Catalyzing New U.S.-Swedish Collaboration: Howard University-Karolinska Institute Planning Visit for Research on Auditory Mechanics of the Inner Ear

促进美国与瑞典的新合作：霍华德大学-卡罗林斯卡学院计划访问内耳听觉力学研究

• 批准号: 1134969
• 负责人: Sonya Teresa Smith
• 金额: $ 2.22万
• 依托单位: Howard University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-09-15 至 2012-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1134969&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Catalyzing; New; U.S.; Swedish; Collaboration

Through a research planning visit, Dr. Sonya Teresa Smith of Howard University will initiate a collaborative project with Swedish partners Drs. Anders Fridberger and Pierre Hakizimana at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. Together, they intend to pursue questions related to human hearing, specifically, auditory transduction and whether it is mediated via fluid-structure interactions in the ear. Drawing on her expertise in engineering and computational fluid dynamics, Dr. Smith has developed a hydrodynamic model that accounts for the complex interactions involved in the transduction process associated with hearing. This model studies the response to stimuli of the inner hair cell stereococila bundle, located in the mammalian inner ear. Her Swedish counterparts have developed high-speed confocal imaging techniques that can be used to measure motions of inner ear structures. The preliminary data derived using Smith's model combined with refined Karolinska experimental techniques is expected to help the team extend their research to include a full range of audible frequencies. If successful, results may contribute to our fundamental understanding of the inner hair cell response to acoustic stimuli at locations all along the cochlea spiral. To build on preliminary findings, the principal investigator plans to submit a follow-on application to the National Science Foundation for collaborative research in computational neuroscience. Likely broader impacts include advances in knowledge of theoretical and practical auditory mechanics with long-term applications foreseen in a range of interdisciplinary fields, including neuroscience and biomedical engineering. Such new insights could have implications for future engineering design of cochlear implants and better techniques for surgical placement. Furthermore, because one U.S. graduate student and one U.S. undergraduate student from Howard University will travel with Dr. Smith to Stockholm and participate in collaborative activities at the Karolinsksa Institute, they too will gain beneficial international research experience. This early career access to expert Swedish experimentals and the specialized equipment they use may inspire the students' career choices and thereby contribute to diversity in the field of auditory mechanics research.

通过一次研究规划访问，霍华德大学的Sonya Teresa Smith博士将与瑞典合作伙伴Anders Fridberger博士和Pierre Hakizimana博士在斯德哥尔摩的卡罗林斯卡学院启动一个合作项目。他们打算共同探讨与人类听力相关的问题，特别是听觉传导以及它是否通过耳中的流体-结构相互作用介导。利用她在工程和计算流体动力学方面的专业知识，Smith博士开发了一个流体动力学模型，该模型解释了与听力相关的转导过程中涉及的复杂相互作用。 该模型研究了位于哺乳动物内耳的内毛细胞立体纤毛束对刺激的反应。 她的瑞典同行开发了高速共焦成像技术，可用于测量内耳结构的运动。 使用史密斯模型结合改进的卡罗林斯卡实验技术获得的初步数据有望帮助该团队将他们的研究扩展到包括全范围的可听频率。 如果成功，结果可能有助于我们从根本上了解内毛细胞对沿着耳蜗螺旋位置的声刺激的反应。 在初步研究结果的基础上，主要研究者计划向美国国家科学基金会提交一份后续申请，以进行计算神经科学的合作研究。可能更广泛的影响包括理论和实践听觉力学知识的进步，预计将在一系列跨学科领域（包括神经科学和生物医学工程）中得到长期应用。这些新的见解可能对未来人工耳蜗的工程设计和更好的手术植入技术产生影响。 此外，由于一名来自霍华德大学的美国研究生和一名美国本科生将与史密斯博士一起前往斯德哥尔摩，并参加卡罗林斯卡研究所的合作活动，他们也将获得有益的国际研究经验。 这种早期的职业接触专家瑞典实验和他们使用的专业设备可能会激发学生的职业选择，从而有助于听觉力学研究领域的多样性。