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NIDCD Lecture Archive

Welcome to the NIDCD Lecture Archive

This collection of recorded lectures features presentations from NIDCD and NIH programs on key topics in auditory research, including hearing, balance, and speech. Regardless of your career stage, these lectures provide a wide range of valuable information in NIDCD mission areas. The collection includes:

Browse the topics below to explore lectures on auditory mechanics, hair cell biology, hearing loss prevention, and more.

On this page:

Introductory Lectures

EARssentials Course Introduction: Elyssa Monzack
2016 NIDCD EARssentials Seminar
Covers fundamental auditory concepts, including how sound is detected and measured. Dr. Elyssa Monzack introduces key terms related to sound energy, intensity, wave properties, and the dynamic range of hearing. Perfect for those looking to build a foundation in auditory science.

Auditory Mechanics and the Traveling Wave: Kelly King
2016 NIDCD EARssentials Seminar (starts at 1:24:31)
Discusses inner ear anatomy and the process of sound transduction to the brain. Dr. Kelly King explains cochlear macromechanics, the mechanical tuning of the basilar membrane, and the traveling wave. Other topics include cochlear anatomy, outer hair cell mechanical responses (cochlear micromechanics), and how these principles are applied in the clinic and laboratory, such as in distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs).

History of Auditory Research: Matthew Kelley
2016 NIDCD EARssentials Seminar (starts at 2:32:04)
Explores key figures and discoveries that have shaped the field of auditory science. Dr. Matthew Kelley covers milestones from the first reports of head trauma affecting hearing in 1700 BC to the rise of histologists in the 1800s to modern advancements. Topics include the cocktail party effect and the many inner ear structures and cells named after pioneering anatomists.

The Evolution of the Auditory System: Matthew Kelley
2023 NIDCD EARssentials Seminar
Explains how inner ear structures and cell types developed throughout vertebrate evolution. Dr. Matthew Kelley begins with an introduction to hearing, including key reminders about evolutionary principles and the components of the vertebrate auditory system. He examines when and how major inner ear structures emerged and traces their evolutionary origins. He then focuses on the mammalian ear, discussing the modifications that differentiate it from the basic vertebrate inner ear structure. He highlights unique hair cell types and the development of electromotility as key evolutionary advancements in mammalian hearing.

Development of the Inner Ear

Development of the Inner Ear: Doris Wu
2016 NIDCD EARssentials Seminar (starts at 1:19:01)
Explores how the complex three-dimensional structure of the organ of Corti forms during development. Dr. Doris Wu covers key principles including primary axial specification, the genes and transcription factors that guide this process, and the signaling molecules and pathways involved. The session also introduces animal models used to study inner ear development.

Understanding Communication Disorders: The Making of the Inner Ear: Doris Wu
2017 NIDCD Beyond the Lab Seminar
Dr. Doris Wu discusses how her laboratory, the NIDCD Laboratory of Molecular Biology, is uncovering the key molecules involved in the development of hair cells and the formation of the inner ear. These sensory cells are essential for our ability to hear and maintain balance, and Dr. Wu’s research sheds light on the molecular processes that guide their development.

Electrophysiology Basics, Mechanotransduction, and the Hair Cell Synapse

The Hair Cell Synapse: Catherine Weisz
2020 NIDCD EARssentials Seminar
Reviews cochlear structure, hair cell activation by sound, electrical responses, and afferent nerve signaling. Dr. Catherine Weisz covers synaptic specialization; experimental techniques such as patch-clamp electrophysiology; the differences between afferent synapses with cochlear inner hair cells versus outer hair cells; and vestibular hair cell synapses.

Hair Cells and Mechanotransduction Part II: Gwenaëlle Géléoc
2020 NIDCD EARssentials Seminar
Explores the identification of the major components of the mechanotransduction channel, tracing their discovery through historical hypotheses, key experiments, and supporting evidence. Dr. Gwenaëlle Géléoc discusses major observations and the roles of other components in the mechanotransduction complex.

