Member: Hearing Restoration Project
Current Institution: University of Southern California
Education: Ph.D. in developmental and cell biology from the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and the Koltsov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences
Lab Website: The Gnedeva Lab

What is your area of focus?
My lab focuses on the molecular mechanisms of inner ear development and regeneration.

Why did you decide to get into scientific research?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to know how things work. At first, I took apart small electronic devices around the house, but I soon realized that understanding how living things function is even more interesting.

Why hearing research?
My Ph.D. research focused on skin development and regeneration. After graduating, I wanted to switch fields and broaden my perspective. I was fascinated by how seemingly similar epithelial tissues, like the inner ear sensory organs, have virtually no capacity for spontaneous regeneration, while skin can sustain homeostatic growth and recover rapidly from minor wounds.

What do you hope to achieve with your current research?
The moonshot goal for my lab is to restore functional hair cells in the mammalian ear after injury. Achieving this will be impossible without a group effort, which is why I believe HRP’s mission is so important. I am honored to be part of the consortium.

Tell us about the most exciting parts of your research.
I love science. There is nothing more “intoxicating” than seeing an exciting result for the first time. I try to make time for wet lab experimentation every week and have several projects of my own.

Describe a typical day.
I start my day in my office around 7:30–8 a.m. by checking my email and reading new articles with a cup of coffee. Then I head to the lab and catch up on any news from the lab members. We also have a weekly lab meeting for more formal updates. I try to do some experiments before lunch and usually have several seminars, meetings, or lectures scattered throughout the week.

Tell us about something you enjoy doing when you are not in the lab or presenting your research. 
I love surfing… a cliché in California, but it helps me forget all the failed experiments and just focus on the movement and the water. I often spot sea lions and even dolphins too!

What has been a highlight or something valuable you’ve gained from the HRP consortium so far? 
Although I have only recently joined the consortium, it is clear that regular discussions with its members have already enriched our science. Together, we come up with better ideas faster. I am hopeful for what future collaborative work will bring.

What do you hope for the HRP over the next few years?
I hope the HRP continues to incorporate up-to-date approaches to tackle important problems on the path to hearing restoration. In particular, the use of multi-omic molecular approaches allows for identifying key nodes in the regulatory network controlling hair cell regeneration—not only transcription factors but also their targets and important enhancer elements. Another example is the use of AAV (adeno-associated virus)-based gene delivery approaches, which have already shown promise for inner ear gene therapy.