Research – Otology, Neurotology, and Skull Base Surgery

The Oghalai lab at the Zilkha Neurogenetics Institute seeks to better understand the fundamental changes in cochlear function that underlie progressive hearing loss and to develop novel techniques to treat this problem before it leads to deafness. Clinically, our ultimate goal is to improve human health not only by caring for our patients expertly, but also by advancing our scientific knowledge base so that all physicians can treat disease more effectively.

The Abdala Lab, within the USC Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, studies natural changes in cochlear mechanics throughout the arc of the human lifespan. This research aims to provide a normative framework, but also to explore the mechanisms driving such change. Recent work is focused on the potential development and application of a combined reflection (SFOAE) and distortion (DPOAE) OAE protocol to understand and describe underlying deficits, not just detect and label sensorineural hearing loss.

The Auditory Physics Group in the Caruso Department of Otolaryngology works to solve fundamental problems in the mechanics and physiology of the auditory system. Current interests of the group include comparative cochlear mechanics, cochlear nonlinearity and amplification, middle-ear mechanics, and otoacoustic emissions.

Our research interests are broadly to develop novel biophotonic technologies for point-of-care diagnosis and monitoring of human disease as well as the basic scientific understanding of human disease. Our primary application area is functional imaging of the middle and inner ear. We are working toward advanced diagnostics for patient care as well as advanced imaging systems for probing the fundamental mechanics of the ear.

The Kalluri Lab at the Zilkha Neurogentic Institute, led by Radha Kalluri, PhD, assistant professor of otolaryngology, explores the cochlea, an elegant hydromechanical structure in the ear, that which works to separate sounds of different frequencies and maps them onto a different place on the sensory epithelium. Specialized sensory cells that provide feedback forces to actively amplify local mechanical resonances refine this frequency-place map within the cochlea. Research is focused on understanding the biophysical mechanisms by which the auditory periphery parses frequency and intensity information, and how these functions degrade with hearing loss.

The Bionic Ear Lab in the Caruso Department of Otolaryngology explores ways of improving hearing for cochlear implant recipients. A focus of the lab is to optimize stimulation timing to provide better musical pitch and refined spatial hearing for cochlear implant users. Our lab emphasizes the importance of auditory training and neural plasticity in achieving optimal outcomes.

Research at the Charaziak lab is focused on understanding how the cochlea of the inner ear processes sounds. We utilize approaches that combine both direct (e.g., intracochlear vibrometry) and indirect (e.g., otoacoustic emissions) measurements of cochlear responses in animals with theoretical modeling. Joint intracochlear and otoacoustic emission (OAE) studies informed by theoretical models are crucial for improving the power of OAE-based diagnostics in humans, where the cochlea cannot be accessed for a direct study.

The Dewey Lab at the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute examines how structures within the inner ear vibrate in response to sound, how these vibrations are amplified by sensory hair cells, and how this amplification process leads to emission of sound from the ear. The overarching aims of this research are to understand the mechanisms underlying sensitive, normal hearing, and to improve how we detect and diagnose common forms of hearing loss.

In the Gnedeva Lab at the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, we investigate how the mechanical microenvironment controls sensory organ development and directs tissue repair after damage. Although the focus of our research is on hearing and balance restoration, we are interested in the common mechanisms that suppress regeneration in the specialized sensory tissues.

The Choi Lab explores the impact of hearing loss treatment on healthy aging, with an emphasis on improving the accessibility and affordability of hearing healthcare. The team leverages both epidemiological data and clinical trials to investigate how hearing loss and the use of hearing devices affect social engagement and cognitive function. They also develop technology-based strategies to make medical and surgical hearing care options more comprehensible and accessible for individuals with hearing loss.

In the Shibata lab at the Zilkha Neurogenetics Institute, our lab focuses on developing interventions to maintain, repair, and regenerate neurons in the inner ear. We seek to better understand the biology associated with sensorineural hearing loss resulting from cochlear nerve damage. Our goal is to regenerate functional afferent cochlear neurons from surviving inner ear non-sensory cells via direct reprogramming utilizing gene therapy.