Deafness Research UK awards two new PhD Studentships for 2010
30 March 2010
Deafness Research UK has awarded two 3-year PhD studentships to begin in October 2010. These studentships offer the exciting opportunity for two young scientists to begin a career in hearing research in two world-class institutions.
Dr Sally Dawson from the UCL Ear Institute, in collaboration with Professor Shakeel Saeed, a surgeon based at the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital in London, will be supervising a studentship project to study the molecular and genetic basis of otosclerosis. This is a condition involving abnormal growth around a tiny bone in the ear, which progressively damages hearing. It usually appears in young adults and is quite common in the UK, affecting about 3 people in every 100. Surgery can be used to try and restore hearing but the operation isn’t always successful and is not without risks, so some people opt for hearing aids rather than surgery. This new joint research project between surgeons and genetic researchers will test not only which genes are raising the risk of otosclerosis but also how this is affecting the bony tissue in the ear to cause disease.
Dr Andrea Streit from King's College London, will be supervising a project aimed at discovering new genes for congenital deafness. Worldwide, nearly two babies per 1,000 births are born deaf, making hearing impairment one of the most prevalent birth defects. In the last decade, much progress has been made in determining genetic mutations associated with childhood deafness; nevertheless in 25% of the cases the underlying causes remain unknown. This PhD studentship project aims to identify new genes involved in the early development of the ear using the latest molecular biology techniques and computer analysis. The function of the best candidate genes identified will then be tested in a model system of the ear. This project will provide new insights into how cells in the ear decide to become part of the ear and how they are committed to specific cell types. Most importantly, identifying new candidate genes for childhood deafness may lead to the development of better diagnostic tools and novel strategies for preventing deafness.
