Research Core Center for Auditory and Vestibular Studies

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Research Center for Auditory and Vestibular Studies (RCAVS), housed in the Department of Otolaryngology at Washington University School of Medicine, is a full service centralized facility that was developed to support the scientific progress of funded research in mission areas of the NIDCD. The Core Center is composed of four individual Research Cores and an Administrative Shell which interact to fulfill the aims of the Center. The areas in which services are offered include: Functional Testing, Histology, Microscopy & Digital Imaging and Clinical & Translational Research. Although core services are primarily designed to assist member projects that constitute the Qualifying Research Base, services are also offered, as available, to non-qualifying projects in NIDCD mission areas as well as outside projects. The RCAVS currently supports 24 basic scientists and 10 clinical/applied scientists. Membership is freely granted to any independent investigator in the local scientific community that conducts research in mission areas of the NIDCD. Our services additionally support outside users that can benefit from the equipment, technology and expertise found within the RCAVS. The Center boasts a Qualified Research Base that is well above the minimum required for application as a P30 Research Core Center. Specific Aims of the RCAVS include the following: 1) To provide centralized equipment and services for investigators whose research overlaps mission areas of the NIDCD; 2) to encourage collaborative efforts, support the development of new research questions by core members and attract new researchers to mission areas of the NIDCD; and 3) to promote translational research via mechanisms designed to enhance scientific interactions and collaborations between basic and clinical scientists. An innovative collaborative arrangement between the three basic science cores provides for the rapid systematic evaluation (function and anatomy) of new mouse models of auditory and vestibular disorders. An innovative no-cost fee structure encourages collaboration with outside investigators, development of new research questions, and attracts new researchers to NIDCD mission areas. The ultimate impact of this application is to facilitate progress in the development of treatments for human disorders of hearing, balance and speech and to serve as a model for a successful translational research program.