Drs. Cheng, Heller and Ricci have been awarded a $100,000 one-year grant from the 2012 Inner Ear Hair Cell Regeneration Research Initiative, part of The National Organization for Hearing Research Foundation.

The grant is for a project titled, ““Characterization of hair cell progenitors from cochlea- and iPS derived cells”

The project, as described on the NOHR website:

aims to use genetic methodologies to increase the in vitro population of special cochlear cells from a mouse model that were previously discovered to have the potential to differentiate into auditory hair cells. (These cells are termed Lgr5-positive “targets” of the Wnt gene.) The newly created cells will be characterized and their behavior will be studied. The regenerative potential of the same type of cell derived from stem cells from human cochlear tissue will be also be studied. One reviewer commented, “The potential outcomes are critical steps toward succeeding in the hair cell/stem cell/progenitor cell approach for regeneration of hair cells and recovery, and are highly significant.”

NOHR also presents the Burt Evans award yearly. An award, “honoring excellence, commitment and achievement in auditory research by a young scientist.” Dr. Heller was presented this award in 2005 and Dr. Ricci in 2002.

The National Organization for Hearing Research Foundation was incorporated in 1988 by Geraldine Dietz Fox and was, “established to fund and support research into the causes, preventions, treatments and cures of hearing loss and deafness.”

We are very grateful for this grant and to NOHR for making this work possible.

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