Auditory Experience and Hearing Disorders

Image of the first way-station for hearing in the brain. Auditory nerve afferents from the ear are labelled in blue, and synapses are labelled in gold.

Use cutting-edge techniques to explore how synapses that relay information from the ear are changed by experience, and help us learn how to preserve and restore healthy hearing. 

Project description

Noise exposure or conductive hearing loss can cause lasting effects like tinnitus or auditory processing disorders by altering synaptic function in the auditory system. The Xu-Friedman lab studies the cellular basis of these changes, focusing on auditory nerve synapses that relay sound information to the brain. Students working in the lab gain hands-on experience in advanced techniques, including patch-clamp electrophysiology, calcium imaging, and immunohistochemistry, as well as basic animal handling and tissue preparation. Specific projects are tailored to student interests, such as examining synaptic changes following noise exposure or ear plugging, using structural and functional analyses. 

Project outcome

Students will learn general laboratory skills, including solution preparation and tracking supplies. They will learn how to perform histological procedures using immunohistochemistry, and how to prepare live tissue slices for electrophysiology or calcium imaging. Furthermore, students will become versed in how to work in a lab environment, seeking help from others as well as pushing forward on their own. Students will learn how to analyze results and present them within the lab and, pending significant progress, at local or national scientific meetings as posters or papers. 

Project details

Timing, eligibility and other details
Length of commitment Longer than a semester; 6-9 months
Start time January 22, 2025
In-person, remote, or hybrid? In-Person Project (Can only function with in-person engagement)
Level of collaboration Individual Student Project
Benefits Stipend
Who is eligible Sophomores and Juniors; prerequisite course completion of NRS301 (The Brain), PSY351 (Biopsychology), BIO417 (Neuroscience), or equivalents

Project mentor

Matthew Xu-Friedman

Professor

Biological Sciences

Phone: (716) 645-4992

Email: mx@buffalo.edu

Start the project

  1. Email the project mentor using the contact information above to express your interest and get approval to work on the project. (Here are helpful tips on how to contact a project mentor.)
  2. After you receive approval from the mentor to start this project, click the button to start the digital badge. (Learn more about ELN's digital badge options.) 

Preparation activities

Once you begin the digital badge series, you will have access to all the necessary activities and instructions. Your mentor has indicated they would like you to also complete the specific preparation activities below. Please reference this when you get to Step 2 of the Preparation Phase. 

On top of general coursework in neuroscience that includes the auditory system, students can start with reading important background papers, including three central ones that came from the Xu-Friedman lab. Students should read the papers, at least to get a sense of the goals of the lab We will discuss the methods in lab. 

Keywords

Biological Sciences, neuroscience, hearing, synaptic physiology, calcium imaging, College of Arts and Sciences