Biology of the Inner Ear: Experimental and Analytical Approaches

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Inner ear dysfunction and the associated problems with hearing and balance affect about 30 million Americans and that number is expected to grow as the population ages. Yet despite the enormous socioeconomic impact, the inner ear senses of hearing and balance are the most poorly understood of all the senses. One significant reason for the lag in our understanding is the difficulties associated with inner ear research. These difficulties present sizable barriers for individuals who wish to initiate investigations of the inner ear. To address this unmet challenge we have designed an ambitious three-week course focused on the biology of the inner ear that will be taught by a team of leading scientists and clinicians during the summers of 2009, 2011 and 2013 at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, MA. The Biology of the Inner Ear course was first offered in 2007. Using the focused approach that typifies other highly successful MBL courses, this course is designed to meet specific needs of new researchers in auditory and vestibular science. The course will enroll a class comprised of graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, clinician scientists, and established investigators from other fields. These talented students will be provided with instruction and hands-on laboratory training in cutting-edge techniques and specialized methods that are unique to investigations of the inner ear. Through lectures, research seminars, roundtable discussions, and informal interactions during the three weeks when students and instructors will work side-by-side in the laboratory, the course will foster the development of the students as investigators, emphasizing not just what is known, but also the opportunities for important discoveries, innovative new approaches, and the translation of those discoveries into meaningful improvements in human health. The course is designed to enhance the pipeline of gifted, highly motivated scientists entering the field; provide instruction that will challenge them and help them undertake independent, rigorous, and original research while introducing novel ideas and approaches, and facilitate the establishment of innovative and productive collaborations, in order to advance the pace of scientific discovery and promote the translation of discoveries into meaningful improvements in the lives of persons affected by hearing and balance disorders. Public Health Relevance: This proposal presents a request for a short intensive lecture-laboratory based course on the application of experimental and analytical approaches to study the Biology of he Inner Ear. Students will learn to appreciate the clinical manifestations of the diseases of the auditory and vestibular systems and the potential for conducting research that may improve the lives of patients. One of the aims of this course is to attract young investigators to research in this important area with a goal of developing therapies and cures.