Spiral Ganglion Neurons

Spiral Ganglion Neurons: Thomas Coate
2020 NIDCD EARssentials Seminar
Covers the anatomy, development, and function of spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). Topics include SGN subtypes, regional differences, and immunolabeling techniques. Dr. Thomas Coate explores the developmental timeline, transcription factors for specification, trophic cues for survival, and connectivity with hair cells. He discusses how synapses between SGNs and hair cells are damaged after noise exposure, leading to hearing loss, including hidden hearing loss.

Hair Cell Death/Hair Cell Damage and Protection

Preventing or Reversing Hearing Loss: Lisa Cunningham
2015 NIDCD Beyond the Lab Seminar
Discusses Dr. Lisa Cunningham’s research on preserving hearing in patients treated with ototoxic drugs, such as certain antibiotics and the chemotherapy drug cisplatin. These medications can damage inner ear hair cells, leading to hearing loss in more than half a million Americans annually. Dr. Cunningham's work explores strategies to protect hearing without affecting the therapeutic benefits of these drugs.

Cisplatin-Induced Hearing Loss: Lisa Cunningham
2019 NIH Clinical Center Grand Rounds
Explores the incidence and risk factors of hearing loss related to cisplatin, a chemotherapy drug. Other topics include the mechanisms of cisplatin ototoxicity, key hypotheses, and a mouse model developed in Dr. Lisa Cunningham’s laboratory to study cisplatin-induced ototoxicity. The session also discusses the broader translational significance of this research in understanding and addressing hearing loss.

Hair Cell Damage and Protection: Lisa Cunningham
2023 NIDCD EARssentials Seminar
Updated video from the NIDCD's 2023 EARssentials course covering the causes of hair cell death and strategies for preventing hearing loss. Dr. Lisa Cunningham discusses ototoxic drugs, their mechanisms, and recent advances in prevention. She also explores noise-induced hearing loss, safe exposure limits, and temporary versus permanent threshold shifts. Dr. Cunningham then examines age-related hearing loss, its complexity, treatment options, and risk factors, concluding with the connection between hearing loss and dementia and ongoing clinical studies.

Hair Cell Regeneration

Hair Cell Regeneration: Matthew Kelley
2016 NIDCD EARssentials Seminar
Explores how non-mammalian vertebrates can regenerate hair cells, while mammals have lost this ability. Dr. Matthew Kelley covers the key steps required for regeneration, including cellular proliferation, commitment, and differentiation, and discusses potential approaches to overcoming these challenges. Identifying the factors that regulate hair cell development in embryonic mammals may provide insights into inducing regeneration.

Progress Toward Hair Cell Regeneration and the Restoration of Hearing: Matthew Kelley
2022 NIDCD Beyond the Lab Seminar
Explains how hearing relies on the proper function of specialized cells in the inner ear. Hair cells in the inner ear detect sound and send that information to the brain. These cells can be damaged by loud noises, certain medications, physical injury, or aging. Dr. Matthew Kelley discusses recent advances in regenerating these cells to restore hearing.

Introduction to the Vestibular System

The Vestibular System – Anatomy and Physiology, an Overview: Christopher Zalewski
2016 NIDCD EARssentials Seminar
Provides an overview of the anatomy, physiology, and function of the vestibular system. Dr. Christopher Zalewski covers basic vestibular reflexes, their role in maintaining postural and visual stability, and the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR).

Genetics of Hearing

Genetics of Hearing Loss: Understanding Hearing by Studying Deafness: Thomas Friedman
2016 NIDCD EARssentials Seminar (starts at 49:25)
Provides an introduction to genetics, including deafness genes and genetic hearing loss. Dr. Thomas Friedman explores research strategies for studying genes essential for hearing in humans, and how the study of human genetics helps us understand hearing and deafness. He also covers examples of genes that cause hearing loss and discusses methods for testing whether specific gene mutations are truly linked to deafness rather than benign variants.

Human Hereditary Deafness is Complex Yet Easy to Grasp: Thomas Friedman
2019 NIDCD Beyond the Lab Seminar
Dr. Thomas Friedman discusses how deafness can be inherited and the role of genetic research in identifying gene variants linked to hereditary hearing loss. By pinpointing these variants, scientists aim to diagnose hereditary deafness earlier and more accurately.

