Technologies and Gene Therapy for Deafness

This research team is developing innovative viral gene therapies to restore hearing and balance in mouse models of inherited inner ear disorders. Their approach involves three key steps: (i) identifying or engineering novel AAV variants with strong tropism for adult inner ear hair cells using in vivo-directed evolution; (ii) determining the therapeutic window for effective intervention; and (iii) assessing recovery of central auditory processing and functional hearing.

Beyond gene therapy, the team investigates the molecular architecture of inner ear hair cell ribbon synapses and the mechanisms underlying auditory and vestibular synaptopathies—critical for evaluating therapeutic outcomes.

Link to research group: Technologies and Gene Therapy for Deafness​