Unusual Protagonists: Cochlear Supporting Cells

The cochlear epithelium has two types of auditory sensory cells known as inner and outer hair cells, which are surrounded by nearly a dozen different types of supporting cells, all organized in a very meticulous pattern. The hair cells are responsible for converting sound vibrations into electrical signals and thus most cochlear auditory research has focused on these sensory cells. In contrast, much less is known about the different types of cochlear supporting cells, even though they are likely to impact hair cell function. In this webinar, A. Catalina Vélez-Ortega, Ph.D., describes how, after noise exposure, several types of cochlear supporting cells are involved in detecting tissue damage and in regulating hearing sensitivity. Vélez-Ortega is an assistant professor of physiology and otolaryngology–head & neck surgery at the University of Kentucky. She is a 2018 Emerging Research Grants scientist, funded by Cochlear Americas. HHF’s research webinars highlight the significant findings by Emerging Research Grants scientists. Our ERG program provides seed funding to early stage investigators, including in underfunded areas of otology, and these hourlong Zoom presentations underscore the critical impact this funding has had on both research advances as well as the scientists themselves. The series is moderated by Anil K. Lalwani, M.D., a member of HHF's Board of Directors and the head of HHF's Council of Scientific Trustees, which oversees the ERG program. He is a professor and the vice chair for research in the department of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery, the associate dean for student research at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, and a co-director at the Columbia Cochlear Implant Program. #research #science #funding #cochlea #hearingloss