Seminars in Hearing Research

Date:  October 1, 2026

Location: NLSN 1195

Time: 12:00-1:00pm

Speaker: Javier Joel Diaz Laboy, PhD Student/PULSe, SLHS

Title: From the Cochlea to the Brain: Investigating Parkinson’s Disease Pathology in the Auditory System

Abstract: Auditory abnormalities are increasingly being recognized as non-motor features of Parkinson's disease (PD), but the processes underlying these alterations are not yet understood. My dissertation research aims to address this gap by combining two fields of study: α-synuclein pathology in PD and auditory neuroscience. Through my work in Dr. Allison Schaser's lab, I have used α-synuclein preformed fibril (PFF) models to investigate how pathology originates and propagates through connected brain areas, while my work in Dr. Jane Mondul's lab has focused on olivocochlear circuits and their response to sound. Bringing these two research areas together led me to ask how α-synuclein pathology might affect the auditory system. This question is particularly relevant because α-synuclein is normally expressed within the cochlea, especially at efferent neuronal terminals, yet whether pathological α-synuclein can be induced locally and subsequently propagate through connected auditory circuits remains unknown. My dissertation will investigate whether cochlear delivery of α-synuclein PFFs can trigger local α-synuclein pathology that spreads to connected central auditory areas. I will establish a feasible strategy for cochlear PFF delivery, characterize the temporal progression of pathology in peripheral and central auditory pathways, and assess associated changes in auditory function. I hypothesize that cochlear PFF exposure will induce local α-synuclein pathology that later appears in connected auditory areas and is associated with alterations in auditory function. This model will provide a novel approach to investigating α-synuclein pathology in the auditory system and help clarify its potential contribution to hearing impairment in PD.

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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