Johns Hopkins University, USA
Dr Philippe Vincent obtained his PhD in 2015 from the University of Bordeaux, where he studied how the molecular processes that underlie the transmission of sound information between inner ear hair cells (which detect sound) and auditory nerve cells (which carry the information to the brain).
During his studies, Philippe learned a variety of research techniques that allowed him to study cell function at the microscopic and molecular level.
More about Philippe’s work
In 2016, he joined Dr Elisabeth Glowatzki’s lab at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the US. Since then, he has been investigating how noise trauma affects the transmission of sound information between hair cells and auditory nerve cells. He has also started to focus on developing strategies to repair damage to this process caused by loud noise exposure.
Developing tools to study ribbon synapses
Read about Philippe’s research projectPhilippe’s approaches to hearing research
To me the most exciting breakthrough happened recently with the development of a gene therapy for otoferlin-linked deafness. The otoferlin gene was discovered in the 1990s, and since then researchers (including myself) have explored its role in hearing, especially in how sound information is transmitted to the brain.
Finally, about 20 years after its discovery, we’ve been able to use gene therapy to repair the otoferlin gene and allow affected people to hear. I think this is just the beginning and we will soon be able to treat other forms of genetic hearing loss in this way.
I think the development of the light-based cochlear implant will be a major step forward. Although there are still some technical and biological challenges to overcome (such as how to make auditory nerve cells in the inner ear responsive to light signals), I believe that such a device will help people using an implant to more easily discriminate sound frequencies, therefore improving their understanding of speech in noise.
Seeing my grandfather wearing his hearing aids every day to try to stay connected with the external world was one reason for me to want to improve the world of people with hearing loss, but not the only reason.
For years, we’ve underestimated the consequences of hearing loss, especially its correlation to things like social isolation, depression, dementia and cognitive decline. These are major issues that have significant impact on people’s live, and this motivates me to develop treatment approaches for hearing loss.
Another motivation is more fundamental to me. I want to understand the processes that naturally limit the repair of damage after noise trauma and find ways to bypass those processes to promote hearing regeneration.
It means that RNID believes in my research, in what I am proposing, and in the impact my future discoveries could have to help people with hearing loss. This is so rewarding.