Alan G. Cheng
Academic Appointments
- Assistant Professor, Otolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery)
- Member, Child Health Research Institute
- Assistant Professor (By courtesy), Pediatrics
Key Documents
Contact Information
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Clinical Offices
Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery 14777 Los Gatos BLVD Specialty Center South Bay Los Gatos, CA 95035 Tel Work (408) 356-0911 Fax (408) 356-7140Practices at Stanford Hospital and Clinics and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital
- Academic Offices
Personal Information EmailAlternate Contact April A. Prasad Administrative Associate Email Tel Work 650.724.9697Not for medical emergencies or patient use
Professional Overview
Clinical Focus
- Otolaryngology
- Hearing loss
- Cholesteotoma
- Pediatric sinus disease
- Pediatric head and neck tumors
Honors and Awards
- Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang Faculty Scholar, Child Health Research Institute at Stanford (2011)
- Herbert Silverstein Otology-Neurotology Award, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (2010)
- Triological Society Career Development Award, Triological Society (2009)
- American Otological Society Clinician-Scientist Award, American Otological Society (2008)
- Percy Memorial Research Award, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (2008)
- Shiley Resident Research Award, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Fundation (2001)
Professional Education
| Fellowship: | Children's Hospital Boston MA (2007) |
| Board Certification: | Otolaryngology, American Board of Otolaryngology (2007) |
| Internship: | University of Washington Medical Center, WA USA (2000) |
| Medical Education: | Albert Einstein Medical Center NY (1999) |
| Fellowship: | Children's Hospital Boston, Pediatric Otolaryngology (2007) |
| Residency: | University of Washington, Otolaryngology-HNS (2006) |
Postdoctoral Advisees
Renjie Chai, David Chang, Elvis Huarcaya Najarro, Lina Jansson, Mamiko Niwa, Tian Wang
Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations
Scientific Focus
Current Research Interests
The overarching goal of our research group is to restore/protect auditory function. The irreversible loss of mechanosensitive hair cells in the cochlea causes permanent hearing loss. Mammals lack the ability to spontaneously regenerate hair cells and restore hearing. Wnt signaling is a recurrent theme playing crucial roles in the development of multicellular organisms as well as tissue and cellular homeostasis including the maintenance of stem/progenitor cells. To understand how to regenerate the inner ear, our group has been studying Wnt-responsive progenitor cells in the mammalian cochlea. We take in vitro and in vivo approaches to study the behavior of these putative progenitor cells both during development and after damage in the mature animal. In particular, we are interested in how cell fate decision is made when these progenitor cells differentiate and how Wnt signaling (and other signals) directly and indirectly affects their decision. Techniques include genetic and pharmacologic manipulations, flow cytometry, cell and organotypic cultures, and confocal and time-lapse imaging, single cell and whole animal physiological testing.
A second direction of our laboratory is to understand how the aminoglycoside antibiotics enter the inner ear. These commonly prescribed antibiotics selectively damage inner ear hair cells leading to hearing loss. We are interested in understanding how it enters the blood-labyrinth barrier and its subsequent transport into hair cells. One main focus is to re-design aminoglycosides to preclude their entry into the inner ear.
Publications
- Integrity and regeneration of mechanotransduction machinery regulate aminoglycoside entry and sensory cell death. PLoS One. 2013; (1): e54794
- Tympanic border cells are Wnt-responsive and can act as progenitors for postnatal mouse cochlear cells. Development. 2013; (6): 1196-206
- Wnt signaling induces proliferation of sensory precursors in the postnatal mouse cochlea. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012; (21): 8167-72
- Dynamic expression of Lgr5, a Wnt target gene, in the developing and mature mouse cochlea. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol. 2011; (4): 455-69
- Functional hair cell mechanotransducer channels are required for aminoglycoside ototoxicity. PLoS One. 2011; (7): e22347
- Intrinsic regenerative potential of murine cochlear supporting cells Scientific Reports. 2011; (26): DOI:10.1038/srep0002
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