In this project, Dr Stuart Johnson at the University of Sheffield investigates how loud noise exposure might affect the development of age-related hearing loss.
Project start date: 2022
Project end date:
About the project
Sound is detected by extremely sensitive sensory cells called hair cells. These cells translate sound information into an electric signal that synapses can then send to the auditory nerve. Hair cells and their synapses are damaged by both noise exposure and ageing.
In this project, researchers will investigate whether damage caused by loud noise exposure is the same as the damage that normally occurs with ageing, or if it is different. This will help to explain whether damage from loud noise exposure worsens age-related hearing loss or makes it develop earlier.
How it works
Researchers will use a technique called ‘electrophysiology’ to measure the tiny electrical currents produced by hair cells. They will also measure hearing in mice using the same techniques. Finally, they will use ‘electron microscopy’ to provide a visual understanding of the structure and molecules present in the hair cells.
How will this research benefit people at risk of hearing loss?
Currently, the only options available to treat hearing loss are hearing aids and cochlear implants. These devices benefit many people but do not restore natural hearing or prevent hearing loss from getting worse.
Without a better understanding of why we lose our hearing after noise exposure and during ageing, we will not be able to develop effective treatments to either prevent hearing loss or restore hearing.
About the researcher
Dr Stuart Johnson is a lecturer and researcher in the School of Biosciences and part of the Hearing Research Group at the University of Sheffield. He was awarded an RNID Discovery Research Grant for this project in 2022.
I am fascinated by the intricate mechanisms of hearing in the mammalian cochlea. I find it incredible how the auditory system has evolved such elaborate structures and specialised cell types to enable a sense of hearing …
The opportunity to investigate the mechanisms underlying the function and dysfunction of the cochlea and to identify potential targets to improve hearing loss therapies is what motivates and inspires me every day.”
