Victor Wong, Ph.D.

Meet the Researcher

Wong received his doctorate in physiology from the University of Toronto and is a postdoctoral fellow at the Burke Neurological Institute at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York. His 2019 Emerging Research Grant was generously supported by donors to Hearing Health Foundation.

Both the success of cochlear implants and future therapeutic approaches depend on the integrity of spiral ganglion nerve cells and the availability of functional neurites (axons) for direct electrical stimulation and the transmission of the sound signal. Not much is known about how these neurites grow and are regenerated. I am investigating the role of molecular microtubules that provide structural support and provide molecular “tracks” for transporting mitochondria and mRNA, which is important for neurite function and growth.

My earliest memory is when my father showed me how the leaves of the mimosa plant fold up when touched, during one of our nature walks. Constantly asking “how?” and “why?” set off an insatiable, lifelong curiosity about things unknown (also fed by my sister, who studied biology and medicine). At age 4, I was diagnosed with profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and started wearing hearing aids. I still wear them today. This has greatly affected my career decisions—to better understand and find solutions for hearing loss.

During a summer lab internship, I discovered I love research. This was a defining life moment as I was nearly convinced I would not be able to find my dream career. At some point I also wanted to be an artist, entomologist, astronaut, fashion designer, or teacher! I also love cycling, running, art, and writing, where no hearing is required, to help me destress.

I’d like to use my work as a platform to educate and inspire a new generation of scientists, particularly encouraging people of all abilities to join STEM research. I am also working with the Diversity and Inclusion Office at Weill Cornell to make science and medical education/training accessible to all, as well as to raise awareness of hearing health.

There are common misconceptions that being deaf means I sign. I communicate verbally and I rely on speech-reading. It would not be possible to do this without my mother’s steadfast and life-changing decision to put me in speech therapy programs. That said, I’d love to learn sign language soon. I am currently learning Dutch as my girlfriend is from the Netherlands. Ik leer en spreek een beetje Nederlands!

Victor Wong, Ph.D., is funded by donors to Hearing Health Foundation who designated their gifts for the most promising research. These projects address the full range of hearing and
balance science.

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The Research

Burke Neurological Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine
Targeting tubulin acetylation in spiral ganglion neurons for the treatment of hearing loss

Both the success of cochlear implants and of future therapeutic approaches critically depend on the integrity of spiral ganglion neurons and the availability of functional neurites (axons) for direct stimulation. Since very little is known about how to promote spiral ganglion neuron neurite growth, there is a critical need to understand how to reinforce these peripheral neurites to regenerate. Many of the molecular players that facilitate regeneration have been characterized in both the peripheral and central nervous systems. Among these are microtubules, which are a major mediator of the overall extension, consolidation, and navigation of the growing axon. In addition to providing structural support for the growth and targeting of axons, microtubules make up the major molecular “tracks” for transporting cargoes necessary for proper neurite function and growth. α-Tubulin, a major component of these tracks, can undergo a number of post-translational modifications which alter stability, intracellular transport, and axonal growth. α-Tubulin acetylation is an attractive target in particular since α-tubulin acetylation-promoting drugs have been found to increase neurite growth in injured neurons and to promote movement of intracellular cargoes such as mitochondria and mRNA. This project will examine how enhancing α-tubulin acetylation can alter the course of functional repair and regeneration of the molecular tracks after age-related and noise-induced hearing loss, thereby restoring auditory function.

Long-term goal: To establish the role of α-tubulin acetylation in regulating the neurite (axon) growth of spiral ganglion neurons under pathological conditions in order to develop new therapeutic approaches for individuals with hearing loss.