Biography

My main research interest is in the genetics of deafness, with a focus on using genetics as a tool to understand the molecular pathways underlying progressive (age-related) hearing loss. My group works with both mouse and human data, using the mouse for understanding the different pathophysiological mechanisms underlying hearing loss and human data to establish the most common types of deafness in the population. Several of the pathways we have identified in the mouse are good targets for drug development to stop the progression of hearing loss and are relevant to human deafness. In addition to running my research group, I am Academic Head of Biological Services. I was awarded the Brain Prize for my research in 2012, and serve as an elected member of Council of the Royal Society.

Please see my Research Staff Profile for more detail

Key Publications:

• Ingham et al., 2019. Mouse screen reveals multiple new genes underlying mouse and human hearing loss. PLoS Biology.
• Chen et al., 2014. Spinster homolog 2 (Spns2) deficiency causes early onset progressive hearing loss. PLoS Genetics.
• Lewis et al., 2009. An ENU-induced mutation of miR-96 associated with progressive hearing loss in mice. Nature Genetics. 
• White et al., 2013. Genome-Wide Generation and Systematic Phenotyping of Knockout Mice Reveals New Roles for Many Genes. Cell.
• Buniello et al., 2016. Wbp2 is required for normal glutamatergic synapses in the cochlea and is crucial for hearing. EMBO Molecular Medicine.

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Key collaborators:

• Professor Judy Dubno, Medical University of South Carolina
• Dr Miguel Angel Moreno Pelayo, Madrid University
• Professor Walter Marcotti, University of Sheffield
• Professor Chris Plack, University of Manchester