Zebrafish as a Model System for Hearing Research/Lateral Line

Zebrafish as a Model for Hearing and Balance: Katie Kindt
2021 NIDCD EARssentials Seminar
Explores zebrafish as an in vivo animal model for studying hearing and balance. Dr. Katie Kindt covers the history of zebrafish as a model system, hair cell anatomy, genetic advantages of zebrafish, sensory system development, and the use of zebrafish in studying ototoxicity and regeneration. Examples of methods for measuring hair cell function are also discussed.

Zebrafish Can Help Us "See" How Hearing Works: Katie Kindt
2024 NIDCD Beyond the Lab Seminar
Dr. Katie Kindt discusses using zebrafish to study the development and function of hair cells, the sensory cells in the inner ear responsible for hearing and balance.

NIDCD Mouse Auditory Testing Core Facility – How Do We Measure Hearing?

The NIDCD Mouse Auditory Testing Core Facility’s Role in Identifying Hearing Loss: Tracy Fitzgerald
2021 NIDCD Beyond the Lab Seminar
Dr. Tracy Fitzgerald discusses current technologies used to assess hearing and inner ear function in mouse models. She leads the NIDCD Mouse Auditory Testing Core Facility, which supports research on hearing sensitivity and vestibular function. NIDCD's work in this area contributed to the procedures now used to test newborns for hearing loss before hospital discharge.

Clinical Lectures

Cochlear Implants: Michael Hoa
2016 NIDCD EARssentials Seminar: (starts at 1:49:53)
Provides a basic introduction to hearing loss and available treatment options, with a focus on cochlear implants (CIs). Dr. Michael Hoa covers the history, key concepts, candidacy criteria, and surgical aspects of CIs, as well as auditory rehabilitation and the postoperative timeline.

From natural history to clinical trial: The role of audiology in understanding and treating Niemann-Pick disease type C: Kelly King and Carmen Brewer
2016 NIDCD Beyond the Lab Seminar
Drs. Kelly King and Carmen Brewer discuss the NIDCD Audiology Unit's critical role in a clinical trial for Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC), a rare disorder that affects the brain and hearing.

Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids: How We Got Here, and Where We’re Going: Kelly King
2023 NIDCD Beyond the Lab Seminar
Dr. Kelly King explains over-the-counter hearing aids and the events that led to the FDA’s regulation of this new category.

NIH Clinical Center Grand Rounds, 2023: Hearing Instability Disorders: Mouse and Human Correlates – Michael Hoa; and Development of Gene Therapy for Hearing Loss and Dizziness - Wade Chien (Dr. Chien’s lecture starts at 28:58) 
Drs. Wade Chien and Michael Hoa discuss hearing instability disorders, exploring mouse and human correlates and the development of gene therapy for hearing loss and dizziness.

Introduction to Gene Profiling and Bioinformatics

Introduction to Gene Expression Profiling and Bioinformatics: Michael Kelly
2016 NIDCD EARssentials Seminar (starts at 2:37:37)
Introduces the NIDCD Genomics and Computational Biology Core and its equipment. Dr. Michael Kelly provides an overview of gene expression profiling, its role in experimental design and analysis, and how to access and utilize existing expression data.

(Brief!) Introduction to Bioinformatics: Robert Morell
2020 NIDCD EARssentials Seminar
Describes the NIDCD Genomics and Computational Biology Core, explaining how genomic data is generated. Dr. Robert Morell covers key bioinformatics terms and acronyms, strategies for analyzing data to generate testable hypotheses, and available resources for analysis, training, and further learning.

Speech

Understanding Communication Disorders - Stuttering: Dennis Drayna
2014 NIDCD Beyond the Lab Seminar
Examines the underlying factors contributing to stuttering disorders, with a focus on genetic influences. Dr. Dennis Drayna covers the discovery of genes associated with stuttering, their normal functions, and the development of a mouse model to study the condition. He also highlights the many unanswered questions in stuttering research.

Finding Causative Genes that Illuminate the Underlying Neuropathology of Stuttering: Dennis Drayna
2019 NIH Clinical Center Grand Rounds (starts at 27:01)
Explores the unique neurological alterations associated with stuttering and presents evidence for its genetic etiology. Dr. Dennis Drayna discusses the discovery of causative genes for stuttering and explains how animal models can provide insights into the underlying neuropathology.

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