Translational Ear Physiology Laboratory

We’re delighted to share a new publication led by our TEP alumna Prakansha N. Kumar , based on research from her Master of Audiology : “Expression of the P2X1 receptor remains in the type II spiral ganglion neurons in the mature rat cochlea” ( Purinergic Signalling , Brief Report, open access; published 24 January 2026 ). Article available online:  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11302-026-10129-7 A special congratulations to Prakansha - this project was done during her Master of Audiology thesis project , and the paper has continued steadily through the publication process after she moved on. Seeing it now published is a real credit to Prakansha's hard work from MAud, and a fantastic example of thesis work making it into the peer-reviewed literature.  From Figure 1F, Kumar et al. 2026 What the paper is about Hearing begins in the cochlea , where sound is turned into signals that travel to the brain through spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) . Most SGNs are type I...

Alizée Journal Club in Purinergic Signalling "P2X4 receptors as the dynamic regulators of auditory sensory cell activity: a potential new mechanism for protecting hearing?" is available now online!  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11302-026-10130-0 Alongside her hands-on lab work over the summer, Ali also took on a substantial reading-and-writing challenge: she produced a publishable Journal Club article (a short, research-aware commentary that reviews an influential paper and explains why it matters).  Well done, Alizée Fisher-Ridoux — this is a fantastic outcome from the Summer Studentship. What Ali’s Journal Club highlights Ali’s piece focuses on a Journal of Neuroscience study by Riffault et al. (2025) that investigated how the P2X4 receptor (an ATP-gated ion channel) contributes to the function of outer hair cells (OHCs) —the sensory cells that provide the cochlea’s mechanical “amplification.” Key points from the featured study that Ali draws attention...

Happy New Year from the Translational Ear Physiology Team Happy New Year to everyone from the Translational Ear Physiology Team. We are back in action at the University of Auckland and looking forward to an exciting year of research, learning, and connection. In 2026, we have several key milestones to aim for, including the completion of Master’s theses and a PhD thesis. It is always a rewarding time in the lab when projects move from data collection to pulling the story together, and we are excited to support our students and trainees through these final stages. We are also planning to take part in conferences and outreach activities throughout the year. We will share details of upcoming events on our website as soon as dates and plans are confirmed, so please keep an eye out and watch this space. One important date already on the calendar is World Hearing Day on 3 March. This is a global initiative that brings attention to hearing loss, hearing health, and the importance of resea...

Merry Christmas from the Translational Ear Physiology Team. Merry Christmas from the Translational Ear Physiology Team! I wanted to share a short end-of-year message and to thank you for your support throughout 2025. This year has been busy, but in a good way. We celebrated a major milestone with a PhD student completing their degree, welcomed new Master’s students into the lab, and towards the end of the year we were joined by summer students who brought great energy and curiosity. Behind the scenes, our research has continued to progress steadily, including encouraging data coming through from our sheep experiments. Everyone has worked incredibly hard, and it has been a genuinely productive year.We were also active beyond the lab, with community engagement work that helps connect our research to the wider world and keeps us grounded in the people and communities we aim to serve. What I am most proud of, though, is our team culture. The group has been working together beautifully, ...

Welcome to our summer students 2025-2026!! Each summer, the Translational Ear Physiology Team aims to host undergraduate summer students, and we are delighted to welcome three students for this year’s programme. We are excited to host Sherlly Christine (University of Auckland Summer Research Scholarship), Alizée Fisher (University of Auckland Summer Research Scholarship), and Jude Anderson (Te Titoki Mataora Pacific Summer Studentship Scholarship). Summer studentships are a fantastic way for undergraduate students to gain hands-on experience in research, learn how a lab team works day to day, and contribute to projects that support our wider goals in hearing and inner ear biology. All three students will be embedded in team-based research projects at the University of Auckland. Sherlly’s project focuses on the cochlear aqueduct, including identifying and characterising this structure. Alizée’s project will explore the shape and anatomical features of the oval window. Jude’s project ...

Huge congratulations to Dr. Seunga Han The Translational Ear Physiology Team is delighted to share some fantastic news: Dr Seunga Han has officially completed her PhD and formally a Dr! Seunga’s doctoral research focused on purinergic signalling in the cochlea, an important pathway for understanding how cells communicate and respond within the hearing organ. Over the course of her project, Seunga produced rigorous, highly translational work using immunohistochemistry and a range of microscopy approaches. A standout aspect of her research was the use of both human cochlea and sheep cochlea, strengthening the relevance of her findings across animal models to humans and supporting future work at the interface of basic science and clinical translation.  Seunga submitted her thesis in March and successfully undertook her oral examination (PhD defence) in October. She delivered an outstanding performance, engaging in challenging scientific discussion with calm confidence and real depth, ...