Anna Shipman
PhD
Teresa Nicolson
PhD
Deafness and balance defects in mutant zebrafish larvae.
Gene Misregulation
Lack of cell to cell communication in the brain
We are currently trying to understand the molecular basis of neural hearing loss in a zebrafish mutant that has impaired cell-to-cell communication. The block in signaling results in changes in gene expression in the central nervous system. In humans, mutations in the same gene (VPS4A) are associated with neurodevelopmental abnormalities and hearing loss.
