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Research Meet the HRP Working Groups.
Meet the HRP Working Groups
Reorganizing its research into three groups further energizes the nimble, collaborative approach pioneered by the Hearing Restoration Project (HRP). By Lisa Goodrich, Ph.D.
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The Hearing Restoration Project consortium model has, since its start, centered on team science, collaboration, and the faster exchange of data. To further energize this approach and facilitate even closer interaction, including among HRP researchers’ postdoctoral researchers and other lab members, the HRP decided at its March 2021 annual meeting to reorganize its research into three working groups.
These groups are organized in line with the consortium’s three main goals. The Cross-Species Epigenetics working group compares gene expression and epigenetics across species to identify and describe the molecular mechanisms that prevent hair cell regeneration. The Integrative Analysis working group performs a meta-analysis of data collected from different species over the years and will curate the data available to access via the gEAR, the data sharing and data visualization tool developed with HRP funding. The third working group, Reprogramming and Gene Delivery, is charged with finding ways to stimulate hair cell regeneration by targeting supporting cells.
Starting this year, funding is being distributed to members of each group, all of whom contributed to the submission of one joint proposal for each working group and all of whom will be contributing in specific ways to achieving their respective working group’s aims and milestones. The work previously organized in individual projects will continue, including the multiyear Seattle Plan projects readers are familiar with, but the working group model fosters the addition of even more timely and synergistic collaboration.
Each consortium member belongs to at least one working group, and a total of $1.2 million is being distributed to HRP members for the new project year (October 1, 2021, through September 30, 2022).
Cross-Species Epigenetics
This group will complete the collection of transcriptomic and epigenetic data from systems that regenerate (neonatal mouse, zebrafish, chick) and those that do not (mature mouse and human). In addition, they will begin to perform cross-species comparisons of the behavior of a shared set of hair cell loci across species, starting with fish and mouse and adding chick data. The group will also add data from humans using a pipeline that is now in place. Neil Segil, Ph.D. (chair), University of Southern California
Stefan Heller, Ph.D., Stanford University Alain Dabdoub, Ph.D., Sunnybrook Research Institute
Tatjana Piotrowski, Ph.D., Stowers Institute for Medical Research Andy Groves, Ph.D., Baylor College of Medicine
Integrative Analysis
This group will take the lead on data curation and analysis. The HRP is adding a dedicated full-time HRP analyst to work across groups to help collect and process data, thereby facilitating a long-planned cross-species analysis. The group will start by annotating hair cell types from all species so that anyone in the field can assess what kind of hair cell their regeneration approaches may produce, while also easing identification of common hair cell genes, which will help the Cross-Species Epigenetics group. Analysis of the hair cells produced in mouse organoids will be performed as an example and to lay the groundwork for using organoids to screen genes in the future. Seth Ament, Ph.D. (co-chair), University of Maryland
David Raible, Ph.D., University of Washington Ronna Hertzano, M.D., Ph.D. (co-chair), University of Maryland
Jennifer Stone, Ph.D., University of Washington Albert Edge, Ph.D., Mass Eye & Ear
Mark Warchol, Ph.D., Washington University in St. Louis Stefan Heller, Ph.D., Stanford University
Reprogramming and Gene Delivery
This group will take the lead on transitioning to Phase II, testing candidate genes. They will study the effects of current transcription factor reprogramming cocktails on supporting cell behavior, including the collection of additional transcriptomic and epigenetic data. They will additionally work toward developing new methods to deliver molecules and/or genes, including endogenous activation of reprogramming factors via CRISPR/Cas-9. Andy Groves, Ph.D. (chair), Baylor College of Medicine John Brigande, Ph.D., Oregon Health & Science University Yehoash Raphael, Ph.D., University of Michigan Neil Segil, Ph.D., University of Southern California
HRP scientific director Lisa Goodrich, Ph.D., is a professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School. For more, see hhf.org/hrp.
Apply for an Emerging Research Grant
Hearing Health Foundation’s Emerging Research Grants (ERG) program provides seed money to researchers with innovative approaches to hearing and balance science. Grantees advance knowledge in these and other under-researched areas:
2016 ERG researcher Elizabeth McCullagh, Ph.D., and colleague at the University of Colorado Denver (top); and a microscopic view of a mouse cochlea showing sensory hair cells in green.
» Hearing loss in children » Auditory processing disorder » Hyperacusis » Tinnitus » Ménière’s disease » Usher syndrome » Reducing cancer drug ototoxicity » Links between hearing loss and diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease
The ERG program is a competitive funding opportunity that awards grants to only the most promising investigators. Awards are up to $50,000 per year for two years. Recipients are exceptionally well positioned to go on to win funding from the National Institutes of Health and other federal funders, leading to dramatic innovations in the hearing and balance fields. Since 2002 ERG alumni have been
awarded an average $47 in federal grants for every dollar of their ERG grant.
While early career researchers are especially encouraged to apply, ERG grants are open to both early career researchers and senior investigators.
