https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2800-6116Wrobel Group
Methods to Recover Hearing and Their Clinical Translation
Our group focuses on methods to recover hearing and their clinical translation.
One field of activity is the optogenetic manipulation of spiral ganglion neurons – first neurons of the hearing system – to enable future optical cochlear implants. In collaboration with the Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, headed by Prof. Dr. T. Moser, optogenetically manipulated spiral ganglion neurons in adult rodents and their optical cochlear stimulation with consequent auditory activity and triggered behavior could recently be established.
This provides a broad basis for further investigations of and insights into auditory system and for developing optical cochlear implants with high frequency and intensity resolution. Other fields of activity are targeted, e. g. recovering the auditory nerve in the global degenerated cochlea.