Hearing and Vision

Hearing Research Group at NEOMED

The Hearing Research Group at NEOMED investigates how the central nervous system functions in association with hearing and vocal communication, how it is affected by hearing disorders and how interventions may ameliorate hearing disorders.

Hearing and Vision is a primary focus of the following BHRI members' research:
 

Nichole Beebe, Ph.D., Hearing Research Group at NEOMED

Our work seeks to answer questions about pathways in the brain that process sounds. I focus on three main areas of neuroanatomical research in the auditory system: inhibition, neuromodulation and descending pathways. 

Julia Huyck, Ph.D., Hearing Research Group at NEOMED

I study cognition and auditory processing in adolescents. Another project involves the effects of early-life stress on long-term outcomes of ear infections.

Yong Lu, Ph.D., Hearing Research Group at NEOMED

Neuromodulation mediated by metabotropic glutamate receptors in the central auditory system.

Jeffrey Mellott, Ph.D., Hearing Research Group at NEOMED

The downregulation of GABA with age underlies a number of age-related neurodegenerative diseases. We examine age-related changes to GABAergic synapses within the auditory circuits before the onset of age-related hearing loss.

Bruna Mussoi, Ph.D., Hearing Research Group at NEOMED

I study the factors that impact age-related changes in the auditory system, leading to speech perception difficulties. I am interested the contributions of the peripheral, central and cognitive systems, as well as more global health issues.

Merri Rosen, Ph.D., Hearing Research Group at NEOMED

My research examines how developmental hearing loss and early-life stress change the neural circuits necessary for auditory perception, using behavioral, neurophysiological and computational techniques.

Brett Schofield, Ph.D., Hearing Research Group at NEOMED

We study brain circuits that allow us to hear. We use neural tracers and microscopy to characterize inhibitory and modulatory circuits that are essential for hearing in different environments, during growth and after damage to the ear or brain.

Sharad Shanbhag, Ph.D., Hearing Research Group at NEOMED

Our group explores the role of the amygdala in the processing of social vocalizations. We use electrophysiological, optogenetic and anatomical approaches to study the amygdala in mice and bats.

Jeff Wenstrup, Ph.D., Hearing Research Group at NEOMED

We study how emotional brain centers, especially the amygdala, interact with the auditory system to establish the meaning of social vocalizations and support acoustic communication behaviors.

Bradley Winters, Ph.D.,  Hearing Research Group at NEOMED

Brainstem neuronal circuits enable sound localization using minute differences between the ears. The Winters lab uses advanced electrophysiological and imaging approaches to study the astounding cellular properties required to accomplish this feat.

Minzhong Yu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor - Ophthalmic Research - Cleveland Clinic

While Dr. Yu is an active basic scientist, he is also a senior clinical scientist, focusing on the research of clinical trial of different therapies with objective functional tests of the retinas and optic nerves, as well as the characteristics of the electrophysiologic responses in different diseases.