Tessa Sanders, Ph.D.

Spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) make up the afferent innervation of the cochlea and are instrumental in neural perception of sound. The cochlea also receives efferent innervation from neurons located within the brainstem. Using single-cell sequencing techniques, we hope to identify novel markers of SGN subtypes, as well as genes involved in their pre and postnatal development. Additionally, we hope to further understand the efferent innervation of the cochlea through the analysis and manipulation of these projections across cochlea development. This work will contribute to the understanding of the correct innervation of the cochlea and how this might be disrupted in cases of hearing loss.