Michael R. Deans, Ph.D.
The Research
Harvard Medical School
Genetic dissection of planar cell polarity within the inner ear
It is broadly accepted that hearing and balance requires the correct orientation of hair cells and their stereocilia bundles within the inner ear. This patterning is called planar cell polarity and involves the coordinated organization of adjacent hair cells. This project aims to understand the developmental mechanisms generating planar polarization and to determine the effects of hair cell disorganization upon auditory and vestibular function.