Disease modelling

Project Details

Disease modelling

We are born with a finite number of cochlear hair cells and neurons and these specialised cell types do not regenerate. In addition, they are susceptible to a number of insults including loud noise, certain anitbiotics, cisplatin and ageing. Hearing loss may also have genetic origins. The aims of this basic research is to generate cochlear sensory cell pheontypes from individuals with known pathologies and compare these to normal phenotypes. The long-term goal of this work is to use it as a platform for personalised medicine involving drug discovery and gene editing. Projects under this research theme involve multi-disciplinary, cross-institutional collaborations between A/Prof Mirella Dottori, A/Prof Alice Pebay, A/Prof Alex Hewitt and Dr Rebecca Lim.

Researchers

Ms Tomoko Hyakumura (post-doctoral research fellow)

Collaborators

  • A/Prof Mirella Dottori, Centre for Neural Engineering
  • A/Prof Alice Pebay, Centre for Eye Research Australia
  • A/Prof Alex Hewitt, Univeresity of Tasmania
  • Dr Rebecca Lim, University of Newcastle

Funding

  • Garnett Passe & Rodney Williams Memorial Foundation
  • National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (GNT1023372)

Research Opportunities

This research project is available to PhD students to join as part of their thesis.
Please contact the Research Group Leader to discuss your options.

Research Publications

Gill KP, Hung SS, Sharov A, Lo CY, Needham K, Lidgerwood GE, Jackson S, Crombie DE, Nayagam BA, Cook AL, Hewitt AW, Pébay A, Wong RC. (2016) Enriched retinal ganglion cells derived from human embryonic stem cells. Scientific Reports  Aug 10;6:30552. doi: 10.1038/srep30552

Gunewardene, N., Van Bergen, N., Crombie, D., Needham, K., Dottori, M. and Nayagam, B.A. (2014). Directing human induced pluripotent stem cells into a neurosensory lineage for auditory neuron replacement. BioResearch Open Access 3(4):162-175

Nayagam, B. A.(CA), and Minter, R. L. (2012) A comparison of treatments for directing the differentiation of stem cells toward a sensory neural fate. American Journal of Otolaryngology, 33(1):37-46

Research Group

Auditory Neuroscience Unit


Faculty Research Themes

Neuroscience

School Research Themes

Neuroscience & Mental Health


Key Contact

For further information about this research, please contact the research group leader.

Department / Centre

Audiology and Speech Pathology

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