Funding

Action on Hearing Loss
Duclie Gam Trust