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Contribution of active hair-bundle motility to nonlinear amplification in the mammalian cochlea.

Our inner ear employs an active process that amplifies weak sound. Absence of this amplification renders us hard of hearing or deaf. Here we investigate the molecular origin of the active process and find that it has two main contributions residing within the mechanosensitive hair cells. This knowledge is essential for better treatment of certain hearing disorders and deafness. The work has been presented at five international meetings, including the 2012 midwinter meeting of the American Association for Research in Otolaryngology, the world's largest meeting for auditory research, and it contributed to me gaining my academic staff appointment at Imperial.