Recent News Stories
Now Hear This - Johns Hopkins Scientists Show How Tiny Cells Deliver Big Sound
October 22, 2009, Deep in the ear, 95 percent of the cells that shuttle sound to the brain are big, boisterous neurons that, to date, have explained most of what scientists know about how hearing works. Whether a rare, whisper-small second set of cells also carry signals from the inner ear to the brain and have a real role in processing sound has been a matter of debate.
Now, reporting on rat experiments in the October 22 issue of Nature, a Johns Hopkins team says it has for what is believed to be the first time managed to measure and record the elusive electrical activity of the Type II neurons in the snail-shell-like structure called the cochlea. And it turns out the cells do indeed carry signals from the ear to the brain, and the sounds they likely respond to would need to be loud, such as sirens or alarms that might be even be described as painful or traumatic.
The researchers say they’ve also discovered that these sensory cells get the job done by responding to glutamate released from sensory hair cells of the inner ear. Glutamate is a workhorse neurotransmitter throughout the nervous system and it excites the cochlear neurons to carry acoustic information to the brain.
“No one thought recording them was even possible,” says Paul A. Fuchs, Ph.D., the John E. Bordley Professor of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery and co-director of the Center for Sensory Biology in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and a co-author of the report. “We knew the Type II neurons were there and now at last we know something about what they do and how they do it.” (click headline to read entire press release)
Listen to Dr. Fuchs talk about this discovery on NPR's Talk of the Nation (Oct. 23, 2009)
David E. Tunkel, MD, Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist, Receives Award from National Medical Society
Press release by American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery: October 12,2009
Alexandria, VA – David E. Tunkel, MD, of Baltimore, MD, received the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) Distinguished Service Award at the opening ceremony of the 2009 AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, in San Diego, CA, October 4-7, 2009.
The Academy presents Distinguished Service Awards to medical professionals in recognition of extensive meritorious service through the presentation of instructional courses, scientific papers, participation on a continuing education committee, or Academy leadership position.
Dr. Tunkel is currently the Division Director of Pediatric Otolaryngology in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the Johns Hopkins School Medicine. He also serves as the Chair of the Pediatric Otolaryngology Committee of the AAO-HNS.
Featuring more than 165 scientific research sessions, 200 posters, and over 300 instruction course hours for attendees, the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO is the largest gathering of otolaryngologists in the world.
Read about Kofi Boahene, M.D., one of three Johns Hopkins doctors profiled in the fall issue of Hopkins Medicine, who have overcome many tough challenges and defied the odds to practice medicine.
Watch a five-minute video in which Dr. Boahene speaks about his personal journey to Hopkins.
Baltimore Jewish Times - August 28, 2009
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow …Hair loss is a painful topic for men and women.
Hair loss is often a painful topic and one that many people don't like to discuss. In dermatologist Rebecca Kazin and hair transplantation specialist Lisa Ishii's experience, women are reluctant to make an appointment specifically for hair loss.
Lloyd Minor, M.D., Named Provost for The Johns Hopkins University
Lloyd Minor, director of the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, has been named provost and senior vice president of academic affairs for The Johns Hopkins University. Click here to view the press release about Dr. Minor's appointment.
Minor, who holds the endowed Andelot Professorship in Laryngology and Otology and has joint appointments in the departments of Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience, will take office as the university’s 13th provost on Sept. 1.
John Niparko, M.D., professor of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery and director of the Division of Otology, Audiology, Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery, will take over as interim director of the department.
USA Today - August 18, 2009
Eyeing smaller, faster, smarter ear implants
A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that helps children and adults with little or no hearing pick up sounds - including human voices, music and environmental noises, says Johns Hopkins cochlear implant surgeon John Niparko.
Johns Hopkins Health Summer 2009
Quick Consult: All Ears
Chronic ear infections and swimmer's ear are common in kids. Understanding the difference can help you know what you can do at home and when it's time to see the doctor. With Dr. David Tunkel
Hair Loss: More than a Man's Problem
Most people envision balding older men when it comes to hair loss. But hair loss affects almost as many women as men. With Dr. Lisa Ishii.
WJZ-TV (CBS) - July 14, 2009
Accidental Falls can be Deadly
Accidental falls are a leading cause of death in the elderly, killing about 13,000 seniors every year. One of the first steps in preventing dangerous falls is to have your balance tested. New research out of Johns Hopkins shows balance problems are quite common and don't just affect the elderly. Watch the video.
WBAL-TV (NBC) - June 14, 2009
Cleaning Out Your Ears
Keep the cotton-tipped swab away from your ears. Our medical expert, Howard Francis, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, explains the potential damage they can cause and the new guidelines for keeping your ears. Watch the video
Press Release & Video - May 20, 2009
Survey Suggests Higher Risk of Falls Due to Dizziness in Middle-Aged and Older Americans
A full third of American adults, 69 million men and women over age 40, are up to 12 times more likely to have a serious fall because they have some form of inner-ear dysfunction that throws them off balance and makes them dizzy, according to Johns Hopkins experts. Read the entire story or Watch the video
WBAL-TV (NBC) - May 17, 2009
The Buzz in the Bedroom
For the roughly 40 million Americans suffering from sleep disorders, nights spent tossing and turning can become days full of irritability and melancholy.
Watch the video.
ReachMD - April 20, 2009
Getting to the Root of Hair Loss in Women
Hair loss can be a troubling situation for women. More than 30 percent of women of all ages suffer from some type of hair loss, either due to medication or medical issues. Dr. Lisa Ishii, an assistant professor of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at Johns Hopkins Medicine, talks with host Dr. Lisa Mazzullo about how to evaluate and treat hair loss for women. Listen here
WMAR-TV (ABC) - April 1, 2009
For Barry Block, this is no ordinary trip to the Listening Center at Johns Hopkins. His audiologist, Ryan Carpenter, is turning on his cochlear implant or the bionic ear he had surgically put in a month ago. To view the full story, click here
NPR "Talk of the Nation" - January 23, 2009
New Research Towards Hearing Loss Pill
Listen to Paul Fuchs, Ph.D., talk about research into a protein found on sensory hair cells in mouse ears that enabled mice to withstand loud noises, and how it could one day help human ears.
WBAL-TV (NBC) - Sept. 29, 2008
Hair Loss Affects Women, Too!
Dr. Lisa Ishii from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine discuss the root causes of hair loss in women and the latest treatments available. To view the full story click here.
The Washington Times - September 10, 2008
Ethnic Cosmetic Surgeries Rising
by Ann Geracimos
The "plastic" in plastic surgery comes from the Greek for plastikos, meaning to mold or shape - originally often with a flap of skin. Increasingly, however, the shapes and textures of the human body are changed with the use of creatively engineered man-made or petroleum byproducts - especially in cosmetic surgery.
