I thought you all might be interested in this site I found: The National Organization for Hearing Research Foundation located in Pennsylvania. www.nohrfoundation.org/

~ Paula

Dooling Lab of Comparative Psychoacoustics
http://www.bsos.umd.edu/psyc/dooling/intro.htm

Research in the Laboratory of Comparative Psychoacoustics is aimed at understanding how animals communicate with one another using sound and whether there are parallels with how humans communicate with one another using speech and language. Almost all of our work is with birds because many species of songbirds and parrots, like humans, rely on hearing and learning to develop a normal vocal repertoire. Current research projects include the study of hearing in budgerigars (parakeets - shown above), canaries, zebra finches, and other small birds; the study of vocal learning and vocal development in budgerigars; the regeneration of auditory hair cells and recovery of hearing and vocalizations in small birds following hearing damage; the study of how noise interferes with hearing; and the study of how noise affects the ability of birds to communicate in their natural environment. Other investigations in this laboratory are focused on how small birds localize sounds, how they perceive complex sounds such as bird vocalizations and human speech, how hormones affect vocal behavior, and whether the bird ear is specialized for frequency or time perception.

http://www.hei.org/research/projects/cmb/haircellchall.htm

Loss of the sensory hair cells of the inner ear is the leading cause of deafness in humans. The mammalian cochlea cannot regenerate its complement of sensory hair cells and thus, at present, the only treatment for deafness due to sensory hair cell loss is the use of prosthetics such as hearing aids and cochlear implants.

More than a decade ago, it was discovered that, unlike humans and other mammals, hair cell regeneration does occur in birds and other "lower vertebrates." Since that time, many attempts to bring about regeneration in mammals have been tried without success. Recently, with the aid of a grant from the National Organization for Hearing Research, laboratories of the House Ear Institute have undertaken a new project to examine the underlying biology of hair cell generation. We hope that by understanding where hair cells come from in the embryo and how their progenitors are controlled at the molecular level, we will better understand the reasons for the lack of regeneration in humans and, ultimately, discover ways of curing hair cell loss.

** HHIssues **

[This message has been edited by HHIssues (edited 10-05-2001).]

[This message has been edited by HHIssues (edited 10-05-2001).]

October 4 - 7, 2001
Hyatt Regency Hotel
Bethesda, Maryland

http://cme.ucsd.edu/brochures/deafness_detail.html

OBJECTIVES

This Conference will present current information on the applications of molecular biology to research problems in the auditory system; recent research findings concerning genetic cause of hearing loss, auditory gene expression, the molecular biology of auditory development, function and disease; and the emerging area of molecular medicine will be reviewed. The program will consist of oral presentations, posters and open discussion.

PRELIMINARY PROGRAM

This Preliminary Program is based on titles submitted in letters of intent to attend the Conference. The final program, including both poster and platform sessions will be arranged after the receipt of abstracts. The program will be open for additional submissions until the abstract deadline on July 10, 2001.

Molecular Genetics and Gene Mapping of Inherited Deafness
Auditory Tissue Specific Gene Activity and Expression Profiling
Molecular Regulation of Auditory Development
Molecular Substrates of Inner Ear Function
Molecular Studies of the Central Auditory System
Molecular Biology of Temporal Bone Disease
Molecular Biology of Hair Cell Damage, Regeneration and Protection
Molecular Medicine for the Treatment of Deafness

I hope things are going well!
Below is a website that I don't think has been mentioned regarding the research program at OHSU. They have another initiative regarding hearing research:
http://www.ohsu.edu/ohsufoundation/oregon_opportunity_hearingcase.html