School of Life Sciences

My main research interests lie in the field of auditory neuroscience.  I am presently investigating the role of fibrocytes in the cochlea.  These are cells that are associated with homeostatic mechanisms that regulate the composition of cochlear fluids.  These cells appear to go wrong in certain forms of deafness, including age-related deafness (presbyacusis). My group has funding from Deafness Research UK to investigate whether a stem cell/replacement cell strategy might be employed to prevent or ameliorate age-related deafness by replacing defective fibrocytes.

The main techniques we employ are electron microscope, post-embedding immunogold electron microscopy, confocal microscopy and cell culturing.  We have received funding for our work from the Wellcome Trust, MRC, Deafness Research UK, Midlands Institute of Otology, Royal Society, Physiological Society, British Tinnitus Association and others.

Another of my major research interests is cochlear hair cell structure, composition and function.  I am focussing on the hair bundle and how the hairs (stereocilia - see picture) function to convert mechanical action from sound stimulation into electrical signals and nerve impulses in nerve fibres going to the brain.

I am also director of the Keele University Electron Microscope Unit which offers a range of microscopy facilities.

For some examples of our electron microscopy please visit the galleries on the EM Unit web pages:

http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/bi/emunit/