Go to Richard Altschuler's Research Lab
Community of Science Profile
Publications listed in PubMed

Research Focus:

One major focus is on activity dependent plasticity in the auditory brain stem. We find that changes in activity within the auditory pathways, such as deafness, can induce changes in expression and localization of neurotransmitters, receptors and ion channels in specific neuronal populations. We are also studying if these changes can be reversed by re-introduction of activity, such as occurs with cochlear prostheses in the deaf.

A second focus is on tissue engineering of the auditory nerve. Studies are developing the use of stem cells for replacement of lost auditory nerve. There are also studies to enhance auditory nerve survival by identification and application of survival factors such as neurotrophic factors, anti-oxidants and electrical stimulation.

A third focus is on protective mechanisms to reduce acquired deafness. These studies examine the stress response pathways following noise and ototoxic drugs and how the efficiency of these pathways changes with aging. The goal is to identify the genes and proteins within these pathways as well as their interaction and regulation. This is then used to develop interventions to enhance protection, repair and recovery.

Representative Publications:

1. Cho Y, Gong T-W, Kanicki A, Altschuler RA & Lomax MI, Noise overstimulation induces early immediate genes in the rat cochlea, Molecular Brain Research, 130:134-148, 2004.
   
   
2. Asako,M, Holt, AG, Griffith, RD, Buras, ED, Altschuler, RA, Deafness-related changes in glycine-immunoreactive staining in the rat cochlear nucleus, J. Neurosci Res, 81:102-109, 2005.
   
   
3. Holt AG, Asako A, Lomax, CA, MacDonald JW, Tong L, Lomax MI, Altschuler, RA, Deafness related plasticity in the inferior colliculus: Gene expression profiling following removal of peripheral activity, J. Neurochem, 93:1069-86, 2005.
   
   
4. Tong L, Altschuler RA, Holt AG, Tyrosine hydroxylase in the rat auditory midbrain: Distribution and changes following deafness, Hearing Res. 206:28-41, 2005.
   
   
5. Fairfield, DA, Margaret I. Lomax, MI, Gary A. Dootz, GA, Chen, S, Galecki, TA, Benjamin, IJ, David F. Dolan, DF, Altschuler, RA, Heat shock factor 1 (Hsf1) deficient mice exhibit decreased recovery of hearing following noise overstimulation, J. Neurosci Res. 81:589-596, 2005.
   
   
6. Buras, ED, Holt, AG, Griffith, RD, Asako,M, Altschuler, RA, Changes in glycine immunoreactivity in the rat SOC following deafness, J. Comp. Neurol., 494:179-89, 2006.