Ksenia Gnedeva, PhD

Dr. Ksenia Gnedeva is an Assistant Professor in the USC Caruso Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and the Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Her research focuses on the molecular and mechanical mechanisms that regulate the development and regeneration of sensory organs, particularly the inner ear.

Dr. Gnedeva’s laboratory investigates how signaling pathways and tissue mechanics control embryonic growth of sensory organs and how developmental programs of self-renewal and differentiation can be re-initiated in the mammalian inner ear after damage. While the primary focus is on hearing and balance restoration, the lab also explores broader mechanisms that suppress regeneration in specialized sensory tissues.

Her recent work has identified key gene regulators, such as the Hippo pathway and the protein p27^Kip1, that inhibit the proliferation of sensory receptor cells following injury. By targeting these pathways, her research aims to unlock regenerative capacities in the inner ear and retina, offering potential therapeutic avenues for restoring hearing and vision in patients.

Dr. Gnedeva earned her Ph.D. in developmental and cell biology from the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and the Koltsov Institute of Developmental Biology at the Russian Academy of Sciences. She is also a member of the Hearing Restoration Project, a consortium dedicated to advancing treatments for hearing loss.

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