STUDER Michèle

Project status: closed

Hearing is based on precisely organized neural networks that faithfully transfer sound stimulation perceived by the inner ear to the brain. Hearing disorders are a major health problem resulting from noise, aging, certain illnesses or genetic problems. To develop new therapeutic approaches, it is essential to understand the contribution of the different neural circuits involved in hearing.

Given the extreme complexity of the hearing process, an in-depth investigation is required into how our auditory system is organized at the embryonic stage.

Prof. Michèle Studer will attempt to explain some of the mechanisms at the root of hearing disorders resulting from malformations of the inner ear or a communications problem with the brain by using different technologies ranging from genetics to the anatomy of the mouse. The objective is to identify the precise origin of subpopulations of cells and neural networks, and follow their evolution and their ability to form neural networks from the embryonic to the adult stage.

This project will contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms involved in hearing loss and identify new genes essential to the formation of the auditory system at the cerebral level that are distorted in cases of profound genetic hearing loss.

Professor Michèle Studer
Research Director
Institut de Biologie Valrose
Université de Nice, France