Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center

April 26, 2019

David W. Raible, PhD

David W. Raible, PhD

Professor
Biological Structure

draible@uw.edu

Additional Titles: Adjunct Professor
Biology, Genome Sciences
Research Areas: Hearing
Research Interests: Mechanosensory hair cell development, death and regeneration
Primary
Methodologies:
Zebrafish, aminoglycoside toxicity, confocal microscopy, CRISPR mutagenesis, drug discovery
Work Summary: Hair cells of the inner ear confer mechanical stimuli to electrical signals transmitted to the brain. Damage and loss of hair cells are leading causes of hearing and balance disorders, affecting over 40 million people in the US. Hair cell loss in humans is irreversible, however they regenerate in other species. Zebrafish lateral line hair cells share many properties with those of the inner ear, and are sensitive to the same types of damaging agents as human cells. However they are able to regenerate hair cells throughout life. The location of the lateral line on the surface of the body allows access for visualization and manipulation. We use the zebrafish to study hair cell development, death and regeneration using genetics, genome editing, high resolution imaging and small molecule screening.
Links: Lab Website