Tejbeer Kaur, PhD

In the Kaur Lab, the research aims to understand the complex biology and interactions of immune cells and their effector molecules with the sensory cells in the cochlea of the inner ear and how these interactions influence hearing, hearing loss and sensory cell development, degeneration, repair, survival, and plasticity. Inner ear contains a resident population of macrophages (innate-immune cells). Importantly, sensorineural hearing loss due to ototoxic side effects of certain medications, noise trauma, infections or healthy aging is associated with inflammation and robust activation and increase in numbers of macrophages. However, the precise functions of macrophages and inflammation are unclear. We are addressing these fundamental questions by utilizing cutting-edge mouse genetics, electrophysiological, pharmacological, high resolution fluorescent and electron microscopy, tissue culturing, mass spectroscopy, omics, molecular and biochemical approaches. Our long-term goal is to decipher the diversity and functions of immune cells and molecules in normal and pathological ears and to develop novel immunotherapies to prevent and/or restore loss of hearing and sensory cells and to maximize hearing aids and cochlear implant technologies for treating sensorineural hearing loss.

Dr. Kaur received her PhD at the Southern Illinois University, Springfield, Illinois where she studied the role of inflammation and STAT transcription factors in cisplatin (cancer drug)-induced ototoxicity and hearing loss. She completed postdoctoral training at Washington University, St. Louis where she discovered the critical role of macrophages in the survival of neurons in the injured cochlea and identified a novel neuron-immune signaling axis, fractalkine signaling that regulate the spontaneous repair of ribbon synapses and long-term survival of neurons in the injured cochlea.