Seminars in Hearing Research

Date:  September 24, 2026

Location: NLSN 1195

Time: 12:00-1:00pm

Speaker: Afagh Farhadi, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, SLHS

Title: The Marine Biological Laboratory Summer School Experience: Exploring Hearing and Balance from Cells to Systems

Abstract: In summer 2026, I participated in the intensive three-week Biology of Hearing and Balance course at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole. The course combined lectures with extensive hands-on laboratory training spanning auditory and vestibular science, from inner-ear development and hair-cell function to central neural coding, hearing loss, and cochlear prostheses. Experiments included chick utricle and neonatal mouse cochlea dissections, tissue culture and immunostaining, inner-ear paint fills, confocal imaging and image analysis, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and electrophysiological recordings from hair cells and brain slices. We also explored zebrafish lateral-line function, vestibular reflexes, ABR and DPOAE measurements, and in-vivo recordings from the auditory nerve, inferior colliculus, and auditory cortex. I completed two mini-projects examining zebrafish lateral-line afferent responses and modulation coding across the gerbil auditory pathway. In this talk, I will share highlights from these experiments, including some of the fascinating images and recordings we collected, and reflect on this immersive scientific experience.

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The working schedule is available here: https://purdue.edu/TPAN/hearing/shrp_schedule

The titles and abstracts of the talks will be added here: https://engineering.purdue.edu/TPAN/hearing/shrp_abstracts